Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health
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Social interactions and loneliness in older Australian women

Approved: 2018

Collaborators:

  • Dr Rosanne Freak-Poli
  • Prof Jane Fisher
  • Dr Sam Brilleman
  • Dr Thach Tran
  • Dr Alice Owen
  • Dr Joanne Ryan
  • Dr Joanna McHugh Power
  • Prof Michael Berk
  • Prof Nigel Stocks
  • David Gonzalez-Chica
  • Prof Judy Lowthian

Synopsis

Social isolation and loneliness increase the risk of depression and death and likely represents a greater public health hazard than obesity. Last year, researchers found that Irish and English older adults who reported being not socially isolated but lonely were more likely to have cognitive decline. This example illustrates the adverse health effects of being “alone in a crowd” and how social interactions should be assessed in combination with loneliness. This proposal outlines several key concepts to progress our understanding of how the combination of social isolation and loneliness affects our health and longevity.