Loneliness in old age damages health

Men and women alike lonely

04/03/2013

Men and women are equally lonely in old age. Scientists presented at the German Congress of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, which will take place from 6 to 9 March 2013 in Heidelberg, current findings and facts on the loneliness of men and women in advanced age. The experts also want to discuss the risk factors of loneliness.

Men and women alike lonely
Many older people in Germany are lonely. This usually happens when the life partner has already died or the family connection is not given. Depending on the study, 5 to 20 percent of retirees feel in Germany „lonely and suffer from strong feelings of loneliness.“ According to Prof. Dr. med. Karl-Heinz Ladwig from the Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy at the Klinikum rechts der Isar in Munich „Men and women in old age are equally affected by loneliness.“ In the opinion of the doctor „This is actually amazing, as women have more risk factors for loneliness than men“. On average women are widowed more often, suffer more from physical restrictions that make social life more difficult, or are more likely to suffer from depression or anxiety disorders. Ladwig believes that „Women apparently have compensatory mechanisms that compensate for these factors.“

The position of the professor is confirmed by a recent study with over 1000 participants over 65 years of age. „The quality of the social network plays a crucial role“, says Ladwig. Women usually have close friendships and, in addition, have a closer contact with the neighborhood. Men are usually in contact with former work colleagues. However, these are often not close friends to whom a great trust is brought. Another result astonished the experts as well. According to the study, it does not matter whether seniors live alone or with a partner. „When seniors have an intact network of social contacts, they do not find it a burden to live alone“, he says. All findings will be presented at the German Congress of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy.

Negative health effects
„A pronounced sense of loneliness can have a negative impact on the physical and mental health of those affected“, reports med. Imad Maatouk, one of the Heidelberg conference leaders. For example, sufferers often suffer from hypertension. In addition, prescriptions of psychotropic drugs are more often observed when older people feel very lonely. This suggests a higher risk of depression. This is the result of an evaluation that the Heidelberg physician Dr. med. med. Friederike Böhlen in the context of the ESTHER cohort study. „Although it was already known that the use of psychotropic drugs in old age is common“, reports Böhlen, who will also present her results at the congress. But that loneliness also leads to an increased psychopharmaceutical rate beyond the symptom picture of depression is new. About 19 percent of people between the ages of 57 and 84 are taking psychoactive drugs, the study found.

So it is important to consider solitude as a serious topic. If older people have the opportunity to cultivate hobbies and friendships, this also has a positive effect on their health. (Sb)

Picture: Daniel Stricker