The study examined whether becoming a volunteer at the time of widowhood is associated with reducing the risks of loneliness, which is a significant public health concern, particularly for those who have lost a spouse, linked to poorer physical health, depression and even earlier mortality. The findings are published in The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences.

A release from the university quotes Dr. Ben Lennox Kail, co-author of the study and assistant professor of sociology at Georgia State University, as saying, “Becoming a widow is one of the most difficult transitions that people face later in life. We found that for people in general, widowhood was associated with increased loneliness over time. Among people who became widowed, if they started volunteering 100 hours per year, which is about two hours per week, this reduced loneliness to an extent that they almost look exactly like those people who never became widowed at all.”

The researchers analyzed data from 5,882 married adults, ages 51 and older, who completed the Health and Retirement Study, which was given every two years and collected information on family, health and volunteer engagement. Using data from 2006 to 2014 for individuals who were married and either remained continuously married or became widowed, the researchers determined the relationship between loneliness and becoming widowed and whether the loneliness from losing a spouse was reduced by volunteering.

The survey asked questions about volunteer status and how much time was spent volunteering for an organization during the previous year. Participants could choose from three categories: one to 99 hours per year, 100 to 199 hours per year and 200 or more hours per year.

The study found loneliness was significantly higher in those who become widowed compared to those who stay continuously married. However, starting to volunteer two or more hours per week resulted in decreased loneliness, with levels of loneliness similar to those of continuously married individuals volunteering at the same intensity. The findings suggest higher intensity volunteering (about two hours per week) as a potential intervention for alleviating loneliness in older adults who have recently become widowed.

“Volunteering only matters for people’s loneliness when they’ve experienced the loss of social integration that results from widowhood,” Kail said. “It also suggests something that I think is particularly interesting. When you experience loneliness that is because of some kind of loss, even if you’re robustly integrated, that loss is meaningful to you. So if you have this robust social network, and you then experience some loss, what you need to do is begin something new. It’s the new social integration that can make up for loss.”

###

Co-authors of the study include Dawn C. Carr of Florida State University, Christina Matz-Costa of Boston College and Yochai Z. Shavit of Stanford University.

Those of us who serve as healthcare providers, care delivery leaders and patient advocates often have the most frequent interaction with these people and should serve as the first line of defense to help people avoid experiencing loneliness during the holidays. In fact, in a Washington Post article earlier this year, Sachin H. Jain, M.D., president CareMore, the integrated health delivery system where I work, calls for every one of us who are involved in the healthcare delivery system to take responsibility to treat loneliness. And, as identified in new research, more people are growing older without family members around them – meaning that today more than ever, there is a significantly greater level of disconnect and loneliness during the holiday season (and year-round).

I take this responsibility seriously in my role as the Chief Togetherness Officer at CareMore, and I urge you to do the same. In my twenty-eight years of experience as a social worker focused on the senior population, I have come to recognize the importance of togetherness on a person’s health. This is why we launched CareMore’s Togetherness Program, the industry’s first clinical program to address senior loneliness.

Many in the healthcare community have asked specifically what they should be telling patients; I want to share the tips that I often give patients to help them cope during what can be a challenging time.

Create New Traditions. If this holiday season is a person’s first without a spouse or family member, the memories of long-standing family traditions and the first season where those traditions are not possible can understandably create feelings of sadness and isolation. I encourage those who have recently lost a loved one to be purposeful about how traditions can be continued in a new way – whether through sharing a favorite holiday recipe with a local senior group, caroling with your community center or starting a new “Friendsgiving” holiday – which is what I did when I moved to a new city with no family or friends nearby.

Find Ways to Give Back. The holidays are a perfect time to think outside of ourselves and give back – whether to our communities or an international cause. Many local organizations like soup kitchens, homeless shelters and community centers host special meals for the underprivileged in the community that rely on volunteers; and, for those who are less mobile, there are several organizations that offer volunteer opportunities that can be done from home. One of my favorites is Operation Christmas Child where volunteers are simply asked to assemble boxes with supplies for children in need across the world. AARP’s Connect2Affect program is a great tool for finding local volunteer opportunities.

Pick Up The Phone. Many people experience The Christmas Effect due to loved ones being located in other parts of the world. As the holidays approach, scheduling regular phone calls to stay connected with loved ones near and far – even if only for ten minutes a week – helps to create new traditions and ensure people remain connected to loved ones. We had one CareMore member who wasn’t mobile enough to participate in local events or organizations, so I introduced him to a fantastic organization,                                                            Senior Center Without Walls. that provides call-in opportunities to connect with like-minded individuals, which are centered around topics like gratitude, exotic travel destinations and history. That member is now leading three of these groups, including monthly phone conversations, and says that he feels more connected than ever because of this.

Think Local. Most local community and senior centers, as well as places of worship, have special programs around the holiday season – from crafting classes for wreaths and decorations to candlelight caroling services – it just takes a few phone calls or some online research to find these opportunities (try EventBrite or Patch).Once you’ve taken the first step of signing up, I guarantee that you’ll be surprised to realize just how fun these classes can be and how many others in the class are also looking to make new friends.

Ask For Help. Start by reaching out to your healthcare provider to determine what special resources and activities they may be able to recommend to you. At CareMore Health, we are already planning our holiday programming to include local activities, such as sponsoring Meals on Wheels deliveries, collecting holiday cards that will be shipped to armed service members who are currently deployed, and hosting cultural dance demonstrations at our “Nifty After Fifty” fitness centers.

I am proud to be a part of an organization that is invested in delivering common sense solutions to meet the medical, social and personal health needs of aging seniors inside and outside the doctor’s office – whether the need is for transportation, integrated dental care, exercise programs – and, now, support to combat loneliness.

Since the launch of CareMore’s Togetherness Program in May, over 500 socially-isolated seniors have begun to receive regular outreach from CareMore to connect them to community and clinical resources. Further, CareMore employees are connecting with the cause, with 130 employees electing to “adopt” a patient who is lonely by initiating and maintaining regular contact.

We are beginning to measure the results of this initiative, but early feedback suggests we are making a real difference in the lives of the patients we serve. And, through these efforts, we aim to make the holiday season a time of joy, love and togetherness.

However, we all – whether part of an organization or not – have a role to play. What will yours be?

“The people we care about continue to influence our quality of life even when we they are gone,” says lead researcher Kyle Bourassa, a psychology doctoral student at the University of Arizona. “We found that a person’s quality of life is as interwoven with and dependent on their deceased spouse’s earlier quality of life as it is with a person they may see every day.”

In previous work, Bourassa and colleagues had found evidence of synchrony, or interdependence, between partners’ quality of life, finding that a person’s cognitive functioning or health influences not only their own well-being but also the well-being of their partner. Bourassa and colleagues wondered whether this interdependence continues even when one of the partners passes away.

To find out, the researchers turned to the multinational, representative Study of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), an ongoing research project with over 80,000 aging adult participants across 18 European countries and Israel. Specifically, they examined data from 546 couples in which one partner had died during the study period and data from 2566 couples in which both partners were still living.

As one might expect, the researchers found that participants’ quality of life earlier in the study predicted their quality of life later. And the data also provided evidence for interdependence between partners – a participant’s quality of life earlier in the study was associated with his or her partner’s quality of life later.

Intriguingly, the results revealed interdependence between partners even when one partner died during the study; the association remained even after Bourassa and colleagues accounted for other factors that might have played a role, such as participants’ health, age, and years married.

The researchers were surprised to find no observable difference in the strength of the interdependence in couples’ quality of life when comparing widowed spouses with spouses whose partners remained alive. Importantly, the results from first group of couples were replicated in a second, independent sample of couples from the SHARE study, bolstering the researchers’ confidence in the findings.

“Even though we lose the people we love, they remain with us, at least in part,” explains Bourassa. “At some level, this accentuates how important relationships are for our well-being, but the findings cut two ways – if a participant’s quality of life was low prior to his or her death, then this could take a negative toll on the partner’s later quality of life as well.”

Although the study does not address the mechanisms underlying interdependence between partners, Bourassa and colleagues hypothesize that ongoing interactions are a likely driver of synchrony in intact couples, while the thoughts and emotions generated by reminiscing may explain interdependence for those who lost spouses.

A release from the university quotes study lead author Kali Thomas, assistant professor (research) of health services, policy and practice in the Brown University School of Public Health and a researcher at the Providence Veterans Affairs Medical Center. As saying, “This continues to build the body of evidence that home-delivered meals provide more than nutrition and food security,” said

The release explain that in order to study whether the program affects loneliness, Thomas analyzed data from a randomized, controlled trial. More than 600 study participants in eight cities who were on Meals on Wheels waiting lists were either given access to daily fresh meal delivery, weekly frozen meal delivery, or simply remained on the waiting list as a control group.

Funding for the research, including the expanded availability of meal deliveries, came from a grant from the AARP Foundation. The study was sponsored by Meals on Wheels America, which released some of the results earlier this year. Now, however, they have been peer-reviewed and published in the scientific record.

The study staff interviewed seniors in all three groups (daily delivery, weekly delivery or continued waiting) at the beginning of the 15-week study and again at the end so they could measure how the seniors’ responses changed. The researchers assessed feelings of loneliness at both times with two measures: a standard three-question scale and a separate single question: “Do services received from the home-delivered meals program help you feel less lonely?”

Measures of loneliness

At the beginning of the study there were no statistically significant differences among the three study groups in their degree of loneliness by either measure. On the loneliness scale from zero to nine with higher scores indicating greater loneliness, members of each group on average scored between three and four. But other study data revealed that many of the participants were socially isolated. More than half lived alone, 14 percent reported having no one to call on for help, 25 percent reported participating group activities, and 20 percent had contact with friends and family less than once or twice a month.

“The number of people who reported they had no one to call on for help is a cause for concern,” said Thomas, a former Meals on Wheels delivery volunteer.

The study results vary by the loneliness measure, but both methods showed that meal delivery reduced self-reported feelings of loneliness to a statistically significant degree, compared to not receiving delivery. The measures of significance persisted even after the researchers statistically adjusted for possibly confounding factors such as race, income, age, education, living alone, participation in group activities, and contact with friends or family.

After 15 weeks, for example, the average loneliness score of people who did not receive meals was 4.17 but for those who received either weekly or daily delivery it was 3.44. The single-question measure, meanwhile, revealed a difference among people who received daily vs. weekly delivery. Daily recipients were three times more likely than weekly recipients to indicate that home-delivered meal service helped them feel less lonely.

The study is one of few to rigorously examine the long-presumed psychological benefits of home-delivered meal service, Thomas said. She believes it is the first randomized, controlled trial to assess the effect on loneliness, which has been linked by many studies to a greater risk for medical problems, emergency department visits, and nursing home placement.

Thomas said she hopes the study results will be useful as policymakers continue to evaluate the budget and structure of public and private programs that serve the elderly in their homes.

“In a time when resources are being further constrained and demand is increasing, it is important that we have evidence that guides decision-making in terms of what services to provide and how best to provide them,” Thomas said.

###

In addition to Thomas, the study’s other authors are Ucheoma Akobundu of Meals on Wheels America and David Dosa, associate professor of medicine and of health services, policy and practice at Brown University.

Image caption: Kali Thomas, a former Meals on Wheels volunteer, has now led a randomized controlled trial showing that meal deliveries combat loneliness among seniors.

Image credit: Michael Cohea/Brown University

A release from the university notes that researchers have long known the dangers of loneliness, but the cellular mechanisms by which loneliness causes adverse health outcomes have not been well understood. The University of Chicago team, including psychologist and leading loneliness expert John Cacioppo, has now shed new light on how loneliness triggers physiological responses that can ultimately make us sick. The paper shows that loneliness leads to fight-or-flight stress signaling, which can ultimately affect the production of white blood cells.

Along with Cacioppo, Steven W. Cole of UCLA and John P. Capitanio of the California National Primate Research Center at the University of California, Davis examined loneliness in both humans and rhesus macaques, a highly social primate species.

Previous research from this group had identified a link between loneliness and a phenomenon they called “conserved transcriptional response to adversity” or CTRA. This response is characterized by an increased expression of genes involved in inflammation and a decreased expression of genes involved in antiviral responses. Essentially, lonely people had a less effective immune response and more inflammation than non-lonely people.

For the current study, the team examined gene expression in leukocytes, cells of the immune system that are involved in protecting the body against bacteria and viruses.

As expected, the leukocytes of lonely humans and macaques showed the effects of CTRA–an increased expression of genes involved in inflammation and a decreased expression of genes involved in antiviral responses. But the study also revealed several important new pieces of information about loneliness’ effect on the body.

First, the researchers found that loneliness predicted future CTRA gene expression measured a year or more later. Interestingly, CTRA gene expression also predicted loneliness measured a year or more later. Leukocyte gene expression and loneliness appear to have a reciprocal relationship, suggesting that each can help propagate the other over time. These results were specific to loneliness and could not be explained by depression, stress or social support.

Next, the team investigated the cellular processes linking social experience to CTRA gene expression in rhesus macaque monkeys at the California National Primate Research Center, which had been behaviorally classified as high in perceived social isolation. Like the lonely humans, the “lonely like” monkeys showed higher CTRA activity. They also showed higher levels of the fight-or-flight neurotransmitter, norepinephrine.

Previous research has found that norepinephrine can stimulate blood stem cells in bone marrow to make more of a particular kind of immune cell–an immature monocyte that shows high levels of inflammatory gene expression and low levels of antiviral gene expression. Both lonely humans and “lonely like” monkeys showed higher levels of monocytes in their blood.

More detailed studies of the monkey white blood cells found that this difference stemmed from expansion of the pool of immature monocytes. In an additional study, monkeys repeatedly exposed to mildly stressful social conditions (unfamiliar cage-mates) also showed increases in immature monocyte levels. These analyses have finally identified one reason why CTRA gene expression is amplified in the white blood cell pool: increased output of immature monocytes.

Finally, the researchers determined that this monocyte-related CTRA shift had real consequences for health. In a monkey model of viral infection, the impaired antiviral gene expression in “lonely like” monkeys allowed simian immunodeficiency virus (the monkey version of HIV) to grow faster in both blood and brain.

Taken together, these findings support a mechanistic model in which loneliness results in fight-or-flight stress signaling, which increases the production of immature monocytes, leading to up-regulation of inflammatory genes and impaired anti-viral responses. The “danger signals” activated in the brain by loneliness ultimately affect the production of white blood cells. The resulting shift in monocyte output may both propagate loneliness and contribute to its associated health risks.

The team plans to continue research on how loneliness leads to poor health outcomes and how these effects can be prevented in older adults.

Not to mention stress and loneliness.

Researchers from the University of Surrey and Lund University (Sweden) also found that the real problems differed sharply from the image of such travelers presented in media.

“A man in a sharp suit, reclining in a leather chair, laptop open in front of him, a smiley stewardess serving a scotch and soda. This is often the image of travel, particularly business travel portrayed in TV ads and glossy magazines. But there is a dark side to this hypermobile lifestyle that the media and society ignores,” said lead author Dr Scott Cohen from the University of Surrey.

“The level of physiological, physical and societal stress that frequent travels places upon individuals has potentially serious and long-term negative effects that range from the breaking down of family relationships, to changes in our genes due to lack of sleep.

“It is not only traditional media that perpetuates this image. Social media encourages competition between travelers to ‘check-in’ and share content from far-flung destinations. The reality is that most people who are required to engage in frequent travel suffer high levels of stress, loneliness and long-term health problems. There are also wider implications for the environment and sustainability. In this context, hypermobility seems far from glamourous.”

The findings were published in the journal Environment and Planning A.

Thankfully, retirees can find companionship in a variety of places. Although it takes a little effort, it’s completely worth it! According to a recent study published by PLOS Medicine, maintaining a strong social life can benefit your long-term health as much as avoiding cigarettes does.

So in the name of health, happiness, and camaraderie, here are nine great ways for you to find companionship during retirement:

1. Adopt a pet. Adopting a pet is a common option for gaining a companion during retirement, but did you know that caring for a pet actually has health benefits? According to the American Psychological Association, pets are important sources of social and emotional support, especially for those facing significant health challenges.

Not only do pet owners show lower stress levels, but they also have a greater sense of purpose. You can even take your pet companionship one step further by mingling at local dog parks, attending charity walks, or volunteering to visit patients at local hospitals!

2. Find a hobby. It’s hard to switch up your daily routine, but trying something new or picking up an old hobby could be just the thing you need. Having a hobby makes you part of a community of like-minded people.

Whether you join a local theater troupe, a gardening club, or a knitting circle, meeting new people on common ground makes socializing easy. And if you enjoy a hobby that’s less likely to be done in a group setting, use your interests as a conversation starter to connect with new people.

3. Join a gym. It’s common knowledge that regular exercise provides mental health benefits, but joining a gym also has social benefits. Similar to picking up a new hobby, going to the gym directly connects you with others who have similar interests. You can build a strong friendship by enduring something difficult with another person. So put on your shoes, grab a towel, and hit the gym!

4. Find a pen pal. Writing to a pen pal is a great way to expand your circle of friends, brush up on your writing skills, and organize your thoughts. It also helps you recognize the great things going on in your life, and it gives you an outlet to share your expertise and learn new things. Online resources such as International Pen Friends and PenPal World can help you connect with people across the globe.

5. Join (or start) a club. Joining or starting a club is easy — all it takes is two people who are willing to meet regularly. Once you start, you can invite others to join in.

For example, maybe there are few opportunities in your area for retirees to get together and socialize. You can get into the routine of going to dinner every Wednesday night with a small group. Then you can start inviting more people. Even if you don’t know much about these people, you’ll have scheduled times to get together, talk, and build lasting friendships.

6. Learn something new. It’s never too late to learn something new! Taking classes not only furthers your education, but it also gives you a scheduled time to meet new people. Whether you’re learning a new language, auditing a college course, or trying out pottery for the first time, learning something new opens up opportunities to meet people outside of your established social circle.

7. Pick up a part-time job. Although it might seem crazy to re-enter the workforce, finding a part-time job can meet your companionship needs during retirement. A job provides a structure for your day, a consistent set of cohorts, and an opportunity to help people. Plus, you’ll have some extra money for fun activities!

8. Volunteer. If you’re not keen on diving back into the workforce, volunteering is a great way to help others and meet new people. Check with schools, libraries, animal shelters, and churches for volunteer opportunities. Volunteering allows you to learn more about your community and see what others have to offer.

9. Connect with local seniors. Make lasting friendships by getting involved with your local senior center. Whether you’re enjoying a weekend getaway with companions or a Friday evening at the symphony, tapping into local senior resources can provide a variety of activities and opportunities to meet new friends.

No matter what you do to combat loneliness during retirement, know that you’re not the only person facing this challenge. By doing online searches or using tools such as Boomerly that connect retirees all over the United States, you’re sure to find the social opportunities you need to fulfill your companionship needs so that you’re not lonely during retirement.

Annie Doisy is a reverse mortgage expert who helps seniors enhance their lives by taking advantage of the equity in their homes. Annie creates retirement and personal finance content to inform homeowners on how to access the equity in their homes. She believes that staying well versed in all types of mortgages is necessary, regardless of your or your company’s specialty.

Researchers developed a special section in the journal Perspectives on Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, to bring together a summary of scientific research into loneliness.

According to a release from the association, the section, edited by psychological scientist David Sbarra of the University of Arizona, investigates loneliness across multiple levels, from evolutionary theory to genetics to social epidemiology.

“As a group, these articles set the bar high for future research on loneliness,” Sbarra writes in his introduction to the special section. “At the same time, they also contain ‘something for everyone’ — they are accessible, thought-provoking ideas that can be tackled from many different perspectives.”

Among the conclusions:

J.T. Cacioppo, of the University of Chicago, and colleagues theorize that loneliness isn’t unique to humans. Instead, it may be part of a biological “warning system,” they said. Like hunger or pain, loneliness may increase chances of survival and reproduction.

Luc Goossens, of the University of the University of Leuven, in Belgium, is leading a team of investigators that are exploring a possible genetic basis for loneliness. That research, the association said in a news release, highlights “the need to integrate a whole range of approaches, from genomics to behavioral science, in understanding the underpinnings of loneliness.”

Another study included in the section demonstrated a link between social isolation, loneliness, living alone and greater odds of mortality. Two others analyzed the teaching of social skills as a way to lessen loneliness and showed  that people of all ages have an urge to reconnect in order to lessen loneliness.

The special section is available online at: http://pps.sagepub.com/content/10/2.toc#SpecialSectiononLoneliness

.

A release from the university explains that Jean-Philippe Gouin, a Concordia psychology professor, tracked a group of international students who experienced major social change following a move to Montreal. The results showed that those who managed to build a better support network were healthier overall. The proof is in their heart rates.

Over a five-month period, participants responded to questionnaires that measured their social integration, as well as how lonely they felt. Gouin and his Concordia co-authors, Stephanie Fitzpatrick and Biru Zhou, also monitored participants’ heart rates to detect changes in what’s known as high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV).

Why the interest in heart rate fluctuations? Because it’s a marker of how well your parasympathetic nervous system, which regulates unconscious actions such as digestion and elimination, is functioning. The release quotes Gouin as saying, “Other research has shown that individuals with a lower heart rate variability are at increased risk for the development of poor health, including greater risk for cardiac diseases. Therefore, decreases in heart rate variability are bad for you.”

The study showed that immigrants who were able to form friendships and get involved in new social networks during their first five months in Canada had increases in heart rate variability, while those who remained socially isolated over time showed a decrease.

“In the weeks and months that follow a major move, people often find it hard to make new friends and establish a solid social network,” says Gouin, who holds a Canada Research Chair in Chronic Stress and Health. “This study shows that such prolonged social isolation can have a negative effect on physical health by impacting our parasympathetic functioning. That applies not just to international students but to anyone moving to a new country or city or anyone experiencing major social changes.”

What can new immigrants do to keep their HF-HRV functioning at high levels so that their autonomic nervous systems keep up the good work? “The message is clear: Reach out to other people. The more quickly you manage to integrate socially in your new home, the healthier you’ll be. It’s easier said than done, but it’s worth it,” Gouin says.

Here at ThirdAge we’d like to remind you that although this study’s participants were immigrant students, social isolation often happens as we age. Don’t let divorce, widowhood, or an empty nest leave you feeling lonely. Get out and get involved with others. You’ll be healthier and happier as a result!

Currently, close to three million Americans aged 55 and older suffer from alcohol abuse — and that is expected to increase to nearly 6 million by 2020. And the rate of illicit drug abuse in adults over 50 more than doubled between 2002 and 2013.

Published in the inaugural issue of Journal of Work, Aging and Retirement, the ten-year study was conducted by Prof. Peter A. Bamberger of Tel Aviv University’s Faculty of Management and Cornell University’s Smithers Institute, and Prof. Samuel B. Bacharach of Cornell University.

The researchers said that older adults don’t often have the skills to dealt with the vacuum left by retirement as well as other events such as ill health and the death of loves ones. The investigators said retirement was linked to depression, worry about money and feelings of purposelessness. These feelings are known to lead to substance abuse.

“We found that the conditions under which people retired — whether they were pushed into it or it was something expected, which they planned for — had great bearing on alcohol and drug habits,” said Bamberger. “The worst combination we found was among people who took early retirement from jobs they loved because they were terrified their companies were going under. Among all groups studied, this one exhibited the highest incidence of substance abuse.

“Our second major finding was that the conditions experienced once in retirement influenced alcohol and drug habits. “Even if an individual plans for retirement, he/she might not fully grasp the changes that must be made to his/her lifestyle. As a result, many people experience serious financial straits. Feeling unstable, lonely, and depressed, it isn’t surprising perhaps — but it is unfortunate — that many retirees look to alcohol or drugs for comfort.”

The researchers urged that screenings and brief interventions be used to identify behavioral changes that could lead to substance abuse. “Sometimes awareness alone is enough to bring about positive change,” said Bamberger. “Even short phone calls or brief Internet-based feedback can be so instrumental. The other way of reversing this trend is to provide ways of coping with the stresses of retirement. Retirement groups and mentors are often able to pick up on signs of deterioration before they become a problem.”