The Dangers of Loneliness: Findings from a Study among Appalachian Elders
By Sylvia Foley, AJN senior editor
Arrow and mountains by taberandrew, via Flickr
Writing for AJN in 1955, Hildegard Peplau described the complexities of loneliness, observing that “often loneliness is not felt; instead the person has a feeling of unexplained dread, of desperation, or extreme restlessness.” Fast-forward to 2009: nurse researchers Laurie Theeke and Jennifer Mallow wanted to better understand the health implications of loneliness, and decided to conduct a study. This month’s original research CE, “Loneliness and Quality of Life in Chronically Ill Rural Older Adults,” reports on a data analysis of their findings.
One of the most striking findings was that 97% of the sample reported significant loneliness, an extremely high prevalence rate. Here’s a quick overview of the study:
Background: Loneliness is a contributing factor to various health problems in older adults, including complex chronic illness, functional decline, and increased risk of mortality.
Objectives: A pilot study was conducted to learn more about the prevalence of loneliness in rural older adults with chronic illness and how it affects their quality of life. The purposes of the data analysis reported here were twofold: to describe loneliness, chronic illness diagnoses, chronic illness control measures, prescription medication […]