Journal of the American Geriatrics Society

Volume 58, Issue 8 p. 1538-1541

Loneliness and Emergency and Planned Hospitalizations in a Community Sample of Older Adults

Gerard J. Molloy PhD,

Gerard J. Molloy PhD

From the Department of Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland

Search for more papers by this author

Hannah M. McGee PhD,

Hannah M. McGee PhD

Division of Population Sciences, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland

Search for more papers by this author

Desmond O'Neill MD,

Desmond O'Neill MD

Department of Medical Gerontology, Trinity Centre for Health Sciences, Adelaide and Meath Hospital, Dublin, Ireland

Centre for Ageing, Neuroscience and the Humanities, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

Search for more papers by this author

Ronan M. Conroy DSc,

Ronan M. Conroy DSc

Division of Population Sciences, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland

Search for more papers by this author

Gerard J. Molloy PhD,

Gerard J. Molloy PhD

From the Department of Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland

Search for more papers by this author

Hannah M. McGee PhD,

Hannah M. McGee PhD

Division of Population Sciences, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland

Search for more papers by this author

Desmond O'Neill MD,

Desmond O'Neill MD

Department of Medical Gerontology, Trinity Centre for Health Sciences, Adelaide and Meath Hospital, Dublin, Ireland

Centre for Ageing, Neuroscience and the Humanities, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

Search for more papers by this author

Ronan M. Conroy DSc,

Ronan M. Conroy DSc

Division of Population Sciences, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland

Search for more papers by this author

First published: 03 August 2010

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-5415.2010.02960.x

Citations: 68

Address correspondence to Gerard J. Molloy, Department of Psychology, Cottrell Building, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK. E-mail: [email protected]

Share a link

Email
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Wechat

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To examine whether loneliness is independently associated with emergency hospitalization and planned hospital inpatient admissions in a population sample of older adults.

DESIGN: Nationally representative cross-sectional interviews in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

SETTING: Private homes in the community.

PARTICIPANTS: Randomly selected older people in the community (aged ≥65, N=2,033).

MEASUREMENTS: Emergency hospitalization and planned hospital admissions.

RESULTS: Eleven percent of the sample had an emergency hospitalization, and 15% had a planned hospital admission. Forty-two percent reported being bothered by loneliness. A higher frequency of loneliness was associated with emergency hospitalization only (odds ratio=1.29, 95% confidence interval=1.08–1.55), and this association was independent of a range of potential confounders in multivariate analysis.

CONCLUSION: In this community-based sample of older adults, greater loneliness was independently associated with emergency hospitalization but not planned inpatient admissions.

REFERENCES

1 Baumeister RF, Leary MR. The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. Psychol Bull 1995; 117: 497–529.
2 House JS, Landis KR, Umberson D. Social relationships and health. Science 1988; 241: 540–545.
3 Cohen S. Social relationships and health. Am Psychol 2004; 59: 676–684.
4 Thurston RC, Kubzansky LD. Women, loneliness, and incident coronary heart disease. Psychosom Med 2009; 71: 836–842.
5 Hawkley LC, Cacioppo JT. Aging and loneliness: Downhill quickly? Curr Directions Psychol Sci 2007; 16: 187–191.
6 Cacioppo JT, Hawkley LC, Crawford LE et al. Loneliness and health: Potential mechanisms. Psychosom Med 2002; 64: 407–417.
7 Blazer DG. Self-efficacy and depression in late life: A primary prevention proposal. Aging Ment Health 2002; 6: 315–324.
8 Boomsma DI, Cacioppo JT, Muthen B et al. Longitudinal genetic analysis for loneliness in Dutch twins. Twin Res Hum Genet 2007; 10: 267–273.
9 Cacioppo JT, Patrick B. Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection. New York: W. W. Norton and Company, 2008.
10 Cacioppo JT, Hawkey LC. Perceived social isolation and cognition. Trends Cogn Sci 2009; 13: 447–454.
11 Wilson RS, Krueger KR, Arnold SE et al. Loneliness and risk of Alzheimer disease. Arch Gen Psychiatry 2007; 64: 234–240.
12 Golden J, Conroy RM, Bruce I et al. Loneliness, social support networks, mood and wellbeing in community-dwelling elderly. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2009; 24: 694–700.
13 Cacioppo JT, Hughes ME, Waite LJ et al. Loneliness as a specific risk factor for depressive symptoms: Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. Psychol Aging 2006; 21: 140–151.
14 Steptoe A, Owen N, Kunz-Ebrecht SR et al. Loneliness and neuroendocrine, cardiovascular, and inflammatory stress responses in middle-aged men and women. Psychoneuroendocrinol 2004; 29: 593–611.
15 Genell AK, Rosenqvist U. Heavy users of an emergency department–a two year follow-up study. Soc Sci Med 1987; 25: 825–831.
16 Geller J, Janson P, McGovern E et al. Loneliness as a predictor of hospital emergency department use. J Fam Pract 1999; 48: 801–804.
17 Cheng ST. Loneliness-distress and physician utilization in well-elderly females. J Community Psychol 1992; 20: 43–56.
18 Ellaway A, Wood S, Macintyre S. Someone to talk to? The role of loneliness as a factor in the frequency of GP consultations. Br J Gen Pract 1999; 49: 363–367.
19 Lauder W, Sharkey S, Mummery K. A community survey of loneliness. J Adv Nurs 2004; 46: 88–94.
20 McGee H, O'Hanlon A, Barker M et al. One Island -Two Systems. A Comparison of Health Status and Health and Social Service Use by Community-Dwelling Older People in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Dublin: The Institute of Public Health in Ireland, 2005.
21 Zigmond AS, Snaith RP. The hospital anxiety and depression scale. Acta Psychiatr Scand 1983; 67: 361–370.
22 Fokkema CM, van Tilburg TG. Loneliness interventions among older adults: Sense or nonsense? Tijdschr Gerontol Geriatr 2007; 38: 185–203.

Citing Literature

Volume58, Issue8

August 2010

Pages 1538-1541

Loneliness and Emergency and Planned Hospitalizations in a Community Sample of Older Adults

Abstract

REFERENCES

Citing Literature

References

Information

About Wiley Online Library

Help & Support

Opportunities

Connect with Wiley

Loneliness and Emergency and Planned Hospitalizations in a Community Sample of Older Adults

Abstract

REFERENCES

Citing Literature

References

Related

Information