Although loneliness can attack at any point in a lifetime, a recent study claims that it peaks in three specific adult stages: late 20s, mid-50s, and late 80s.
News about soaring numbers of lonely people have popped out every now and then, but a recent research published in International Psychogeriatrics explained that moderate to severe loneliness lingered all throughout the adult life span. It also sheds light on the specific age groups that are most critical to the attack.
The team, with Dr. Dilip Jeste of the University of California San Diego Center for Healthy Aging at the helm, found that the feeling of isolation was more widespread than they anticipated, as 76 percent of the participants divulged they had moderate to high loneliness. This is an increase from previously estimated prevalence of 17 to 57 percent.
Defining Loneliness
Jeste further pointed out that loneliness is a subjective concept and generally does not mean "being alone" nor "not having friends." Rather, he explained that it is defined as "subjective distress" and added that it is the mismatch between the aspired social relationships and the actual social connections one has.
The team assumed that the particular age ranges are linked with the presumption that as people age, they feel more alone. Although the study did not elaborate why loneliness is acute among those specified stages in life, Jeste had some ideas.
Probable Reasons For Loneliness
For those in the late 20s, Jeste said this is a stressful period, the time when they get anxious over peers' accomplishments and when they end up feeling remorseful for decisions made in the past. As for those in their mid-50s, which he said was the "midlife crisis" stage, it's the moment when they observe deteriorating health state as well as the dawn of the thought that their contemporaries are dying.
Lonely people in their late 80s, meanwhile, are the most understandable among the three ages. Jeste said that octogenarians see the death of other close people, including spouses, along with health issues.
Moreover, the participants were generally described as "regular," as Jeste noted. This means not one of them had any major physical condition or psychological disorders such as depression.
The study involved 340 residents of the San Diego County whose age ranged from 27 to 101 and who had previously participated in three studies on mental health and aging. From that age range, those suffering physical disorders and psychological problems were excepted.
Brighter Side
Despite the complex association of age and severity of the feeling as well as the increase in the estimate of the prevalence of the feeling among adults, the team underlined the brighter side in this situation. Loneliness and wisdom have an inverse relationship, researchers observed.
"In other words, people who have high levels of wisdom didn't feel lonely, and vice versa," Jeste remarked.
