Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults: Review and Commentary of a National Academies Report

Highlights

• This article provides a comprehensive review of the recent NASEM consensus committee report on Social Isolation and Loneliness. The relevance specifically for mental health providers is emphasized.

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  What is the primary question addressed by this study?

  What are the physical and mental health consequences of social isolation and loneliness?

  What are the current evidence based interventions for social isolation and loneliness which can be implemented by mental health professionals?

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  What is the main finding of this study?

  Social isolation and loneliness are significant public health problems and are clear risks for death, depression, anxiety, and cognitive disorders such as major cognitive impairment (dementia).

  The evidence based interventions by mental health professionals for social isolation and loneliness are limited yet some have emerged which are promising.

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  What is the meaning of the finding?

  Health and mental health care professionals may be the first to identify socially isolated and lonely older adults as these older adults are at significant increased risk for serious adverse outcomes. For this reason, these professionals should know how to screen for and to initiate interventions that can be helpful.

Abstract

The authors of this review both served on the National Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine Committee that produced the report, “Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults: Opportunities for the Health Care System”. In 2018, the AARP Foundation commissioned the National Academies to establish a committee to research and develop a report on social isolation and loneliness in persons 50 years of age and older. Emphasis was placed upon the role of the health care system in addressing this fundamental public health problem. The committee released the report in February 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic was beginning to spread to North America. In this review, the authors share central findings and conclusions from the report as well as how these findings may be relevant to the care and well-being of older adults during this historic pandemic. The health protective benefits of social distancing must be balanced by the essential need for sustaining social relationships.