Researchers found that in-person contact is more effective than phoning, emailing, and texting for reducing loneliness in older adults. The corresponding study was published in Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences.
Loneliness may be defined as a subjective feeling that arises from a perceived discrepancy between desired and actual interpersonal experiences. It differs from social isolation which is an objective lack of social contact. Social contact is important for mental and physical health, and loneliness has been linked to heart disease, cognitive decline and death at a younger age.
In the current study, researchers investigated how older adults react when lonely and how different types of social contact affect loneliness. To do so, they analyzed data from 313 community-dwelling adults aged 65- 90 years old in the Austin, Texas, area between 2016 and 2017. Participants were asked every three waking hours about their levels of loneliness and social contact, such as whether contact was in person, by phone or digitally- defined as texting or connecting via social media.
Participants completed an average of 5.3 days in the study, with an average of 20 assessments. After analyzing the data, the researchers found that momentary loneliness was linked to more in-person and phone contact with close ties such as friends and family. They further noted that momentary loneliness predicted a higher chance of phone contact over the next three hours but that only in-person contact- and not other forms- was linked to lower levels of loneliness.
"Although phone contact is available at most times and provides older adults with opportunities for social connections when they feel lonely, it appears that phone contact may not be as effective in reducing loneliness as in-person contact. Phone and digital contact do not provide older adults with the same emotional closeness and comfort as in-person contact. It's just not a substitute,” said study co-author Shiyang Zhang, a University of Texas at Austin postdoctoral fellow in human development and family sciences, in a press release.
The researchers noted that there are some limitations to their findings. For example, the study did not differentiate age and cohort effect. They added that caution should be taken when generalizing the results of adults from different backgrounds and living situations.
Sources: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, Science Daily