Loneliness and Mental Health in a Representative Sample of Community-Dwelling Spanish Older Adults

ABSTRACT

Research seems to support loneliness as a risk factor for mental health problems in the elderly. Most studies analyzing the effects of loneliness on older adults’ mental health have relied on convenience samples. In this study, the prevalence and predictors of feelings of loneliness were studied in a representative sample of 272 community-dwelling Spanish older adults. The potential of feelings of loneliness to significantly contribute to the explanation of mental health of the elderly was also explored. The percentage of people reporting feelings of loneliness was 23.1%. Being a woman, being older, living alone, having fewer economic resources, having lower perceived health, and being dissatisfied with the frequency of contact with relatives and friends were found to be significant predictors of feelings of loneliness. Loneliness contributed significantly to the explanation of mental health, even when other significant variables were statistically controlled. The results of this study suggest that loneliness is a relevant factor for the analysis and understanding of mental health in the elderly.

Keywords:

• aging
• loneliness
• mental health
• prevalence
• representative

Acknowledgments

The preparation of this article was supported by a grant from the Health Department of the Junta de Castilla y León (ref: SOCIO673/01/08 and SAN/1056/2010), the award obtained at the IX Edition of the Fundación Vicente y García Corselas (Universidad de Salamanca), the ISCIII (RD06/018/27), and the FEDER. The authors of this article thank Peregrina Eiroa for her help in the development of this study.