Korean J Geriatr Gerontol.  2024 Apr;25(1):13-21. 10.15656/kjgg.2024.25.1.13.

Review of the Health of the Elderly on the Impact of Social Isolation and Loneliness: Focusing on the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Pandemic

• Kim K

• KMID: 2566331
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.15656/kjgg.2024.25.1.13

Abstract

Social activities in older adults are crucial for healthy aging. Certain quarantine policies during the COVID-19 pandemic implemented to prevent the spread of disease, such as social distancing, limited the social connectedness of older adults. Social isolation and loneliness are considered to act as stress and have negative impacts on the physical, mental, and cognitive health of older people. Limited research has been conducted on the health effects of social isolation itself than on the health effects of loneliness. For a long time, the two concepts were regarded as interchangeable. However, social isolation and loneliness is considered to adversely affect health through different mechanisms; however, additional research is needed to determine the details of those mechanisms. Social isolation and loneliness are thought to have particularly harmful effects on older people who have underlying psychiatric disorders or are vulnerable to stress. Due to the small size of studies conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic and the heterogeneity of measurement tools, most intervention effects have been reported inconsistently. Furthermore, direct psychological intervention appears to be effective in reducing social withdrawal and loneliness in older adults, and several attempts at intervention through non-face-to-face methods using information and communication technology have been reported. There exists a need to explore changes in the health of older people during the pandemic through prospective studies.

Keyword

Aged; COVID-19; Loneliness; Social isolation; Physical distancing