Author/Year |
Methodological design |
Sample |
Main Results |
Chou, K. L.; Chi, I.; Boey, K. W.16 2000 |
Cross-sectional study. |
1,106 older adults. |
Older adults living alone (social loneliness) report more depressive symptoms. |
Ramos, M.; Wilmoth, J.2727 Ramos M, Wilmoth J. Social relationships and depressive symptoms among older adults in southern Brazil. J Gerontol Ser B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2003;58(4):253-61. 2003 |
Cross-sectional study. |
871 older adults. |
A lack of social integration increases depressive symptoms and social integration reduces depressive symptoms. |
Alpass, F. M.; Neville, S.88 Alpass FM, Neville S. Loneliness, health and depression in older males. Aging Ment Health. 2003;7(3):212-6. 2003 |
Cross-sectional study. |
217 older adults. |
Lonely men have higher scores on the GDS scale. |
Chou, K. L.; Chi, I.1111 Chou KL, Chi I. Prevalence and correlates of depression in chinese oldest old. Int J Geriatr Psychiatr. 2004;20(1):41-50. 2004 |
Cross-sectional study. |
1,903 older adults. |
Loneliness was associated significantly and positively with depression. |
Adams, K. B.; Sanders, S.; Auth, E.1515 Adams KB, Sanders S, Auth EA. Loneliness and depression in independent living retirement communities: risk and resilience factors. Aging Mental Health. 2004;8(6):475-85. 2004 |
Cross-sectional study. |
Older adults aged between 60 and 98 years. |
Not everyone who is lonely is depressed. Loneliness is not a determinant of depression, but it is a risk. |
Stek, M. L.1414 Stek ML, Vinkers DJ, Gussekloo J, Beekman ATF, Van Der Mast RC, Westendorp RG. Is depression in old age fatal only when people feel lonely? Ame J Psychiatr. 2005;162(1):178-80. 2005 |
Longitudinal study. |
476 older adults aged 85. |
Those who suffered from depression and feelings of loneliness had a 2.1 times greater risk of mortality. |
Tiikkainen, P.; Heikkinen, R. L.2020 Tiikkainen P, Heikkinen RL. Associations between loneliness, depressive symptoms and perceived togetherness in older people. Aging Ment Health. 2005;9(6):526-34. 2005 |
Longitudinal study. |
207 older adults aged 80 and 133 aged 85. |
In women, depressive symptoms predict greater loneliness than in men; those who were lonely were more depressed and had less social interaction. |
Paul, C.; Ayis, S.; Ebrahim, S.2222 Paul C, Ayis S, Ebrahim S. Psychological distress, loneliness and disability in old age. Psychol Health Med. 2006;11(2):221-32. 2006 |
Cross-sectional study. |
999 older adults. |
People who live alone or feel lonely had higher rates of psychological distress. |
Barg, F. K. et al.1919 Barg FK, Ashmore RH, Wittink MN, Murray GF, Bogner HR, Gallo JJ. A mixed-methods approach to understanding loneliness and depression in older adults. J Gerontol Ser B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2006;61(6):329-39. 2006 |
Cross-sectional study. |
102 older adults. |
Older adults participating in the study reported that loneliness is a precursor to depression and anxiety. |
Aylaz, R., et al.99 Aylaz R, Aktürk Ü, Erci B, Öztürk H, Aslan H. Relationship between depression and loneliness in elderly and examination of influential factors. Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2012;55(3):548-54. 2012 |
Descriptive study. |
17,080 older adults. |
There was a positive correlation between geriatric depression and loneliness. |
Tsai, F. J.; Motamed, S.; Rougemont, A.1818 Tsai FJ, Motamed S, Rougemont A. The protective effect of taking care of grandchildren on elders' mental health? Associations between changing patterns of intergenerational exchanges and the reduction of elders' loneliness and depression between 1993 and 2007 in Taiwan. BMC Public Health. 2013;13(1):1-9. 2013 |
Longitudinal study. |
Individuals aged 50 and above. |
Older people who live without a partner, without children or who do not provide care to their grandchildren are at greater risk of feeling lonely and depressed. |
Dahlberg, l., et al.2626 Dahlberg L, Andersson L, McKee KJ, Lennartsson C. Predictors of loneliness among older women and men in Sweden: A national longitudinal study. Aging Ment Health. 2014;19(5):409-17. 2014 |
Longitudinal study. |
Older adults aged 76 and above. |
The increase in depression and recent widowhood were significant predictors of loneliness. |
Houtjes, W., et al.2424 Houtjes W, van Meijel B, van de Ven PM, Deeg D, van Tilburg T, Beekman A. The impact of an unfavorable depression course on network size and loneliness in older people: a longitudinal study in the community. Int J Geriatr Psychiatr. 2014;29(10):1010-7. 2014 |
Longitudinal study. |
Older adults with depressive symptoms. |
Depression has been associated with higher levels of loneliness over time, especially in men and older adults. |
Kvaal, K.; Halding, A. G.; Kvigne, K.3030 Kvaal K, Halding AG, Kvigne K. Social provision and loneliness among older people suffering from chronic physical illness. A mixed methods approach. Scand J Caring Sci. 2013;28(1):104-11. 2014 |
Comparative study. |
101 older adults. |
18% of older adults who felt lonely were diagnosed with depression. Loneliness was related to the feeling of emptiness and negative emotions. |
Navarro, J. R.; Benito-Leon, J.; Olazaran, K. A. P.1212 Navarro JR, Leon JB, Olazaran KAP. Depression in the aging: an important health problem in Mexico. Am Lat Hoy Rev Cienc Soc. 2015;71:103-18. 2015 |
Cross-sectional study. |
1,126 older adults. |
Lack of social support and loneliness were identified as factors that favor the onset of depressive symptoms. Widowhood and living alone are risk factors for depression. |
Li, J.; Theng, Y. L.; foo, S.1010 Li J, Theng YL, Foo S. Depression and psychosocial risk factors among community-dwelling older adults in Singapore. J Cross Cult Gerontol. 2015;30(4):409-22. 2015 |
Cross-sectional study. |
162 older adults. |
Among the main psychosocial factors, loneliness has a stronger association with geriatric depression. |
Fried, E. I., et al.1717 Fried EI, Bockting C, Arjadi R, Borsboom D, Amshoff M, Cramer AOJ, et al. From loss to loneliness: the relationship between bereavement and depressive symptoms. J Abnorm Psychol. 2015;124(2):256-65. 2015 |
Longitudinal study. |
1,532 married older adults. |
Grieving for a spouse mainly affected loneliness, which in turn activated other depressive symptoms. |
Holvast, F., et al.3434 Holvast F, Burger H, de Waal MMW, van Marwijk HWJ, Comijs HC, Verhaak PFM. Loneliness is associated with poor prognosis in late-life depression: longitudinal analysis of the Netherlands study of depression in older persons. J Affect Dis. 2015;185:1-7. 2015 |
Cohort study. |
Individuals between 60 and 90 of age with major depression, dysthymia or minor depression. |
Lonely respondents had fewer social networks and experienced more severe depressive symptoms. |
Holwerda, T. J., et al.2121 Holwerda TJ, van Tilburg TG, Deeg DJH, Schutter N, Van R, Dekker J, et al. Impact of loneliness and depression on mortality: results from the Longitudinal Ageing Study Amsterdam. Br J Psychiatr. 2016;209(2):127-34. 2016 |
Cohort study. |
2,878 individuals between 55 and 85 years old. |
Women suffer more emotional loneliness and men, more social loneliness. Depression was associated with premature death in men, with higher mortality in the group of lonely people. |
Wong, N. M. L., et al.2525 Wong NML, Liu HL, Lin C, Huang CM, Wai YY, Lee SH, et al. Loneliness in late-life depression: structural and functional connectivity during affective processing. Psychol Med. 2016;46(12):2485-99. 2016 |
Cross-sectional study. |
54 older adults. |
Loneliness was a determinant of the negative affective processing of delayed depression. |
Fernandes, S.; Davidson, J. G. S.; Guthrie, D. M.35 2017 |
Cohort study. |
2,499 severely ill older adults. |
Worsening symptoms of depression, declining social activities and not living with a primary caregiver increase the risk of loneliness. |
Wang, G. et al.1313 Wang G, Hu M, Xiao S, Zhou L. Loneliness and depression among rural empty-nest elderly adults in Liuyang, China: a cross-sectional study. BMJ Open. 2017; 7(10):e016091 [8 p.]. 2017 |
Cluster trial. |
814 older adults with at least one child. |
Loneliness from empty nest syndrome leads to symptoms and major depressive episodes. |
Conde-Sala, J. L. et al.3131 Conde-Sala JL, Olmo JG, Perxas LC, Garriga OT, Franch JV, et al. Course of depressive symptoms and associated factors in people aged 65+ in Europe: a two-year follow-up. J Affect Dis. 2019;245:440-50. 2019 |
Cohort study. |
31,491 older adults. |
One of the risk factors associated with depressive symptoms was loneliness and the female gender. |