Counteracting Loneliness
By: Pastor Chad Wright, Associate Pastor of Christian Care and Counseling
Isolation is one of the factors keeping elderly and immuno-compromised people – those most vulnerable – safe from infection by Covid-19. By reducing contact, the risk for the contagion spreading to them is significantly decreased. They know they face a higher risk of developing severe symptoms from Covid-19, so many are staying home. Restaurant closures and limits on visitors to assisted living centers have made it harder to see family and friends. The Covid-19 pandemic has put many older adults’ social lives on hold, leaving them at greater risk for loneliness.
Isolation can also be harmful to us as human beings since we are created for connection and fellowship. A recent study by scholars at the Pennsylvania State University’s Center for Healthy Aging has been studying how isolation affects human brains and how they function. Previous studies from the Center have shown how feeling lonely is the social equivalent to feeling physical pain. It even triggers the same pathways in the brain that are involved in processing emotional responses to physical pain. Just like feeling physical pain, feeling lonely and disconnected from others is a signal that we need to take care of ourselves by seeking the safety, and in the case of loneliness, that means the comfort of companionship.
But what happens when we are unable to find companionship and the loneliness persists? Studies show that persistent loneliness can worsen cognitive decline and increase risk for dementia among the elderly. Even prior to the pandemic, public health experts were concerned about the prevalence and health impacts of loneliness in the United States. Persistent loneliness affects between 19% and 43% of adults ages 60 and older, and many adults ages 50 and over are at risk of poor health from prolonged loneliness. Older adults who are socially isolated or feel lonely also tend to perform worse on tests of thinking abilities. And those who feel lonely show more rapid decline in performance on these same tests over several years of follow-up testing. It is thought that loneliness may contribute to cognitive decline through multiple pathways, including physical inactivity, symptoms of depression, poor sleep, and increased blood pressure and inflammation. Another study correlated loneliness to an increase in risk of developing dementia by as much as 20%, similar to other more well-established dementia risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension, physical inactivity and hearing loss.
So, what is the remedy? Just companionship does not seem to be the answer. Older adults who feel their relationships are supportive have a 55% lower risk of dementia, compared to those who feel dissatisfied or unsupported in their relationships. Healthy relationships with healthy boundaries are key. One reason for these benefits to brain health is that maintaining strong social ties and cultivating satisfying relationships may help people to cope better with stress.
God has created us for fellowship with Him and with each other. He established fellowship with us by sending Jesus. God wants us to do good to all people, especially those who belong to the family of faith. During this pandemic, whom can you reach with kindness? Check on your grandma or grandpa. Talk to your single neighbor. Scroll through the list of friends you have in your contacts and give them a call or even a text.
I hope that this has been helpful for you. See you next week right here at the intersection of faith and mental health.