Loneliness, mobility, well-being and social support in a sample of over 85 year olds

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate factors relating to loneliness in a large sample of older elderly people. 662 people over the age of 85 completed the Delighted-Terrible Faces Scale (DTFS), the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), the Mobility Scale (MS), Life Satisfaction Index (LSI), Social Network List (SNL) and a single item rating of loneliness. A comparison of age and gender groupings revealed no significant differences with the exception of decreased mobility with age and greater physical impairment in women than men. Greater loneliness was related to increased psychiatric morbidity, increased physical impairment, low life satisfaction, small social networks and the lack of a confidante. The two variables most likely to distinguish between lonely and non-lonely older people were increased psyhiatric morbidity and decreased life satisfaction. The results are discussed in relation to previous findings and future research needs.