Skip to main content

Loneliness, lack of emotional support, lack of companionship, and the likelihood of having a heart condition in an elderly sample

Annals of Behavioral Medicine volume 24, pages 290–298 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

Social isolation has been linked to a variety of adverse health outcomes, including cardiovascular disease. Researchers have attributed this association to the feelings of loneliness that accompany social isolation, but they have rarely assessed loneliness directly. In a sample of 180 older adults, feelings of loneliness and two kinds of social deficits that underlie loneliness& limited emotional support and limited companionship&were examined in relation to the likelihood of having a coronary condition. Potential physiological, behavioral, and affective mediators were examined as well. Greater loneliness was found to be associated with an increased probability of having a coronary condition, as were low levels of both emotional support and companionship. Mediators of these links were not identified, however, in this sample. These results underscore the value of examining the specific social deficits that underlie loneliness in investigations of the relation between loneliness and cardiovascular health in later life.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

References

  1. House JS, Landis, KR, Umberson, D: Social relationships and health.Science. 1988,241:540–545.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Seeman TE: Social ties and health: The benefits of social integration.Annals of Epidemiology. 1996,6:442–451.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Uchino BN, Cacioppo JT, Kiecolt-Glaser JK: The relationship between social support and physiological processes: A review with emphasis on underlying mechanisms and implications for health.Psychological Bulletin. 1996,119:488–531.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Green LR, Richardson DS, Lago T, Schatten-Jones EC: Network correlates of social and emotional loneliness in young and older adults.Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. 2001,27:281–288.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Cassel J: The contribution of the social environment to host resistance.American Journal of Epidemiology. 1976,104: 253–286.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Cobb S: Social support as a moderator of life stress.Psychosomatic Medicine. 1976,38:300–314.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Berkman LF, Syme SL: Social networks, host resistance, and mortality: A nine-year follow-up study of Alameda County residents.American Journal of Epidemiology. 1979,109:684–694.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Greenwood DC, Muir KR, Packham CJ, Madeley RJ: Coronary heart disease: A review of the role of psychosocial stress and social support.Journal of Public Health and Medicine. 1996,18:221–231.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Seeman TE, Syme SL: Social networks and coronary artery disease: A comparative analysis of network structural and support characteristics.Psychosomatic Medicine. 1987,49:341–354.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Karlsson I, Berglin E, Pettersson G, Larsson PA: Predictors of chest pain after coronary artery bypass grafting.Scandinavian Cardiovascular Journal. 1999,33:289–294.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Berkman LF, Leo-Summers L, Horwitz R: Emotional support and survival after myocardial infarction: A prospective, population-based study of the elderly.Annals of Internal Medicine. 1992,117:1003–1009.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Orth-Gomér K, Undén A, Edwards M: Social isolation and mortality in ischemic heart disease: A 10-year follow-up study of 150 middle-aged men.Acta Medica Scandinavica. 1988,224:205–215.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Peplau LA, Perlman D: Perspectives on loneliness. In Peplau LA, Perlman D (eds),Loneliness: A Sourcebook of Current Theory, Research, and Therapy. New York: Wiley-Interscience, 1982, 1–20.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Russell DW, Cutrona CE, Rose J, Yurko K: Social and emotional loneliness: An examination of Weiss’s typology of loneliness.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1984,6:1313–1321.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Chappell NL, Badger M: Social isolation and well-being.Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences. 1989,44:S169-S176.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Antonucci TC, Johnson EH: Conceptualization and methods in social support theory and research as related to cardiovascular disease. In Shumaker SA, Czajkowski SM (eds),Social Support and Cardiovascular Disease. New York: Plenum, 1994, 32–36.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Herlitz J, Wiklund I, Sjöland H, et al.: Relief of symptoms and improvement of quality of life five years after coronary artery bypass grafting in relation to preoperative ejection fraction.Quality of Life Research. 2000,9:467–476.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Weiss RS: The provisions of social relationships. In Rubin Z (ed),Doing Unto Others. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1974, 17–26.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Rook KS: Social relationships as a source of companionship: Implications for older adults’ psychological well-being. In Sarason BR, Sarason IG, Pierce GR (eds),Social Support: An Interactional View. New York: Wiley, 1990, 210–250.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Russell D: The measurement of loneliness. In Peplau LA, Perlman D (eds),Loneliness: A Sourcebook of Current Theory, Research, and Therapy. New York: Wiley, 1982, 81–104.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Gupta V, Korte C: The effects of a confidant and peer group on the well-being of single elders.International Journal of Aging and Human Development. 1994,39:293–302.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Rook KS: Social support versus companionship: Effects on life stress, loneliness, and evaluations by others.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1987,52:1132–1147.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Holmén K, Ericsson, K, Winblad B: Social and emotional loneliness among non-demented and demented elderly people.Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics. 2000,31:177–192.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Andersson L: Intervention against loneliness in a group of elderly women: An impact evaluation.Social Science and Medicine. 1985,20:355–364.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Cacioppo JT, Ernst JM, Burleson, MH, et al.: Lonely traits and concomitant physiological processes: The MacArthur social neuroscience studies.International Journal of Psychophysiology. 2000,35:143–154.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Mahon NE, Yarcheski A, Yarcheski TJ: Social support and positive health practices in young adults: Loneliness as a mediating variable.Clinical Nursing Research. 1998,7:292–308.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Lewis MA, Rook KS: Social control in personal relationships: Impact on health behaviors and psychological distress.Health Psychology. 1999,18:63–71.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Ernst JM, Cacioppo JT: Lonely hearts: Psychological perspectives on loneliness.Applied and Preventive Psychology. 1999,8:1–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Cohen S: Psychosocial models of the role of social support in the etiology of physical disease.Health Psychology.1988,7:269–297.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. U.S. Bureau of theCensus: Current populationreports (P20-532). The Older Population in the United States. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Peplau LA, Bikson TK, Rook KS, Goodchilds J: Being old and living alone. In Peplau LA, Perlman D (eds),Loneliness: A Sourcebook of Current Theory, Research and Therapy. New York: Wiley-Interscience, 1982, 327–347.

    Google Scholar 

  32. Rook KS: Emotional health and positive versus negative social exchanges: A daily diary analysis.Applied Developmental Science. 2001,5:86–97.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Rook KS, Sorkin D: Fostering social ties through a volunteer role: Implications for older-adults’ psychological health. Manuscript submitted for publication.

  34. Rook KS, Thuras RD, Lewis MA: Social control, health-risk-taking,and psychological distress.Psychology and Aging. 1990,5:327–334.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Russell DW, Peplau LA, Cutrona CE: The revised UCLA Loneliness Scale: Concurrent and discriminant validity evidence.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1980,39:472–480.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Russell DW: UCLA Loneliness Scale (Version 3): Reliability, validity, and factor structure.Journal of Personality Assessment. 1996,66:20–40.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Martin P, Hagberg B, Poon LW: Predictors of loneliness in centenarians: A parallel study.Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology. 1997,12:203–224.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Wiseman H: Interpersonal relatedness and self-definition in the experience of loneliness during the transition to university.Personal Relationships. 1997,4:285–299.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Shaver P, Brennan K: Measures of depression and loneliness. In Robinson J, Shaver P, Wrightsman L (eds),Measures of Personality and Social Psychological Attitudes. San Diego, CA: Academic, 1991, 195–289.

    Google Scholar 

  40. Barrera M: Distinctions between social support concepts, measures, and models.American Journal of Community Psychology. 1986,14:413–445.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Cohen S, Wills TA: Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesis.Psychological Bulletin. 1985,98:310–357.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. McCallister L, Fischer CS: A procedure for surveying personal networks.Sociological Methods and Research. 1978,7:131–148.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Rook KS: Assessing the health-related dimensions of older adults’ social relationships. In Lawton MP, Teresi J (eds),Annual Review of Gerontology and Geriatrics (Vol. 14). New York: Springer, 1994, 142–181.

    Google Scholar 

  44. Antonucci TC, Akiyama H: Social networks in adult life and a preliminary examination of the convoy model.Journal of Gerontology. 1987,42:519–527.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Krause N: Assessing change in social support during late life.Research on Aging. 1999,21:539–569.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  46. Morgan DL, Neal MB, Carder PC: The stability of core and peripheral networks overtime.Social Networks. 1997,19:9–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  47. Suitor JJ, Pillemer K: Support and interpersonal stress in the social networks of married daughters caring for parents with dementia.Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences. 1993,48:S1-S8.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Thompson EH, Futterman AM, Gallagher-Thompson D, Rose JM, Lovett SB: Social support and caregiving burden in family caregivers of frail elders.Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences. 1993,48:S245-S254.

    Google Scholar 

  49. Radloff L: The CES-D scale: A self-report depression scale for research in the general population.Applied Psychological Measurement. 1977,1:385–401.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  50. Pachana, NA, Gallagher-Thompson D, Thompson LW: Assessment of depression. In Lawton MP, Teresi, JA (eds),Annual Review of Gerontology and Geriatrics (Vol.14). New York: Springer, 1994, 234–256.

    Google Scholar 

  51. Kammann R, Flett R: Affectometer 2: A scale to measure current level of general happiness.Australian Journal of Psychology. 1983,35:259–265.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  52. Pennix BWJH, van Tilberg T, Kriegsman DMW, et al.: Social network, social support, and loneliness in older persons with different chronic diseases.Journal of Aging and Health. 1999,11:151–168.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  53. Møller L, Kristensen TS, Hollnagel H: Self-rated health as a predictor of coronary heart disease in Copenhagen, Denmark.Journalof EpidemiologyandCommunityHealth. 1996,50:423–428.

    Google Scholar 

  54. Baron, RM, Kenny, DA: The moderator-mediator variables distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1986,51:1173–1182.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  55. Møller L, Kristensen TS: Plasma fibrinogen and ischemic heart disease risk factors.Arteriosclerosis and Thrombosis. 1991,11: 344–350.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  56. Uchino BN, Holt-Lunstad J, Uno D, Betancourt R, Garvey TS: Social support and age-related differences in cardiovascular function: An examination of potential mediators.Annals of Behavioral Medicine. 1999,21:135–142.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  57. Geller, J: Loneliness: An overlooked and costly health risk factor.Minnesota Medicine. 2000,83:48–51.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology and Social Behavior, University of California, 3340 Social Ecology II, 92697-7085, Irvine, CA

    Dara Sorkin, Karen S. Rook Ph.D. & John L. Lu

Authors
  1. Dara Sorkin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Karen S. Rook Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. John L. Lu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dara Sorkin.

Additional information

This research was supported by Grant AG03975 from the National Institute on Aging.

We thank Martha Ryan Pedersen and Paul Thuras for their invaluable help in overseeing the data collection and data management, and we thank a large group of undergraduate students who provided assistance with data collection and data coding.

About this article

Cite this article

Sorkin, D., Rook, K.S. & Lu, J.L. Loneliness, lack of emotional support, lack of companionship, and the likelihood of having a heart condition in an elderly sample. ann. behav. med. 24, 290–298 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1207/S15324796ABM2404_05

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1207/S15324796ABM2404_05

Keywords

  • Social Support
  • Emotional Support
  • Behavioral Medicine
  • Network Member
  • Social Deficit