{"title":"Loneliness in older adults with diabetes mellitus: a scoping review.","authors":"Emma Cho, Jeeyeon Kim, Sohyeon Bang","doi":"10.1080/13548506.2023.2299665","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This scoping review aimed to explore and synthesize existing research on predictors of loneliness, and the impact of loneliness on physiological and psychological health outcomes and health behaviors in older adults with diabetes. Results from 12 studies showed that low education, being unmarried/divorced/separated, having diabetes-related complications, being physically inactive, having diabetes distress, being of a certain race/ethnicity, being female, having depressive symptoms, and being younger age were consistently identified as predictors of loneliness. In addition, loneliness was found to affect both psychological (depressive symptoms and negative perceptions of diabetes) and physiological health outcomes (increased postprandial blood glucose and A1C levels, decreased cortisol levels, increased MCP-1 levels, slower gait speed, and weaker hand grip) and health behaviors (decreased engagement in physical activity, increased disability in activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living, and increased likelihood of antidepressant use). The results of this scoping review suggest that loneliness is a complex issue for older adults with diabetes and its effects are far-reaching. Therefore, further research should be conducted to explore the potential causal relationships between loneliness and physiological and psychological health outcomes and to identify the best interventions to reduce loneliness in older adults with diabetes. For healthcare providers, it is important to recognize that loneliness is an appropriate risk factor for older adults with diabetes that may affect psychological and physiological health outcomes and health behaviors and to address it through interventions such as social support programs, group therapy, or psychosocial counseling.</p>","PeriodicalId":54535,"journal":{"name":"Psychology Health & Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"1548-1563"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3000,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11224135/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Psychology Health & Medicine","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/13548506.2023.2299665","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2024/1/5 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
This scoping review aimed to explore and synthesize existing research on predictors of loneliness, and the impact of loneliness on physiological and psychological health outcomes and health behaviors in older adults with diabetes. Results from 12 studies showed that low education, being unmarried/divorced/separated, having diabetes-related complications, being physically inactive, having diabetes distress, being of a certain race/ethnicity, being female, having depressive symptoms, and being younger age were consistently identified as predictors of loneliness. In addition, loneliness was found to affect both psychological (depressive symptoms and negative perceptions of diabetes) and physiological health outcomes (increased postprandial blood glucose and A1C levels, decreased cortisol levels, increased MCP-1 levels, slower gait speed, and weaker hand grip) and health behaviors (decreased engagement in physical activity, increased disability in activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living, and increased likelihood of antidepressant use). The results of this scoping review suggest that loneliness is a complex issue for older adults with diabetes and its effects are far-reaching. Therefore, further research should be conducted to explore the potential causal relationships between loneliness and physiological and psychological health outcomes and to identify the best interventions to reduce loneliness in older adults with diabetes. For healthcare providers, it is important to recognize that loneliness is an appropriate risk factor for older adults with diabetes that may affect psychological and physiological health outcomes and health behaviors and to address it through interventions such as social support programs, group therapy, or psychosocial counseling.
期刊介绍:
Psychology, Health & Medicine is a multidisciplinary journal highlighting human factors in health. The journal provides a peer reviewed forum to report on issues of psychology and health in practice. This key publication reaches an international audience, highlighting the variation and similarities within different settings and exploring multiple health and illness issues from theoretical, practical and management perspectives. It provides a critical forum to examine the wide range of applied health and illness issues and how they incorporate psychological knowledge, understanding, theory and intervention. The journal reflects the growing recognition of psychosocial issues as they affect health planning, medical care, disease reaction, intervention, quality of life, adjustment adaptation and management.
For many years theoretical research was very distant from applied understanding. The emerging movement in health psychology, changes in medical care provision and training, and consumer awareness of health issues all contribute to a growing need for applied research. This journal focuses on practical applications of theory, research and experience and provides a bridge between academic knowledge, illness experience, wellbeing and health care practice.