Loneliness and isolation: Are they associated with the wish for an earlier end of life?

Abstract

Aim

To examine the association of loneliness and social isolation with the desired age at death among middle-aged and older adults in Germany.

Methods

Data were taken from the German Aging Survey (wave 8: nationally representative sample of community-dwelling individuals aged ≥43 years; n = 3826). The mean age equaled 69.3 years (SD 11.3 years, 43–99 years). Loneliness and social isolation were both quantified using psychometrically sound and widely used tools. Several sociodemographic, lifestyle-related and health-related covariates were included in linear regression analysis (with robust standard errors).

Results

The mean desired age at death was 90.1 years (SD 8.0 years). Regressions showed that there was a robust association of loneliness (β = −1.47, P < 0.001) and social isolation (β = −1.49, P < 0.001) with lower desired age at death among the total sample, even after adjusting for a wide array of covariates. In the fully-adjusted model, such associations were also present among both men and women (with significant sex differences for the association between loneliness and the outcome; i.e., more pronounced association between loneliness and the desired age at death among men).

Conclusions

Loneliness (among men in particular) and social isolation were both associated with a lower desired age at death. This stresses the importance of tackling loneliness and social isolation in later life. It is of note that this is the very first study examining the association of loneliness and social isolation with the desired age at death. Thus, it can serve as a basis for future studies. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2025; 25: 1412–1417.