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Loneliness, affectivity and health in mild dementia: A cross‐sectional study
Author(s) -
Laranjeira Carlos
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1002/alz.047327
Subject(s) - loneliness , negative affectivity , psychosocial , psychology , dementia , positive affectivity , ucla loneliness scale , affect (linguistics) , clinical psychology , social isolation , feeling , social support , developmental psychology , psychiatry , medicine , social psychology , disease , anxiety , communication
Background Loneliness is the perception that our social and emotional relationships are not as strong as our desired social and emotional relationships. In addition to the detrimental effect loneliness may have on general well‐being, loneliness in elderly individuals may also be associated with an increased risk of mild cognitive impairment, a precursor to dementia. Given the complexity of the feeling of loneliness and this being a psychosocial problem, it is necessary to better understand its causes and consequences with a view to its prevention, which we seek with this study to evaluate the effects of loneliness on affectivity and health in people with mild dementia. Method Quantitative, cross‐sectional and correlational study. Inclusion criteria were mild dementia, which was indicated by a score of 0.5 or 1.0 in the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (CDR). The following instruments were used: (University of California, Los Angeles) Loneliness Scale (UCLA‐LS); Positive Affect and Negative Affect Scales (PANAS); and the 36‐Item Short Form Survey version 2 (SF36v2). Result The study included 58 subjects, of whom 34 were female, aged between 65 and 92 years (M = 73.1; SD = 5.9). There were negative correlations between loneliness and positive affectivity and health, and positive correlations between loneliness and negative affectivity. It was also found through the results obtained that the group of individuals with the lowest index of loneliness reported more Positive affectivity, less Negative affectivity and described a better general health status. It is noteworthy that the value of the correlation between loneliness and the report of mental health is quite significant, noting that these variables are inversely related, that is, when loneliness increases, mental health decreases. Conclusion In a perspective of intervention centered on the individual, the elderly should work with the acceptance of losses, inherent to aging and life events, which often lead to feelings of loneliness. Reducing loneliness not only promotes brain health, it is important for overall well‐being, especially as we age.