The Loneliness Epidemic

The Problem:

Loneliness is a crisis that must be promptly addressed. The CDC has recently declared loneliness and social isolation severe threats to the well-being of Americans [1]. Researchers at Harvard University have gone as far as calling loneliness an epidemic [2], with 40% of people over 65 report feeling lonely at least sometimes [3]. People often assume loneliness is just being physically alone, but it is far more serious. Loneliness researchers Hawkley and Cacioppo describe  “Loneliness [as] the social equivalent of physical pain, hunger, and thirst.” [3, p.218]

The Mental and Physical Health Effects of Loneliness:

Loneliness is not only independently harmful: researchers have also identified associations between loneliness and grave mental and physical health conditions. In the older adult population, studies have found an association between people suffering from loneliness and a decline in cognition. Some studies have found associations with diseases, such as dementia and Alzheimer’s, that can cause a decline in cognition, but researchers also theorize that the effects of loneliness could be damaging to cognition independent of diseases loneliness is associated with [4]. Loneliness in older adults has also been linked to depression and anxiety[4]. Unfortunately, the physical health effects of loneliness are equally as jarring as the mental health ones. Loneliness is associated with broad health risks such as cardiovascular issues, motor decline, inflation, and a declining immune system [4]. In one study lonely participants had higher starting blood pressure values, and their blood pressure values increased more over the course of 4 years than non-lonely participants [5, 6]. The links between loneliness and lethal diseases and conditions confirm the danger people suffering from loneliness face and the attention that they need. 

Loneliness among the elderly: a population at risk 

Of the people suffering from loneliness, older adults are a particularly vulnerable group. This can be partially explained by the living situations that predict loneliness, such as mobility limitations, health issues, divorces, not working, living alone, and losing loved ones to death [7]. These circumstances are common for many aging people, and younger generations have a duty to ease the loneliness that older adults continue to suffer from. Letters to Connect promotes interactions between high school students and the growing older adult population, allowing students to assist the aging and older adults to receive vital support.

Letters to Connect: 

Letters to Connect organizes club meetings at high schools and letter-writing events in NYC for high school students to write letters to older adults. At these events, letter-writing supplies and guiding resources are provided to letter writers. The goal is for students to share vivid descriptions of their lives for lonely seniors to engage with. The letters are then distributed to partner organizations for delivery to isolated older adults. 

Advantages of Letters to Connect:

Letters to Connect uses techniques supported by researched loneliness interventions. For example, research has found that intergenerational initiatives can have a positive effect on various health outcomes [8], and Letters to Connect provides intergenerational interactions by linking older adults and high school students. Another advantage of Letters to Connect is that it is technology-free. Without technology, Letters to Connect can reach a larger group of participants while also being cost-effective [4]. Conversely, interventions involving technology require participants to be computer-literate and are often expensive [4]. Researchers also endorse letters themselves: Lonely older adult recipients have been found to appreciate the lively, unique stories that are shared through reflective writing in letters [7]. Prompts given to Letters to Connect letter writers are designed to provoke these compelling, detailed accounts. More broadly, Letters to Connect addresses loneliness without forcing older adults to identify as lonely. This is beneficial because of findings that indicate loneliness can carry a social stigma and that interventions that require identifying as lonely can be off-putting [7]. Even though effective intervention methods are known, loneliness is tricky to control, and research suggests that it is most effectively managed when it is approached from multiple angles [9]. Letters to Connect serves as a meaningful step to provide social interactions for older adults, and though receiving letters may not entirely stop feelings of loneliness, Letters to Connect can still have a positive impact on struggling older adults.

[1] Health risks of social isolation and loneliness. (2023, March 30). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/emotional-wellbeing/social-connectedness/loneliness.htm 

[2] Weissbourd, R., Batanova, M., Lovison, V., & Torres, E. (2021).  Loneliness in America: How the Pandemic Has Deepened an Epidemic of Loneliness and What We Can Do About It.  Making Caring Common Project. 

[3] Hawkley, L. C., & Cacioppo, J. T. (2010). Loneliness matters: A theoretical and empirical review of consequences and mechanisms. Annals of behavioral medicine, 40(2), 218-227.

[4] Crewdson, J. A. (2016). The effect of loneliness in the elderly population: A review. Healthy Aging & Clinical Care in the Elderly, 8, 1.

[5] Hawkley LC, Masi CM, Berry JD, Cacioppo JT. Loneliness is a unique predictor of age-related differences in systolic blood pressure. Psychol Aging. 2006; 21: 152–164.

[6] Hawkley LC, Thisted RA, Masi CM, Cacioppo JT. Loneliness predicts increased blood pressure: Five-year cross-lagged analyses in middle-aged and older adults. Psychol Aging. 2010; 25: 132–141.

[7[ Frank, J. M., Brierton Granruth, L., Preibisch, R., Watson, D., Leffler, B., & Glazier, M. (2023). “Please, Mr. Postman:” Exploring the Use of Letter Writing to Address Loneliness. Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work, 1-12.

[8] Binnie, G. (2019). Loneliness and the letter: Co-developing cross-generational letter writing with higher education students and older people. Research for All, 3(1), 59-73.

[9] Poscia, A., Stojanovic, J., La Milia, D. I., Duplaga, M., Grysztar, M., Moscato, U., ... & Magnavita, N. (2018). Interventions targeting loneliness and social isolation among the older people: An update systematic review. Experimental gerontology, 102, 133-144.