Behavioral Epidemic of Loneliness in Older U.S. Military Veterans:

Loneliness is defined as subjective or perceived social isolation or subjective distress related to the discrepancy between an individual's desired and actual social connections.1-3 Loneliness is a significant public health concern that is associated with a 40% increased risk of dementia and a 26% increased risk of premature mortality.4, 5 It affects a large segment of the U.S. population, with estimates varying from more than one in three adults to three out of four adults over the age of 45 reporting feeling lonely.

Source: The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry - July 24, 2021 Category: Geriatrics Authors: Elizabeth Straus, Sonya B. Norman, Jessica C. Tripp, Jack Tsai, Lauren M. Sippel, Dilip V. Jeste, Steven M. Southwick, Robert H. Pietrzak Source Type: research