Our theme this month is the effects of loneliness on health and well being, as loneliness is actually a very serious problem to health.
In this case being alone, which can be very beneficial at times, should not be confused with actual loneliness. According to Cope (2014), “being alone is a state of being; loneliness is a state of mind.” This state can profoundly affect a person’s health. Many people are not aware of those negative outcomes of loneliness, so we believe it is important to think about the person that you know that might have recently, or quite some time ago, lost a loved one, does not have any relatives near-by, or the older widow or widower down the street that just seems to be doing fine. In most likelihood, this person might not be fine, mentally, emotionally, physically or health wise. Or we, if we are truly lonely, might not be well either.
So, this week, we tackle the issue of the effect of loneliness on blood pressure, which in and by itself is a pretty good indicator of overall health. High blood pressure can lead to arterial damage, coronary problems, and can affect overall brain functioning and brain health. Recent research indicates that loneliness can seriously increase blood pressure (Hawkley,et al., 2010), whereas such negative outcomes are not related to how old the person is.
So, if you know a person that is by himself or herself, visit on occasion, take them out of a meal or invite them to your house for a cup of tea or coffee and try to have a meaningful relationship (Hope, 2010) with them to try and mitigate one of the negative health effects they might be experiencing – you might save a life!
References:
Cope, A. (2014). The difference between being alone and being lonely. Retrieved from: http://thoughtcatalog.com/adrea-cope/2014/04/the-difference-between-being-alone-and-being-lonely/
Hawley, L.C., Thisted, R.A., Masi. C.M., & Cacioppo, J.T. (2010) Loneliness predicts increased blood pressure: 5-year cross-lagges analysis in middle-aged and older adults. Psychology of Aging, 25(1). doi: 10.1037/a0017805
Hope, J. (2014: How a lonely life can lead to high blood pressure. Retrieved from: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1258882/Loneliness-cause-sharp-rise-blood-pressure-years.html