Loneliness in Adults: A Narrative Review
Abstract
Tiffany Field
This narrative review is a summary of literature on loneliness in adults that was published in 2024. In this research, the prevalence of loneliness worldwide widely ranged from 13 to 64%. Negative effects of loneliness included inferior cognitive performance, dysfunctional relationships, depression, sleep disturbances, diseases and issues of death anxiety, suicidality and mortality. The risk factors for loneliness included gender and age, early maltreatment, inactivity, excessive Internet use, partner conflict, loss of partner, retirement, COVID-19, social isolation and stress in general. Potential underlying biological mechanisms for loneliness included low EEG Beta activity, low oxytocin levels, elevated pro-inflammatory cytokines, DNA methylation, low gray matter volume and genetic alterations. Effective interventions included psychotherapy, reminiscence therapy, technological skill-building, exercise, leisure travel, time in nature, and social robots. Methodological limitations included cross-sectional studies, self-report measures, and lack of randomized controlled trials and active comparison groups for intervention studies.