Course : International Foundation Diploma

Module : Academic Research and Writing Skills

Lecturer : Dr. Darwin Joseph

Coursework : Individual Assignment (30%)

Due Date : 17.11.2020

DECLARATION:

I certify that the attached assignment is my own work and that any material drawn from
other sources has been acknowledged.
I note that the Institute reserves the right to check our assignment for plagiarism.

Signature:

Student Name: Registration No.

Submitted to: MDIS, Singapore Date:

Word count:

Title: Research Report on Loneliness among Adults

1. Background to the Study
Empirical studies indicate that loneliness is a risk factor for premature mortality in older
individuals and for developing depression and dementia. Many studies have looked at the
causal relationship between loneliness and death, but a causal relationship has yet to be
demonstrated. One likely explanation for this failure is that the association between
loneliness and disease may be partially explained by other psychiatric or social factors or
comorbidities. Loneliness is linked to increased cardiovascular disease, diabetes, heart
disease, depression, cognitive decline, and lower life satisfaction. Research demonstrated that
this adult form of the psychological distress is distinct from its social counterpart. Loneliness
has been shown to increase the tendency to adopt more risk-averse choices than avoidant
behavior. Previous research shows loneliness increases the risk of serious illness, death,
dementia and even premature death (research by James Pennebaker at the University of
Texas, Austin, US, has suggested loneliness is as damaging as smoking 15 cigarettes a day).
Loneliness is present in all age groups, but is more prevalent in elderly individuals.

Adults are significantly more likely than younger adults to experience loneliness. Their
mental health is worse and they are more likely to be obese and to have poorer physical
function. There is some good news. Loneliness in the elderly is less common than it was
several decades ago, but it is still an issue for many. Numerous studies have found that the
elderly are at a much higher risk for loneliness than younger people. Indeed, the association
between loneliness and mortality has been observed for people over the age of 60. For
instance, high levels of loneliness and depressive symptoms were independently associated
with significantly increased mortality in older adults.

One possible explanation for this finding is that older adults with worse physical functioning
may be at increased risk of unintentional injuries, such as falling, so that they are more likely
to suffer from mental health problems. Or loneliness in the elderly may lead to depression or
chronic stress, which can increase the risk of suicide.

2. Objectives of the Study

To gain an understand of the underlying reason for factors that cause lonelineness among
adults in Singapore
3. Literature Review
Adults are increasingly moving into senior housing or retirement communities (Jeste &
Childers, 2017). Investigating loneliness within such communities makes it possible to study
subjective loneliness in older adults who are not socially isolated, since the senior housing
communities provide proximity to others, shared common areas, planned social outings,
transportations, and other communal activities. This is in contrast to most of the older adults
who live by themselves or only with their spouses or partners and are socially isolated due to
their physical disabilities as well as lack of opportunities for social interactions.
Understanding loneliness within the context of a senior housing community may be relevant
to better understanding loneliness within other settings, as well as advancing community- and
facility-based interventions for loneliness

4. Methodology
To account for attrition during the interview, a face-to-face interview that was conducted with
the same participants who had given their written responses was also conducted with a
possible 3–4 different subsets of the original participants. As an outcome measure, the diaries
that participants kept were used to calculate depressive symptoms based on symptoms
reported in addition to self-reports about number of days that a participant felt lonely. Ten
healthy adults were recruited, ages 60–68 years, and allocated randomly to either the
exposure group, the control group, or a follow-up group. All participants received $20 as
compensation for their time. The assessors for the participants were trained by the
psychologist leading the study. The prior cultural background of the participants was not
known. The participants were asked to report on the frequency and intensity of loneliness
during the past week. This was done by reporting how many days during the week they felt
lonely. The extent to which participants felt lonely was evaluated as the number of days they
felt lonely, which was also coded by the assessors and entered into a survey instrument to
evaluate subjective loneliness. The extent to which they felt physically isolated from others
was evaluated as the number of days in the past week they did not participate in a social
activity.

5. Data Analysis and Findings

Conclusion