Category Archives for Mental Health

Loneliness Can Be Hazardous to Your Health, Even Lead to Untimely Death

            Published July 13, 2012, Pawtucket Times

“One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do
Two can be as bad as one
It’s the loneliest number since the number one”

             Three Dog Night’s well-know lyrics on its first gold record may well mirror research findings of a study published last month in the Archives of Internal Medicine by University of California- San Francisco geriatricians.  That is, older persons can be lonely without really being alone because of lack of emotional connect, the feelings of emptiness or desolation being linked to serious health problems and even death.

             The UCSF geriatricians lead by Carla Perissinotto, MD, MHS, analyzed data in the Health and Retirement Study, a nationally representative study by the National Institute on Aging conducted on 1,604 older adults between 2002 and 2008. Researchers limited their analysis to participants 60 and older and the mean age being 71 years.

             Perissinotto notes in her study that it was one of the first studies to examine the relationship between loneliness and functional decline and death.

             “In our typical medical model, we don’t think of subjective feelings as affecting health,” said Dr. Perissinotto, an assistant professor in the UCSF Division of Geriatrics. “It’s intriguing to find that loneliness is independently associated with an increased rate of death and functional decline.”

 Lonely in Relationships

             UCSF researchers say that one of the more surprising findings of the team’s analysis is that loneliness does not necessarily correlate with living alone. The study found 43 percent of surveyed older adults felt lonely, yet only 18 percent lived alone.  

             “We are interested in identifying the different factors that cause adults to become functionally impaired and ultimately at risk for nursing home admission,” Dr. Perissinotto. “The aging of our population and the greater odds of institutionalization make it important for us to think about all the factors that are putting elders in danger, including social and environmental risks,” she noted.

             Researchers at UCSF focused on death and a decrease in the ability to perform daily activities such as upper extremity tasks, climbing stairs, and walking. People who identified themselves as lonely had a statistically significant 59 percent greater risk of decline. For death, 45 percent were at greater risk of death.

             “This is one of those outcomes you don’t want to see because it was terrible to find out it was actually true,” Dr. Perissinotto said. “We went into the analysis thinking that there was a risk we could find nothing, but there actually was a strong correlation.”

            The UCSF Research team believes the impact of loneliness on an elderly patient is different from the effects of depression. While depression is linked with a lack enjoyment, energy and motivation, loneliness can be felt in people who are fully functional but feel empty or desolate.

             The “baby boomer” generation – those born between 1946 and 1964 – represents the largest population growth inU.S.history. Some of them now are part of the 39.6 million population of people older than 65. That number is expected to more than double to 88.5 million by 2050.  As that population continues to expand, Dr. Perissinotto said she hopes to be able to start to integrate social and medical services for elderly patients more comprehensively, and be more mindful of what kinds of social interventions they require.

             Physicians “asking about chronic diseases is not enough,” she said. “There’s much more going on in people’s homes and their communities that is affecting their health. If we don’t ask about it, we are missing a very important and independent risk factor, she says. “We don’t think we can change genetics, but we can intervene when someone is lonely and help prevent some functional decline.” 

             That’s what 85-year-old jazz singer Barbara Dane is trying to avoid as she continues to entertain in theEastBaywell into her 80s.  “When your spouse dies, there’s a missing space in your heart,” says the widow. “You still want to know that someone cares about you. Connection to other people becomes even more important at this point in your life.”

               Dane, who has performed for over 70 years, credits her active social life to her positive outlook on life. She adds, “A lot of people around me are aging, and some are not doing so well,” she said. “Some who never developed social skills are having the hardest time and those are the ones we need to watch out for.”

 Everything is Interconnected

            Phillip Clark, ScD, Professor and Director, Program in Gerontology and Rhode Island Geriatric Education Center, says that these findings are consistent with what gerontologists have been saying for years; namely, that the experience of aging can only be understood by taking into account its physical, social, and psychological dimensions, because they are all interconnected with each other. “When we get older, we find that different parts of our lives and our health are increasingly related to each other,” he says.

             Dr. Clark states, “Although this recent study does distinguish between the research literature on social support and its specific results on loneliness, certainly the two areas share a common insight: that the psychosocial context of aging can either enhance or undermine our health as we get older.”  For instance, having one close friend—a confidante—as we get older can help buffer us from some of the negative effects of the losses often associated with aging. Just one person with whom we can share our joys and sorrows can make all the difference, he adds.

             The implications of this study are clear to Dr. Clark.  Professionals [including physicians] who work with older adults must be attuned to the psychosocial contexts of older adults and ask questions about how they are feeling, not just physically but also mentally.

             Dr. Clark believes it is not normal that we become depressed or lonely as we get older, and things can be done to address these problems so that older adults have a rewarding and healthy later life.

             Herb Weiss is a Pawtucket-based freelance writer who covers aging, health care and medical issues.  He can be reached at hweissri@aol.com.  This Commentary appeared in July 13, 2012 issue of the Pawtuckt Times.

Deciphering the Effectiveness of Alzheimer’s Research Findings

Published July 6, 2012, Pawtucket Times 

          Over a decade my mother was afflicted with the devastating medical disorder, Alzheimer’s Disease. Over the years with this affliction her physician would keep our family updated on the effectiveness of pharmaceutical research on medications that could put the breaks on this devastating disorder, one that would ultimately erase her short and long-term memory, making her husband of sixty years, and adult children virtual strangers to her.

            My family like hundreds of thousands of baby boomers and seniors sought out information from local newspapers, senior publications, national magazines, like Time or Newsweek, to unravel the medical mysteries of Alzheimer’s Disease.  Occasionally, I, like many shoppers at the local grocery store would sneak a peek, reading the National Enquirer while waiting in line looking for a little bit more information on new effective treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease.

Unraveling the Mysteries of Alzheimer’s Disease

            Oftentimes it becomes very confusing for caregivers to determine which profiled treatments are promising ones and which ones are not, due to the diversity of opinions in the research community.  Some articles might detail the effectiveness of taking Vitamin E; while others stress the effectiveness of Gingko, noting how it just might improve your memory.  Others might describe studies that indicate that estrogen replacement therapy is not really an effective treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease for some women.  Or some might even issue a warning to the reader to “not eat off of aluminum plates” because some research findings seem to indicate that an accumulation of heavy metals, such as aluminum, in the brain might cause the devastating disorder of Alzheimer’s.

            Years ago I provided the following helpful tips to readers of my column that might just unravel the mysteries of reported research findings in Alzheimer’s research that are reported by the nation’s media.  These tips are just as true eleven years later.

            Always beware of glitzy headlines. Time limitations keep people from reading every word in articles that appear in their daily, weekly or monthly newspapers.  As a result, may readers just choose to quickly scan the headlines for their information.  Don’t judge an article by its cute headline.  The content of an article is much more balanced than the headline that is composed of catchy words, crafted to draw the reader in.

            Look for authoritative commentary.  You can consider an article to be more credible when it provides multiple quotes on the indications of an Alzheimer’s treatment.  Consider the report to have done a good job if there is an authoritative expert commentary of the significance of the study.  Two likely sources might come from staffers employed by either the National Alzheimer’s Association or the National Institute of health, a major federal government agency that fund’s Alzheimer’s research studies.  One might consider the National Alzheimer’s Association point of view to be less biased and a more reliable opinion than those researchers who have ties to a pharmaceutical company that issued the press release.

            Determine if there are disputes in research findings.  Keep in mind that even if a research study is reported there might be those persons who believe that the study is not well designed or has major research flaws.   On the other hand, the study might just be accepted by the scientific community as a solid study.  However, there might still be serious disagreements about how to interpret the results or how to classify it.  Some researchers might consider it a major study while others would not.  A well-researched article will include the quotes of those who oppose the study.

Seeking out Reliable Expert Sources

            Are you still confused by how to cull articles for tips to learn about safe and effective treatments for Alzheimer’s?  Where do we go from here?  Caregivers should view any article written about new Alzheimer’s treatments as informational in nature.  The article can open the door to the nation’s research community and it now becomes your responsibility to do your homework by seeking out more details about what the research findings indicate.

            If the article describes the results of an actual published research study, obtain the scientific journal with the published study at your local library or search for it on the Internet.   When found carefully read it.  If the findings are reported from a presentation at a conference attempt to track down the researchers for more information.  Finally cruise the Internet and check out the official Websites of the Alzheimer’s Association or the National Institute on Aging, to determine if you can locate more information about a reported new treatment.

            Finally, don’t hesitate to call Donna McGowan, Executive Director of the Alzheimer’s Association – Rhode Island Chapter at 401 421-0008 or email, Donna.McGowan@alz.org, to solicit the organization’s comments on research findings reported by the media. Remember Federal agencies, along with national and state Alzheimer’s organizations monitor research studies and their implications for treatment.

              Herb Weiss is a Pawtucket-based freelance writer who covers aging, health care and medical issues.  His Commentaries are published in two Rhode Island daily’s The Pawtucket Times and Woonsocket Call.

Coping with the ‘holiday blues’

Published in The Pawtucket Times on December 6, 2010

Got the Christmas spirit? Family get-togethers, watching football or even shopping and sharing of gifts may not be so easy as in previous years with the economy in turmoil, watching your retirement funds dwindle or worrying about the security of your job.

But experts say that coping with the “holiday blues” can be as easy as keeping your expectations reasonable this year. Be clear about what is really important to you. If your holiday does not play out like a Hollywood B movie, that’s ok. Family gatherings are not always perfect or reflect a “Kodak moment.” With this year’s economy, moderation becomes key when shopping for gifts for your loved ones. Support the local community by buying locally made items. Or gather the family together and make a joint decision to make a donation to a meaningful local charity that needs local financial support.

Eat, drink and try to be merry in moderation. When food shopping, use coupons, buy store brand items or shop at grocery stores like Price-Rite or Save-A-Lot.

If you are lonely, depressed or suicidal making it difficult to shake this year’s “holiday blues,” contact The Samaritans of Rhode Island, a nonprofit program dedicated to reducing the occurrence of suicide by providing a volunteer manned crisis hotline/ listening line the hopeless, alone and despairing.

Denise Panichas, The Samaritan’s executive director, notes that the communications based charity, established in Providence in 1977, teaches volunteers to effectively listen to people who are in crisis.

Conversations are free, confidential, most importantly anonymous.

A rigorous 21-hour training program teaches volunteers to feel and think without expressing personal judgments or opinions.

Last year, more than 9, 000 Rhode Islanders called The Samaritans, Panichas says. “It doesn’t matter what the problem is, be it depression, suicidal thoughts, seeking resources for mental health services in the community or just being lonely and needing to talk,” she said.

Panichas says that The Samaritans also offer other needed resources to caregivers and to older Rhode Islanders.

“We do community education programs and also have our peer-to-peer Safe Place Support Group for those left behind by suicide.” If you can’t seem to shake the “holiday blues” or just need someone to talk who cares, call The Samaritans’hotline at 401-272-4040. To learn more about the work of The Samaritans of Rhode Island or if you would like to volunteer or donate visit the agency’s website at http://www.samaritansri. org.

Herb Weiss is a Pawtucketbased free-lance writer who covers aging, health care and medical issues. He can be reached at hweissri@aol.com.