Introduction
In order to counteract the negative consequences of aging, there is a need to comprehend the ways the related problems appear. Loneliness is a universal issue among older adults that worsens their quality of life by a significant margin and increases mortality (Zastrow et al., 2019). It is possible to trace the source of this notion to the physical challenges this portion of the population meets. The “stress theory” of aging provides a feasible explanation of this phenomenon and serves as a warning for people who find themselves lacking social connections.
The Impact of Social Isolation on Older Adults
The article focuses on the self-perpetuating struggles among older adults. There is evidence that suggests that isolated individuals are more susceptible to a multitude of diseases than the rest of the population (Gerst-Emerson & Jayawardhana, 2015). It is vital to perceive this type of vulnerability as a condition that must be addressed by doctors.
People who have physical impairments begin to lose their social net as their ability to uphold relationships worsens (Gerst-Emerson & Jayawardhana, 2015). Thus, this problem generates a significant amount of distress among the target population. People who become homebound without the opportunity to change their shifting role in the community are especially prone to becoming ill (Gerst-Emerson & Jayawardhana, 2015). Older adults’ medical needs burden their and their families’ funds, perpetuating the disconnection between them and their relatives and friends.
Physiological models explore this notion by connecting one’s emotional state with one’s physical health. The “stress theory” reveals how the constant presence of this mental pressure leads to the accumulation of damage within one’s cells (Zastrow et al., 2019). Therefore, the more stress a person experiences in their life, the more likely they are to die earlier. The concept of “accumulants” stemming from tension clarifies that the body systems are strained during such periods (Zastrow et al., 2019). In general, loneliness destabilizes one’s mental health and affects one’s physiological mechanisms.
Developmental approaches also add context to this problem through their views on life-long tasks. Zastrow et al. (2019) state that the “theory of disengagement” highlights that older adults lack the “energy and vitality to sustain all the roles and social relationships” they had before (p. 684). Thus, in later years, people are likely to drop their attempts to form new connections while their previous ones are gradually decreasing. Changes in a person’s needs lead to a progressively shrinking social circle, which may occur despite one’s efforts to stop this process (Zastrow et al., 2019). While the article portrays such changes as a negative subject, this theory points out that this phenomenon is not that apparent.
The concept of “withdrawal” shows that loneliness allows an individual to preserve their energy, yet it requires one’s active submission to this state (Zastrow et al., 2019). Therefore, disengagement may prevent further exhaustion of one’s resources if it is voluntary, although it harms one’s mental health otherwise. This two-fold phenomenon does not negate the impact of such a condition on one’s health outcomes, making it vital for professionals to consider ways of reconnecting people in this stage of development with their relatives.
Conclusion
In conclusion, social isolation damages one’s physical health by affecting their mental health, lowering their quality of life, and increasing mortality among older adults. The “stress theory” provides a feasible explanation of this situation by revealing the fact that lone individuals become depressed, which exhausts their cells’ ability to regenerate at a faster rate. Moreover, the disengagement model claims that loneliness is a response to the necessity to preserve one’s energy, as older adults cannot fulfill their roles to the point when they were able to sustain them before. Therefore, these frameworks support the article’s information regarding the harmful impact of involuntary isolation from society.
References
Gerst-Emerson, K., & Jayawardhana, J. (2015). Loneliness as a public health issue: The impact of loneliness on health care utilization among older adults. American Journal of Public Health, 105(5), 1013-1019. Web.
Zastrow, C., Kirst-Ashman, K. K., & Hessenauer, S. L. (2019). Understanding human behavior and the social environment (11th ed.). Cengage Learning.