Russell D W, Cutrona C E, de la Mora A, Wallace R B
Department of Psychology, Iowa State University, Ames 50011-3180, USA.
Psychol Aging. 1997 Dec;12(4):574-89. doi: 10.1037//0882-7974.12.4.574.
In this study, the authors tested the relation between loneliness and subsequent admission to a nursing home over a 4-year time period in a sample of approximately 3,000 rural older Iowans. Higher levels of loneliness were found to increase the likelihood of nursing home admission and to decrease the time until nursing home admission. The influence of extremely high loneliness on nursing home admission remained statistically significant after controlling for other variables, such as age, education, income, mental status, physical health, morale, and social contact, that were also predictive of nursing home admission. Several mechanisms are proposed to explain the link between extreme loneliness and nursing home admission. These include loneliness as a precipitant of declines in mental and physical health and nursing home placement as a strategy to gain social contact with others. Implications for preventative interventions are discussed.
在本研究中，作者对约3000名爱荷华州农村老年人样本在4年时间内的孤独感与随后入住养老院之间的关系进行了测试。研究发现，较高程度的孤独感会增加入住养老院的可能性，并缩短距离入住养老院的时间。在控制了其他同样可预测养老院入住情况的变量（如年龄、教育程度、收入、精神状态、身体健康、士气和社会交往）之后，极高孤独感对养老院入住的影响在统计学上仍具有显著意义。研究提出了几种机制来解释极端孤独感与养老院入住之间的联系。这些机制包括孤独感是身心健康下降的诱因，而入住养老院是一种与他人建立社会联系的策略。文中还讨论了预防干预措施的意义。
