Reporter Lois Collins wrote a two-part series called "Living Lonely" for the Deseret News (Salt Lake City, UT). In
"Seniors in search of a song", she looked at the health effects of loneliness. Although a possible link of adverse childhood experiences to elderly loneliness was not addressed, the solutions provided were resilience-building.
Loneliness, as a medical matter, has begun to capture the attention of health experts worldwide. A growing body of research compares loneliness to documented health killers like smoking and obesity.
The fallout from loneliness is so expensive that England’s Department of Health is measuring the problem and recently launched its “Campaign to End Loneliness.” Former Prime Minister Tony Blair was the first to appoint a minister of joy, officially called the “Happiness Tsar,” a position that continues today. British experts say lonely people exercise less and drink more. They may end up prematurely in long-term care.
The United States lags behind Britain on this. There are pockets of activity, like the Encore Chorale, and researchers ponder loneliness and its implications. But most people don’t understand the devastating impact. Loneliness can kill.
An excerpt about one of the solutions -- choral singing:
Singing is like exercise in some ways. The deep breathing reduces anxiety. Singing releases pleasure-inducing endorphins and oxytocin, which lowers stress. Studies say depression and loneliness flee when people sing, particularly in groups. Research shows falling anxiety and rising life satisfaction for those who sing regularly — even if they’re not good at it. Musically trained people are also better able to hear as they get older, picking out pitch and timber through the general noise. The evidence is so compelling that the University of California San Francisco just launched a “Community of Voices” study to test group singing as an inexpensive tool to promote elderly wellbeing.
www.reportingonhealth.org/fellowships/projects/living-lonely
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