Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults Mediators and Moderators

Course overview

This course is based upon material published by the National Academies Press and is available as an open-access article. By identifying the moderators and mediators of the effects of social isolation and loneliness, one can explore the mechanisms underlying those effects as well as why the effects may differ from one population to another and under which conditions an effect may be stronger or weaker. Current evidence suggests that there are multiple mediators that each may influence health. This report does not provide an exhaustive review of all known mechanisms. Rather, the following sections summarize the current evidence concerning a few key mechanisms that exert critical roles in explaining the association between social connections and health outcomes. Then the chapter identifies and summarizes the evidence for several variables that have been identified as potential plausible moderators. This course on social isolation and loneliness in older adults is designed for social workers, professional counselors, psychologists, nurses, and substance abuse counselors, who do clinical work. This course is appropriate for beginning, intermediate and advanced level practitioners who wish to develop or increase their knowledge of mediators and moderators of loneliness in older adults. It may also be useful for licensed clinicians who require clinical continuing education courses for license renewal. Contributors: Committee on the Health and Medical Dimensions of Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults; Board on Health Sciences Policy; Board on Behavioral, Cognitive, and Sensory Sciences; Health and Medicine Division; Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education; National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Learning Objectives: This course will provide the practitioner with detailed information regarding mediators and moderators of loneliness in older adults. Specifically, a professional will: Discriminate between mediating and moderating factors Summarize factors that mediate the effects of social isolation and loneliness in older adults Recognize factors that moderate the effects of social isolation and loneliness in older adults Citation: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 2020. Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults: Opportunities for the Health Care System. Chapter 5 Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/25663.