A friendship that transcends generations, helping to learn new skills and keep an open mind
Loneliness and social isolation are linked to mental and physical health problems. This is especially true for people over 50. The older I get, the better I get along with my peers and I feel uncomfortable when meeting younger people. According to a study released last year, making friends with people of different ages is an effective way to curb loneliness. Helping older people learn new perspectives and become more open-minded can increase social inclusion.
According to the American health media “Berrywell Health.com”, friendship between generations is beneficial to both parties. The younger generation can benefit from the life experiences and advice shared by the elders. Older people can broaden their understanding of the new world by meeting the younger generation.
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine professor Neda Gould (psychiatry and behavioral sciences) said: “As you get older, you can feel more lonely if you don’t make an effort to engage in social activities and connect with people.” “Older adults are more likely to learn new skills and be more open-minded when befriending younger generations,” she added.
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Loneliness can be associated with health problems such as depression at any age. In particular, those over 50 are at increased risk for health conditions that can be exacerbated by the tolls of loneliness and social isolation, including dementia, heart disease, stroke and even early death.
“Loneliness and social isolation are not the same thing,” said Diane Meyer, professor of gerontology at Mount Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine. Loneliness is feeling lonely no matter how many social interactions you have. Social isolation refers to a lack of interaction measured over the span of a day or week.
Postmenopausal women may be at greater risk for health complications related to loneliness and social isolation. A study published in JAMA Network Open in February this year, which followed more than 58,000 women for eight years, found that social isolation was associated with an 8 percent increase in cardiovascular disease, and loneliness was associated with a 5% increase.
Women who reported experiencing both had a 13 to 27 percent higher risk of heart disease than women who scored lower on solitude and isolation.
Further research has shown that loneliness can double the risk of type 2 diabetes, with even worse outcomes for people with heart failure.
“It’s very clear that human contact is essential to health,” Meyer said. “We need to think about social contact and being around people the same way you eat a healthy diet and exercise.”
“In terms of how the human species has evolved, it’s normal for us to live with different generational groups,” he added. “Regardless of our age, we’re all just human.” It means we need a way of thinking that accepts age as a characteristic, like height, weight and hair color.
