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Ahmed M, Cerda I, Maloof M. Breaking the vicious cycle: The interplay between loneliness, metabolic illness, and mental health. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1134865. [PMID: 36970267 PMCID: PMC10030736 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1134865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Loneliness, or perceived social isolation, is a leading predictor of all-cause mortality and is increasingly considered a public health epidemic afflicting significant portions of the general population. Chronic loneliness is itself associated with two of the most pressing public health epidemics currently facing the globe: the rise of mental illness and metabolic health disorders. Here, we highlight the epidemiological associations between loneliness and mental and metabolic health disorders and argue that loneliness contributes to the etiology of these conditions by acting as a chronic stressor that leads to neuroendocrine dysregulation and downstream immunometabolic consequences that manifest in disease. Specifically, we describe how loneliness can lead to overactivation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and ultimately cause mitochondrial dysfunction, which is implicated in mental and metabolic disease. These conditions can, in turn, lead to further social isolation and propel a vicious cycle of chronic illness. Finally, we outline interventions and policy recommendations that can reduce loneliness at both the individual and community levels. Given its role in the etiology of the most prevalent chronic diseases of our time, focusing resources on alleviating loneliness is a vitally important and cost-effective public health strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minhal Ahmed
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- *Correspondence: Minhal Ahmed,
| | - Ivo Cerda
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
- Ivo Cerda,
| | - Molly Maloof
- Adamo Bioscience, Inc., Fernandina Beach, FL, United States
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Veal BM, Dobbs D, Lee S, Bugos JA, Pyfrom MP, Boddupalli S, Lengacher CA, Meng H. Feasibility and Acceptability of a Group Music Intervention in Memory Care Communities. J Appl Gerontol 2022; 41:1528-1538. [PMID: 35341380 DOI: 10.1177/07334648221079118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Music-based interventions have been shown to reduce behavioral expressions among persons with dementia. The goal of this study was to examine the feasibility and acceptability of a group music intervention to reduce agitation. Two memory care communities were recruited to participate in this single-arm mixed-methods study. The group music intervention program included a total of 12 sessions delivered over 4 weeks. Agitation was assessed quantitatively at weeks 0, 2, and 4. Qualitative interviews of memory care staff were conducted post-intervention. Data were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models and qualitative content analysis. The study sample (N = 19) had a mean age of 82.74, and 73.7% were female. The great majority of participants completed the intervention and 63.2% experienced a reduction in agitation, suggesting that the intervention is feasible and acceptable in memory care and may be efficacious. Future research should evaluate the efficacy of the intervention in a randomized controlled trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Britney M Veal
- School of Aging Studies, College of Behavioral and Community Sciences, 7831University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Debra Dobbs
- School of Aging Studies, College of Behavioral and Community Sciences, 7831University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Soomi Lee
- School of Aging Studies, College of Behavioral and Community Sciences, 7831University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Jennifer A Bugos
- School of Music, College of the Arts, 7831University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Mary P Pyfrom
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, College of Behavioral and Community Sciences, 7831University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | | | | | - Hongdao Meng
- School of Aging Studies, College of Behavioral and Community Sciences, 7831University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
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