Social isolation and loneliness are serious yet underappreciated public health risks that affect a significant portion of the older adult population. Approximately one-quarter of community-dwelling Americans aged 65 and older are considered to be socially isolated, and a significant proportion of adults in the United States report feeling lonely. People who are 50 years of age or older are more likely to experience many of the risk factors that can cause or exacerbate social isolation or loneliness, such as living alone, the loss of family or friends, chronic illness, and sensory impairments. Over a life course, social isolation and loneliness may be episodic or chronic, depending upon an individual's circumstances and perceptions. A substantial body of evidence demonstrates that social isolation presents a major risk for premature mortality, comparable to other risk factors such as high blood pressure, smoking, or obesity. As older adults are particularly high-volume and high-frequency users of the health care system, there is an opportunity for health care professionals to identify, prevent, and mitigate the adverse health impacts of social isolation and loneliness in older adults. Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults summarizes the evidence base and explores how social isolation and loneliness affect health and quality of life in adults aged 50 and older, particularly among low income, underserved, and vulnerable populations. This report makes recommendations specifically for clinical settings of health care to identify those who suffer the resultant negative health impacts of social isolation and loneliness and target interventions to improve their social conditions. Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults considers clinical tools and methodologies, better education and training for the health care workforce, and dissemination and implementation that will be important for translating research into practice, especially as the evidence base for effective interventions continues to flourish.

October, 1967. Yuri Gagarin sits atop a Proton rocket, ready to launch. After several turbulent years in the public eye, he's been chosen in secrecy to captain the Soviet Union's latest space spectacular: the first manned flight around the moon. The second story in the Altered Space series, Public Loneliness is a detailed and imaginative look at a country and a space program with a curious schizophrenia regarding publicity and secrecy. Based on extensive research, it's also a lively and literary story that references familiar classics (like Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea) and forgotten landmarks of Soviet socialist realism, while also touching on universal themes of adventure, alcoholism, heroism and shame. It's a compelling look behind the massive posters at the all-too-real man who led the human race into space. The titles in the Altered Space series are wholly separate narratives, but all deal with the mysteries of space and time, progress and circularity. Each one is an ensō of words in which orbits of spacecraft, moons, planets, and people allow us fresh perspectives on the cycles of our own lives.

This early work by Radclyffe Hall was originally published in 1928 and we are now republishing it with a brand new introductory biography. 'The Well of Loneliness' is a novel that follows an upper-class Englishwoman who falls in love with another woman while serving as an ambulance driver in World War I. Marguerite Radclyffe Hall was born on 12th August 1880, in Bournemouth, England. Hall's first novel The Unlit Lamp (1924) was a lengthy and grim tale that proved hard to sell. It was only published following the success of the much lighter social comedy The Forge (1924), which made the best-seller list of John O'London's Weekly. Hall is a key figure in lesbian literature for her novel The Well of Loneliness (1928). This is her only work with overt lesbian themes and tells the story of the life of a masculine lesbian named Stephen Gordon.

From the acclaimed author of Imagine Wanting Only This—a timely and moving meditation on isolation and longing, both as individuals and as a society There is a silent epidemic in America: loneliness. Shameful to talk about and often misunderstood, loneliness is everywhere, from the most major of metropolises to the smallest of towns. In Seek You, Kristen Radtke's wide-ranging exploration of our inner lives and public selves, Radtke digs into the ways in which we attempt to feel closer to one another, and the distance that remains. Through the lenses of gender and violence, technology and art, Radtke ushers us through a history of loneliness and longing, and shares what feels impossible to share. Ranging from the invention of the laugh-track to the rise of Instagram, the bootstrap-pulling cowboy to the brutal experiments of Harry Harlow, Radtke investigates why we engage with each other, and what we risk when we turn away. With her distinctive, emotionally-charged drawings and deeply empathetic prose, Kristen Radtke masterfully shines a light on some of our most vulnerable and sublime moments, and asks how we might keep the spaces between us from splitting entirely.

Loneliness among older people and how the dying should be cared for are issues that evoke public debate. These issues are often described as universal and existential aspects of the human experience. Societal understandings of loneliness and dying have, however, changed dramatically over the past decades. Loneliness among older people and how we die are surrounded with ideals of how to "age well" and "good deaths", where failure to meet these expectations is associated with tabus, stigma and personal and societal failures. Consequently, studying loneliness among older people and care of the dying gives rise to the question of to what degree loneliness and dying are personal or public concerns. The aim of this dissertation is to study how loneliness among older people is constructed in the Swedish news press and how care of the dying is constructed in policies and through the perspectives of experts in palliative care. Specifically, the analysis explores to what extent these issues have become public concerns, and how "old and lonely" and "the dying" are positioned and constructed. In Paper I, the focus is on identifying overall discourses on loneliness among older people in the Swedish news press. Paper II is an analysis of how the responsibility for reducing loneliness is designated in the Swedish news press. Paper III explores how policies on palliative care have emerged and developed in Sweden over time since the 1970s up until today. Paper IV highlights the perspectives of experts, in palliative care, on the development and current state of palliative care, and the role of policymaking in this context. The findings of Paper I illustrate that although loneliness among older people have seemingly gained increased attention, much of the news articles are about the deficiencies in the organisation of eldercare and volunteer work with aims of reducing loneliness. In Paper II, the main finding is that the task of reducing loneliness is discussed, defined, and designated by and to those who were "non-old" and "non-lonely", where ambitions of inclusion result in constructing old people as the "others". Paper III shows how policies on palliative care have changed, from an emphasis on psychological end-of-life care and an overarching critique of the hospice care philosophy, to claims for care to be instead inspired by the very same philosophy. Furthermore, ideals of dying at home have lost their significance as palliative care should be universal and carried out everywhere. Based on interviews with experts in palliative care, the results of Paper IV highlight the complex development of palliative care in between deficiencies in end-of-life care of the past and improvements of the present. These improvements resulted, however, in risks of too much bureaucracy. The overall findings of this dissertation indicate that loneliness among older people and care of the dying serve as symbols for criticising the idea of the development of "modern society", which is altogether viewed as individualistic, bureaucratised and medicalised. Throughout the studies included in this dissertation, the issues of individual autonomy and activity as well as responsibility have shown to be central. In the context of palliative care, the concept of autonomy has a key position and responsibility is on the dying person to make choices in order to achieve "good palliative care". Regarding loneliness among older people, emphasis is on how to make older people physically and socially active. Loneliness is constructed as a problem which should be avoided and solved by "society" bearing the responsibility for enabling older people not to be lonely. Ensamhet bland äldre och vård av döende personer är frågor som diskuteras i offentliga fora. Dessa frågor beskrivs ofta som universella och en central del av människans existens. Dock har samhälleliga förståelser av ensamhet och döende förändrats dramatiskt under de senaste decennierna. Ensamhet bland äldre människor och hur vi dör är frågor som är omgärdade av ideal om "god död" och om att "åldras väl", där misslyckanden med att uppfylla dessa förväntningar är förknippade med tabun, stigma och personliga och samhälleliga brister. Eftersom äldres ensamhet och vård i livets slut är frågor som till viss del välfärdsstaten i Sverige engagerar sig i aktualiseras frågan om i vilken grad ensamhet och vård av döende personer är individens eller samhällets ansvar. Den ökade samhälleliga uppmärksamheten för dessa frågor i media och genom policyer, motiverar behovet av forskning om hur ensamhet bland äldre konstrueras, vad som ger upphov till att vissa definitioner blir förgivettagna och vilka typer av definitioner som nyhetspressen och policyer lutar sig emot. Syftet med denna avhandling är att studera hur ensamhet bland äldre konstrueras i svensk nyhetspress och vård av döende konstrueras i policyer samt utifrån experters perspektiv. En central del av detta syfte är att analysera i vilken utsträckning dessa frågor är individens respektive samhällets ansvar. Syftet är vidare att undersöka hur ”ensamma äldre” och ”döende personer” positioneras och konstrueras. I Paper fokuserade jag på att identifiera övergripande diskurser om ensamhet bland äldre i den svenska nyhetspressen. Paper II utgjordes av en analys av hur ansvar för att minska ensamheten bland äldre utpekats i den svenska nyhetspressen. Hur policyer kring palliativ vård i Sverige först etablerades och har utvecklats över tid, mellan åren 1974-2018, studerades i Paper III. Experters perspektiv på utvecklingen och det nuvarande tillståndet för palliativ vård och vilken roll policyer haft i denna typ av vård belystes i Paper IV. Trots att ensamhet bland äldre till synes har fått ökad uppmärksamhet i media, visade resultaten i Paper I att nyhetsartiklarna till stor del handlade om bristerna i organiseringen av äldreomsorg och betydelsen av volontärarbete för att minska ensamheten. I Paper II var den övergripande slutsatsen att uppdraget att minska ensamheten diskuterades, definierades och utpekades av och till dem som var "icke-äldre" och "icke-ensamma", där ambitioner om inkludering resulterade i att konstruera äldre människor som de "andra”. I Paper III var ett centralt fynd att policyer kring palliativ vård förändrats från betoning på psykologisk vård i livets slut och en övergripande kritik av vårdfilosofin från hospicerörelsen till krav på att vården bör utgå från denna filosofi. Dessutom tappade idealen om att dö hemma sin betydelse eftersom policyer med tiden betonade vikten av att palliativ vård ska vara universell och kunna genomföras överallt. Baserat på intervjuer med experter inom palliativ vård var resultaten av Paper IV att den historiska utvecklingen av hospice-rörelsen och samtida internationella händelser inom palliativ vård fungerade som referenspunkter för att förstå utvecklingen och det nuvarande tillståndet för den palliativa vården. Dessa metaberättelser sammanflätades också med personliga erfarenheter från palliativ vård. De övergripande resultaten i denna doktorsavhandling var att ensamhet bland äldre och vård av döende tjänade som symboler för att kritisera utvecklingen av det ”moderna samhället” som betraktades som individualistiskt, byråkratiserat och medikaliserat. I de studier som ingår i denna doktorsavhandling var frågor om ansvar, individuell autonomi och aktivitet centrala. I policyer för palliativ vård var begreppet autonomi centralt och döende personer framställdes som ansvariga för att göra val för att uppnå ”god palliativ vård”. Beträffande ensamhet bland äldre låg tonvikten på att göra äldre fysiskt och socialt aktiva. Ensamhet bland äldre människor ansågs mestadels som ett problem som bör undvikas och lösas. Det var också ”samhället” som skulle göra det möjligt för äldre att inte uppleva ensamhet.

“What does it mean to be lonely?” Thomas Dumm asks. His inquiry, documented in this book, takes us beyond social circumstances and into the deeper forces that shape our very existence as modern individuals. The modern individual, Dumm suggests, is fundamentally a lonely self. Through reflections on philosophy, political theory, literature, and tragic drama, he proceeds to illuminate a hidden dimension of the human condition. His book shows how loneliness shapes the contemporary division between public and private, our inability to live with each other honestly and in comity, the estranged forms that our intimate relationships assume, and the weakness of our common bonds. A reading of the relationship between Cordelia and her father in Shakespeare’s King Lear points to the most basic dynamic of modern loneliness—how it is a response to the problem of the “missing mother.” Dumm goes on to explore the most important dimensions of lonely experience—Being, Having, Loving, and Grieving. As the book unfolds, he juxtaposes new interpretations of iconic cultural texts—Moby-Dick, Death of a Salesman, the film Paris, Texas, Emerson’s “Experience,” to name a few—with his own experiences of loneliness, as a son, as a father, and as a grieving husband and widower. Written with deceptive simplicity, Loneliness as a Way of Life is something rare—an intellectual study that is passionately personal. It challenges us, not to overcome our loneliness, but to learn how to re-inhabit it in a better way. To fail to do so, this book reveals, will only intensify the power that it holds over us.

A pioneering neuroscientist reveals the reasons for chronic loneliness--which he defines an unrecognized syndrome--and brings it out of the shadow of its cousin, depression. 12 illustrations.

With eye-opening statistics, original data, and vivid portraits of people who live alone, renowned sociologist Eric Klinenberg upends conventional wisdom to deliver the definitive take on how the rise of going solo is transforming the American experience. Klinenberg shows that most single dwellers—whether in their twenties or eighties—are deeply engaged in social and civic life. There's even evidence that people who live alone enjoy better mental health and have more environmentally sustainable lifestyles. Drawing on more than three hundred in-depth interviews, Klinenberg presents a revelatory examination of the most significant demographic shift since the baby boom and offers surprising insights on the benefits of this epochal change.

The New York Times Bestseller from Surgeon General, Vivek H. Murthy, MD. “We have a massive, deadly epidemic hidden in plain sight: loneliness. It is as harmful to health as smoking and far more common. And as his gripping stories of the science and suffering make clear, we can do something about it. Together is fascinating, moving, and essential reading.”—Atul Gawande, author of Being Mortal “Together made me rethink much of what I believe about physical health, public policy, and the human condition. By revealing America’s epidemic of loneliness—and then offering an array of remedies for the condition—Murthy has done a great service, and made Together the most important book you’ll read this year.”—Daniel H. Pink, #1 New York Times bestselling author of When and Drive The book we need NOW to avoid a social recession, Murthy’s prescient message is about the importance of human connection, the hidden impact of loneliness on our health, and the social power of community. Humans are social creatures: In this simple and obvious fact lies both the problem and the solution to the current crisis of loneliness. In his groundbreaking book, the 19th surgeon general of the United States Dr. Vivek Murthy makes a case for loneliness as a public health concern: a root cause and contributor to many of the epidemics sweeping the world today from alcohol and drug addiction to violence to depression and anxiety. Loneliness, he argues, is affecting not only our health, but also how our children experience school, how we perform in the workplace, and the sense of division and polarization in our society. But, at the center of our loneliness is our innate desire to connect. We have evolved to participate in community, to forge lasting bonds with others, to help one another, and to share life experiences. We are, simply, better together. The lessons in Together have immediate relevance and application. These four key strategies will help us not only to weather this crisis, but also to heal our social world far into the future. Spend time each day with those you love. Devote at least 15 minutes each day to connecting with those you most care about. Focus on each other. Forget about multitasking and give the other person the gift of your full attention, making eye contact, if possible, and genuinely listening. Embrace solitude. The first step toward building stronger connections with others is to build a stronger connection with oneself. Meditation, prayer, art, music, and time spent outdoors can all be sources of solitary comfort and joy. Help and be helped. Service is a form of human connection that reminds us of our value and purpose in life. Checking on a neighbor, seeking advice, even just offering a smile to a stranger six feet away, all can make us stronger. During Murthy’s research for Together, he found that there were few issues that elicited as much enthusiastic interest from both very conservative and very liberal members of Congress, from young and old people, or from urban and rural residents alike. Loneliness was something so many people have known themselves or have seen in the people around them. In the book, Murthy also shares his own deeply personal experiences with the subject—from struggling with loneliness in school, to the devastating loss of his uncle who succumbed to his own loneliness, as well as the important example of community and connection that his parents modeled. Simply, it’s a universal condition that affects all of us directly or through the people we love—now more than ever.

Updated to include a new chapter about the influence of social media and the Internet—the 20th anniversary edition of Bowling Alone remains a seminal work of social analysis, and its examination of what happened to our sense of community remains more relevant than ever in today’s fractured America. Twenty years, ago, Robert D. Putnam made a seemingly simple observation: once we bowled in leagues, usually after work; but no longer. This seemingly small phenomenon symbolized a significant social change that became the basis of the acclaimed bestseller, Bowling Alone, which The Washington Post called “a very important book” and Putnam, “the de Tocqueville of our generation.” Bowling Alone surveyed in detail Americans’ changing behavior over the decades, showing how we had become increasingly disconnected from family, friends, neighbors, and social structures, whether it’s with the PTA, church, clubs, political parties, or bowling leagues. In the revised edition of his classic work, Putnam shows how our shrinking access to the “social capital” that is the reward of communal activity and community sharing still poses a serious threat to our civic and personal health, and how these consequences have a new resonance for our divided country today. He includes critical new material on the pervasive influence of social media and the internet, which has introduced previously unthinkable opportunities for social connection—as well as unprecedented levels of alienation and isolation. At the time of its publication, Putnam’s then-groundbreaking work showed how social bonds are the most powerful predictor of life satisfaction, and how the loss of social capital is felt in critical ways, acting as a strong predictor of crime rates and other measures of neighborhood quality of life, and affecting our health in other ways. While the ways in which we connect, or become disconnected, have changed over the decades, his central argument remains as powerful and urgent as ever: mending our frayed social capital is key to preserving the very fabric of our society.