This article is from the magazine Les Dossiers de Sciences et Avenir n°220 dated January/March 2025.
According to the World Health Organization, 14% of people over the age of 60 suffer from a mental health disorder, the most common being depression and anxiety, which are often underdiagnosed. Another telling figure: a quarter of suicides worldwide involve seniors.
One of the causes of these disorders is social isolation, whose risk increases with age: " Your children have moved out, your friends are no longer there, you no longer have a job, and therefore no colleagues, and your disability and illness prevent you from going out...", lists Kathryn Braun, a gerontologist at the University of Hawaii who specializes in isolation.
This isolation also makes it harder to spot depressive episodes. Several symptoms can be clues: a state of despondency, a decrease in self-esteem, a feeling of guilt or worthlessness, as well as sleep disturbances, persistent fatigue, or even loss of appetite. Depression sometimes takes hidden forms, such as a lack of sadness, irritability, or regressive behaviors.
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Antidepressant treatment may be indicated, but non-drug approaches should be systematically considered. “We lose a lot of things as we get older, continues Kathryn BraunThe trick is to compensate for these losses: instead of taking care of your children, you can take care of other people, make new friends, replace work with another activity… It's a challenge, but far from out of reach.
In 2024, the gerontologist published in Frontiers in Public Health an article in which she reviews the best ways to combat loneliness in this age group. She shows, for example, that social activities are all the more beneficial when they are not only aimed at breaking loneliness. Learning new skills in the company of others who share the same interests, such as gardening, is one of the most effective practices.
In some cases, it may be necessary to seek the help of a psychologist, as isolated people tend to distrust others, which leads them to... isolate themselves further. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is useful for removing these barriers. It is also possible to move into senior residences or shared accommodation. Shared housing options for seniors are multiplying in France, with or without caregivers. “Loneliness is not inevitable,” concludes Kathryn Braun optimistically.
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