Correlates and predictors of loneliness in older-adults: a review of quantitative results informed by qualitative insights

Older persons are particularly vulnerable to loneliness because of common age-related changes and losses. This paper reviews predictors of loneliness in the older population as described in the current literature and a small qualitative study.

Peer-reviewed journal articles were identified from psycINFO, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar from 2000-2012. Overall, 38 articles were reviewed. Two focus groups were conducted asking older participants about the causes of loneliness.