Social Isolation, Ageism, and Mental Health in Older Adults

DOI

10.2991/978-2-38476-460-0_9How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Social Isolation; Ageism; Mental Health; Older Adults; Psychological Disorders

Abstract

The global population of adults older than 65 years is increasing. Social medical care and the economy may encounter a heavier burden with the aging population. When people get old, they often face higher risks of psychiatric disorders and decreasing physical well-being. With increasing age, adults are more likely to feel isolated and experience ageism, which will significantly affect their health. This article will review existing research, compare the differences among studies, and summarize the influences of social isolation and perceived ageism on seniors’ psychological health, examining their potential causes, consequences, and interventions. The review found that social isolation significantly increased the risk of psychiatric disorders and cognitive impairment, while ageism impacts self-esteem and reduces participation in civic activities. Strategies such as creating age-friendly communities, cognitive-behavioral and group therapy, encouraging active civic engagement, and technology-assisted socialization are recommended. Addressing social isolation and ageism is crucial for improving seniors’ life satisfaction and mental well-being.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Xinyao Shen
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/08/31
TI  - Social Isolation, Ageism, and Mental Health in Older Adults
BT  - Proceedings of the 2025 6th International Conference on Mental Health, Education and Human Development (MHEHD 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 61
EP  - 70
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-460-0_9
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-460-0_9
ID  - Shen2025
ER  -