Sir, – I found the recent research from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing at Trinity College Dublin to be somewhat intriguing (“Study finds loneliness in older people linked to ‘wish to die’ risk”, News, August 28th). The research shows that loneliness in older adults is associated with an increased risk of individuals wishing for their own death.
However, the study also showed that older people attending religious services is an important protective barrier against loneliness.
I believe religious services provide social interactions and a sense of community for our elderly demographic.
As a clinician, I would always encourage this cohort to take up a hobby, such as gardening, going to the gym, crosswords, jigsaws, puzzles or knitting, etc. I believe that small activities can provide a person with energy and positive feelings.
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It’s important that these pursuits are fun or fulfilling. One should also be careful about working too hard or watching too many TV shows simply as a distraction.
This will only delay or suppress one’s feelings and could actually make a person’s mental health worse.
I would encourage people to take courses or listen to podcasts about anything from politics, comedy, to fitness.
Just listening to a voice of someone one likes has been shown to assist people in feeling less lonely.
As a therapist, I am acutely aware of how talking therapy can be hard to get, but if one can find a suitable counsellor, this will provide one with a safe place to work through one’s feelings and thoughts without judgment.
Social media can also help one’s mental health or indeed harm it. I would suggest trying to find digital communities that share one’s interests and passions. Most importantly, one should be aware of how one feels when one uses social media. It’s always recommended that one focuses on topics and activities that work best for one.
I urge our policymakers to focus on addressing social isolation in older people and improving their mental health. – Yours, etc,
JOHN O’BRIEN,
Clinical Psychotherapist,
Clonmel,
Co Tipperary.