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University of Michigan researchers have found a remarkable link between loneliness, depression and the incidence of digestive diseases in older adults.
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| Photo illustration Neuroscience News |
Neuroscience News reports that, according to data from the University of Michigan Health and Retirement Study, of 7,110 older adults, 56% had a digestive disease and 44% did not. Of those with a digestive disease, 60.4% reported being lonely, 12.7% were severely depressed, and 8.9% were socially isolated. Of those without a digestive disease, the rates were 55.6%, 7.5%, and 8.7%, respectively.
Current approaches often fail to take into account psychosocial factors in a patient’s overall health, says gastroenterologist Shirley Ann Cohen-Mekelburg, MD. She hopes the findings will empower gastroenterologists to “screen patients for depression and loneliness,” in addition to their physical symptoms, to provide holistic care to patients.
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