Time Alone and Emotional Well-Being in Older Adults
Author Information
Author(s): Pot Anna, Carstensen Laura
Primary Institution: Stanford University
Hypothesis
How do relationships and spending time alone influence daily emotional experience across the adult life span?
Conclusion
Older adults who have more social interactions report feeling better emotionally when alone, while those who spend more time alone than average may experience a slight decline in emotional well-being.
Supporting Evidence
- Older people spend more time alone than younger age groups.
- Older adults generally enjoy better mental health despite spending time alone.
- Age positively relates to emotional well-being.
- Spending time alone is associated with a poorer emotional profile.
- Older adults with more social interactions report more positive emotions when alone.
Takeaway
Being alone can be good for older people if they also have friends to spend time with.
Methodology
Participants reported their emotions and social interactions five times daily for a week, using data from an experience-sampling study.
Participant Demographics
Participants aged 21-94, with a mean age of 54.58 years at the first timepoint and 56.80 years at the second.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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