Fighting loneliness by finding purpose

Date:
June 26, 2023
Source:
Washington University in St. Louis
Summary:
A sense of purpose in life -- whether it's a high-minded quest
to make a difference or a simple hobby with personal meaning --
can offer potent protection against loneliness, according to
new research.


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FULL STORY ==========================================================================
A new study co-authored by Patrick Hill, associate professor of
psychological and brain sciences, offers an important message for our
times: A sense of purpose in life -- whether it's a high-minded quest to
make a difference or a simple hobby with personal meaning -- can offer
potent protection against loneliness.

"Loneliness is known to be one of the biggest psychological predictors
for health problems, cognitive decline, and early mortality," Hill
said. "Studies show that it can be as harmful for health as smoking
or having a poor diet." The new study, based on surveys of more than
2,300 adults in Switzerland, found that feelings of loneliness were less
common in people who reported a purposeful life, regardless of their
age. It was co-authored by Mathias Allemand of the University of Zurich
in Switzerland and Gabriel Olaru of Tilburg University in the Netherlands.

Respondents were asked to score their feelings on a lack of companionship, isolation from other people, and a sense of being "left out or passed
over" during a four-week period. Participants also filled out the six-item
Life Engagement Test, which asked them to rate statements such as "there
is not enough purpose in my life" and "I value my activities a lot."
"A sense of purpose is this general perception that you have something
leading and directing you from one day to the next," Hill said. "It can
be something like gardening, supporting your family, or achieving success
at work." Many of the activities that can provide a sense of purpose -- joining a club, volunteering at a school, playing in a sports league --
involve interaction with others, which is one reason why a purpose-filled
life tends to be less lonely. In the study, people who said they received
or provided social support were especially likely to report feelings
of purpose.

But Hill noted that there's more to fighting loneliness than simply
being around others. "We've all had time in our lives when we've felt
lonely even though we weren't actually alone." There's something about
having a sense of purpose that seems to fight loneliness regardless of
how many other people are involved, he said.

The study found a slight uptick in reports of loneliness for people in
their 70s and beyond, an age when a sense of purpose can be especially important.

"We're trying to dispel the myth from previous generations that this
is simply a time for retiring and resting," Hill said. "There are
no downsides to finding something meaningful later in life." Still,
it's important to keep in mind that a quest for purpose can be somewhat self-defeating if taken too seriously. "Feeling like you need to save
the world can lead to existential dread and distress," Hill said. When
it comes to purpose and meaning, even small things can matter. "It's
OK if someone else thinks that your purpose is trivial, as long as it's meaningful to you."
* RELATED_TOPICS
o Mind_&_Brain
# Perception # Numeracy # Behavior # Social_Psychology
# Psychology # Intelligence # Child_Development #
Child_Psychology
* RELATED_TERMS
o Negotiation o Illusion_of_control o Anticonvulsant
o Early_childhood_education o Emotional_detachment o
Psycholinguistics o Auditory_system o Human_bonding

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by
Washington_University_in_St._Louis. Note: Content may be edited for
style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Patrick L. Hill, Gabriel Olaru, Mathias Allemand. Do associations
between
sense of purpose, social support, and loneliness differ across
the adult lifespan? Psychology and Aging, 2023; 38 (4): 345 DOI:
10.1037/pag0000733 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/06/230626164203.htm

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