Study Identifies 2 Relationship Factors That Can Weaken Memory As We Age

We'd all like to preserve our memory as we age, and there are plenty of ways to do so, like eating a healthy diet, exercising, and sleeping well, to name a few. But have you ever considered the impact your relationships (or lack thereof) can have on your memory?

For this study, researchers from the University of Waterloo in Canada wanted to analyze how social isolation and loneliness impacted memory loss over a six-year period, pulling their data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. Participants were middle to older age.

Given the difference between loneliness and social isolation (i.e., you can feel lonely without being isolated or be isolated without feeling lonely), loneliness was assessed by asking participants how often they felt lonely in the past week. Meanwhile, levels of social isolation were determined through factors like marital/cohabitating status, social activities, social networks, and more. Finally, memory was assessed using immediate-recall and delayed-recall tests.

Following the six-year period, it was observed that the combination of social isolation and loneliness had the worst effect on memory, followed by loneliness alone, then social isolation alone. Dealing with neither social isolation nor loneliness, of course, had the lowest impact on memory.

According to Kang, she and the other study authors were surprised to find that loneliness alone had the second-greatest impact on memory, given how many studies "report on the dangers of social isolation without considering loneliness."

After all, there is a difference between being alone and lonely, and loneliness appears to take an even bigger toll on our cognition than social isolation. But whether you're socially isolated, lonely, or both, the good news is there are interventions to take.

Kang notes that for those struggling with social isolation, finding local resources and community programs to get involved with can help you connect with other folks in your area.

And if someone is dealing with loneliness, she adds, "We would need to know what is causing their loneliness. They may be connected socially and have close relationships, but for example, maybe their marriage is falling apart and they would benefit from counseling."