What is loneliness?

The extent of loneliness among the elderly here

How to tell if someone is lonely?

What can be done to help someone who is lonely?

Health Check Ep 64: Understanding the loneliness crisis

16:29 mins

Synopsis: Every first and third Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you.

Loneliness is toxic. It is associated with mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, sleep issues and stress. It can also shorten your life. New research from the Duke-NUS Medical school in Singapore and Nihon University in Tokyo, Japan has found that lonely older adults can expect to live a shorter life than their peers who don’t perceive themselves as lonely. Their health would also be affected. The study was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society on July 7. 

In this episode, ST senior health correspondent Joyce Teo asks Assistant Professor Rahul Malhotra, lead author of the study and the head of research at the Centre for Ageing Research and Education at Duke-NUS, to tell us more about loneliness. 

They discuss the following points:
What is loneliness? (1:10)
The extent of loneliness among the elderly here (2:50)
How to tell if someone is lonely? (12:48)
What can be done to help older people who are lonely? (14:15)

Produced by: Joyce Teo (joyceteo@sph.com.sg), Ernest Luis & Hadyu Rahim

Edited by: Hadyu Rahim & Penelope Lee

Follow Health Check Podcast here and rate us:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWaN

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Google Podcasts: https://str.sg/J6Wv

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/

Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

Read Joyce Teo's stories: https://str.sg/JbxN

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Discover ST's special edition podcasts:

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia: https://str.sg/wuZ2

Stop Scams: https://str.sg/wuZB

Singapore's War On Covid: https://str.sg/wuJa

Invisible Asia: https://str.sg/wuZn

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Discover more ST podcast series:

Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf

In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt

Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad

ST Sports Talk: https://str.sg/JWRE

Bookmark This!: https://str.sg/JWas

Lunch With Sumiko: https://str.sg/J6hQ

Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Discover BT Podcasts: https://bt.sg/pcPL

Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts!

#healthcheck

Health Check Ep 64: Understanding the loneliness crisis
16:29 mins
Synopsis: Every first and third Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you.
Loneliness is toxic. It is associated with mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, sleep issues and stress. It can also shorten your life. New research from the Duke-NUS Medical school in Singapore and Nihon University in Tokyo, Japan has found that lonely older adults can expect to live a shorter life than their peers who don’t perceive themselves as lonely. Their health would also be affected. The study was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society on July 7. 
In this episode, ST senior health correspondent Joyce Teo asks Assistant Professor Rahul Malhotra, lead author of the study and the head of research at the Centre for Ageing Research and Education at Duke-NUS, to tell us more about loneliness. 
They discuss the following points:
<ol>
<li dir="ltr">What is loneliness? (1:10)</li>
<li dir="ltr">The extent of loneliness among the elderly here (2:50)</li>
<li dir="ltr">How to tell if someone is lonely? (12:48)</li>
<li dir="ltr">What can be done to help older people who are lonely? (14:15)</li>
</ol>
Produced by: Joyce Teo (<a href="mailto:joyceteo@sph.com.sg">joyceteo@sph.com.sg</a>), Ernest Luis &amp; Hadyu Rahim
Edited by: Hadyu Rahim &amp; Penelope Lee
Follow Health Check Podcast here and rate us:
Channel: <a href="https://str.sg/JWaN">https://str.sg/JWaN</a>
Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://str.sg/JWRX">https://str.sg/JWRX</a>
Spotify: <a href="https://str.sg/JWaQ">https://str.sg/JWaQ</a>
Google Podcasts: <a href="https://str.sg/J6Wv">https://str.sg/J6Wv</a> 
SPH Awedio app:<a href="https://www.awedio.sg/"> https://www.awedio.sg/</a>
Website: <a href="http://str.sg/stpodcasts">http://str.sg/stpodcasts</a>
Feedback to: <a href="mailto:podcast@sph.com.sg">podcast@sph.com.sg</a>
Read Joyce Teo's stories: <a href="https://str.sg/JbxN">https://str.sg/JbxN</a>
---
Discover ST's special edition podcasts:
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia: <a href="https://str.sg/wuZ2">https://str.sg/wuZ2</a>
Stop Scams: <a href="https://str.sg/wuZB">https://str.sg/wuZB</a>
Singapore's War On Covid: <a href="https://str.sg/wuJa">https://str.sg/wuJa</a>
Invisible Asia:<a href="https://str.sg/wuZn"> https://str.sg/wuZn</a>
---
Discover more ST podcast series:
Asian Insider: <a href="https://str.sg/JWa7">https://str.sg/JWa7</a>
Green Pulse: <a href="https://str.sg/JWaf">https://str.sg/JWaf</a>
In Your Opinion: <a href="https://str.sg/w7Qt">https://str.sg/w7Qt</a>
Your Money &amp; Career: <a href="https://str.sg/wB2m">https://str.sg/wB2m</a>
#PopVultures: <a href="https://str.sg/JWad">https://str.sg/JWad</a>
ST Sports Talk: <a href="https://str.sg/JWRE">https://str.sg/JWRE</a>
Bookmark This!: <a href="https://str.sg/JWas">https://str.sg/JWas</a>
Lunch With Sumiko: <a href="https://str.sg/J6hQ">https://str.sg/J6hQ</a>
Discover ST Podcasts: <a href="http://str.sg/stpodcasts">http://str.sg/stpodcasts</a>
Discover BT Podcasts: <a href="https://bt.sg/pcPL">https://bt.sg/pcPL</a>
Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts!
#healthcheck

Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you.

Podcaster: Joyce Teo

Produced by podcast editor Ernest Luis & The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust.

Synopsis: Every first Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times helps you make sense of health matters that affect you.
Podcaster: Joyce Teo
Produced by podcast editor Ernest Luis &amp; The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust.

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