Social isolation is an increasingly significant issue within the social sciences and healthcare, particularly concerning aging populations. Defined by a deficiency in social interactions and meaningful relationships, social isolation has profound effects on the well-being of older adults. In Malaysia, the demographic shift towards an aging population, fueled by rising life expectancy and declining fertility rates, exacerbates the risk of social isolation. Contributory factors include deteriorating health, unemployment, and evolving family structures. This study explores issues related to social isolation among the elderly in Malaysia, including its contributing factors, impacts, and potential solutions for addressing these challenges. The findings underscore the urgent need for comprehensive interventions, such as policy reforms, community-based initiatives, and spiritual support programs, to improve the quality of life and foster social connectedness among older adults. The outcome also suggests that the main stakeholders especially government agencies, society members and the older adults must work together towards understanding and supporting the existing policies.
Abdolahrezaee, N., Khanmohammadi, A., Dadfar, M., Rashedi, V., & Behnam, L. (2020). Prediction of hope, physical health, and mental health by mediating variable of religious spiritual well-being in elderly. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 23(10), 928-940.
Burholt, V., Winter, B., Aartsen, M., Constantinou, C., Dahlberg, L., & Feliciano, V. (2020). A critical review and development of a conceptual model of exclusion from social relations for older people. European Journal of Ageing, 17(1), 3-19.
Clair, R., Gordon, M., Kroon, M., & Reilly, C. (2021). The effects of social isolation on well-being and life satisfaction during pandemic. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 8(1).1-14
Department of Statistics Malaysia (2022). Populasi Warga Emas di Malaysia. Putrajaya: Jabatan Perangkaan Malaysia.
Donovan, N. J., & Blazer, D. (2020). Social isolation and loneliness in older adults: Review and commentary of a national academies report. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 28(12), 1233-1244.
Elmer, T., & Stadtfeld, C. (2020). Depressive symptoms are associated with social isolation in face-to-face interaction networks. Scientific reports, 10(1), 1444.
Fakoya, O. A., McCorry, N. K., & Donnelly, M. (2020). Loneliness and social isolation interventions for older adults: a scoping review of reviews. BMC Public Health, 20(1). 1-8.
Franssen, T., Stijnen, M., Hamers, F., & Schneider, F. (2020). Age differences in demographic, social and health-related factors associated with loneliness across the adult life span (19–65 years): a cross-sectional study in the Netherlands. BMC Public Health, 20, 1-12.
Freedman, A., & Nicolle, J. (2020). Social isolation and loneliness: The new geriatric giants: Approach for primary care. Canadian Family Physician, 66(3), 176-182.
Fulmer, T., Reuben, D. B., Auerbach, J., Fick, D. M., Galambos, C., & Johnson, K. S. (2021). Actualizing better health and health care for older adults: Commentary describes six vital directions to improve the care and quality of life for all older Americans. Health Affairs, 40(2), 219-225.
Ganesan, B., Al-Jumaily, A., Fong, K. N., Prasad, P., Meena, S. K., & Tong, R. K. Y. (2021). Impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak quarantine, isolation, and lockdown policies on mental health and suicide. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12, 1-7.
Gu, D., Andreev, K., & Dupre, M. E. (2021). Major trends in population growth around the world. China CDC Weekly, 3(28), 604-612.
Han, J., Chan, E. H. W., Qian, Q. K., & Yung, E. H. K. (2021). Achieving sustainable urban development with an ageing population: An “age-friendly city and community” approach. Sustainability, 13(15), 8614.
Huxhold, O., Suanet, B., & Wetzel, M. (2022). Perceived social exclusion and loneliness: Two distinct but related phenomena. Sociological Science, 9, 430-453.
Hossen, M. S., Pauzi, H. B. M., & Salleh, S. F. B. (2023). Enhancing elderly well-being through age-friendly community, social engagement and social support. American Journal Science Education Research, 135, 1-9.
Ismail, Z., Ahmad, W. I. W., Hamjah, S. H., & Astina, I. K. (2021). The impact of population ageing: A review. Iranian Journal of Public Health, 50(12), 2451.
Jose, J. P., Cherayi, S. J., & Sudhakar, S. (2022). Age identity and social exclusion of older persons: A psychosocial perspective. Ageing International, 47(2), 115-133.
Kekkonen, V., Tolmunen, T., Kraav, S. L., Hintikka, J., Kivimäki, P., Kaarre, O., & Laukkanen, E. (2020). Adolescents' peer contacts promote life satisfaction in young adulthood—A connection mediated by the subjective experience of not being lonely. Personality and Individual Differences, 167, 110264.
Koehn, S., Ferrer, I., & Brotman, S. (2022). Between loneliness and belonging: Narratives of social isolation among immigrant older adults in Canada. Ageing & Society, 42(5), 1117-1137.
Latikka, R., Rubio-Hernández, R., Lohan, E. S., Rantala, J., Nieto Fernández, F., Laitinen, A., & Oksanen, A. (2021). Older adults’ loneliness, social isolation, and physical information and communication technology in the era of ambient assisted living: A systematic literature review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 23(12), 28022.
Ma, R., Mann, F., Wang, J., Lloyd-Evans, B., Terhune, J., Al-Shihabi, A., & Johnson, S. (2020). The effectiveness of interventions for reducing subjective and objective social isolation among people with mental health problems: a systematic review. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 55, 839-876.
Maleku, A., España, M., Jarrott, S., Karandikar, S., & Parekh, R. (2022). We are aging too! Exploring the social impact of late-life migration among older immigrants in the United States. Journal of Immigrant & Refugee Studies, 20(3), 365-382.
McCallum, J. (2023). Australia's new aged: issues for young and old. Routledge.
National Academies of Sciences. (2020). Social isolation and loneliness in older adults: Opportunities for the health care system. National Academies Press.
Okechukwu, C. E. (2021). The impact of loneliness on physical and mental health among older adults in the era of coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Apollo Medicine, 18(1), 29-32.
Osareme, J., Muonde, M., Maduka, C. P., Olorunsogo, T. O., & Omotayo, O. (2024). Demographic shifts and healthcare: A review of aging populations and systemic challenges. International Journal of Science and Research Archive, 11(1), 383-395.
Sánchez-González, D., Rojo-Pérez, F., Rodríguez-Rodríguez, V., & Fernández-Mayoralas, G. (2020). Environmental and psychosocial interventions in age-friendly communities and active ageing: A systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(22), 8305.
Scrivens, N. (2024). Synchronicity-Exploring the Impact of Socio-Technical Interventions on Social Isolation [Doctoral dissertation, University of Kent]. Ken Academic Repository.
Seemann, A. (2022). The psychological structure of loneliness. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(3), 1061.
Siti Zuhaida, H., Azera Hasra, I., & Suraya Hanim, A. B. (2021). Loneliness and health outcomes among Malaysian older adults. Makara Journal of Health Research, 2(3), 87-93.
Smith, M. L., Racoosin, J., Wilkerson, R., Ivey, R. M., Hawkley, L., Holt-Lunstad, J., & Cudjoe, T. K. (2023). Societal-and community-level strategies to improve social connectedness among older adults. Frontiers in Public Health, 11, 1176895.
Sokolova, O., & Sokolova, O. (2024, May 25). menghadapi kesepian dan pengasingan pada orang tua: Kesan terhadap kualiti hidup. DarwynHealth.
Suragarn, U., Hain, D., & Pfaff, G. (2021). Approaches to enhance social connection in older adults: an integrative review of literature. Aging and Health Research, 1(3), 100029.
Tan, C. Y., Ng, J. Y., Lin, M. H., & Yong, M. H. (2023). Effects of perceived social isolation, fear of social isolation, and gratitude during COVID-19 pandemic on anxiety in Malaysia. Journal of Pacific Rim Psychology, 17, 1-9.
Tengku Aizan, A. H., Azzida, D. & Siew, M. C. (2019). The role of social network, social support, religiosity and depression among elderly Malaysians who had experienced major life event. The Medical Journal of Malaysia, 74(3), 198-204.
Tragantzopoulou, P., & Giannouli, V. (2021). Social isolation and loneliness in old age: Exploring their role in mental and physical health. Psychiatriki, 32(1), 59-66.
Tun, S. Y. Y., Madanian, S., & Mirza, F. (2021). Internet of things (IoT) applications for elderly care: a reflective review. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research, 33, 855-867.
Vaupel, J. W., Villavicencio, F., & Bergeron-Boucher, M. P. (2021). Demographic perspectives on the rise of longevity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(9), 1-9.
Walsh, K., Scharf, T., Van Regenmortel, S., & Wanka, A. (2021). The intersection of ageing and social exclusion. Social exclusion in later life: Interdisciplinary and policy perspectives, 3-21.
Baqi, N. B. A., Latif, N. A., Saleh, N. H. M., Yunus, N. A. S. M., Nurin Aina Fatin Haziqah Mohd Azlin2, P. K., Rosnon, M. R., Razak, M. A. A., & Ibrahim, R. (2024). Social Isolation among Ageing Population in Malaysia. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 14(10), 1635–1646.
Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s)
Published by Knowledge Words Publications (www.kwpublications.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode
