"Scanning recent police reports from
the Massachusetts communities under her jurisdiction, Middlesex District
Attorney Marian Ryan was alarmed to spot what she called a 'tragic
spike' in suicides.
"Fifty-two county residents had taken their lives in the first half of this year, a toll up almost two-thirds from last year. She knew that plenty of young people battle anxiety but was surprised to learn the residents' average age was 46. A quarter were over 60.
"'The numbers are dramatically higher than we've seen in the past,' Ryan said. Although it's impossible to pinpoint one cause, 'loneliness is definitely a factor,' she said.'“Many older people are feeling disconnected from other folks in their communities.'
"Ryan was zeroing in on a worsening crisis felt worldwide. In an increasingly digital and mobile era, fewer people know their neighbors, generations are divided by lifestyles and activities, and more seniors live alone than ever. It's a recipe for the social isolation described in a study by health insurer Cigna last year that found 'loneliness at epidemic levels in America.'"
A recent Boston Globe article reported on this issue and some of the efforts being made to address it.
To access the complete Boston Globe report, please visit:
The Boston Globe: 'Disconnected from other folks,' seniors grapple with a loneliness epidemic(3 AUG 19)
"Fifty-two county residents had taken their lives in the first half of this year, a toll up almost two-thirds from last year. She knew that plenty of young people battle anxiety but was surprised to learn the residents' average age was 46. A quarter were over 60.
"'The numbers are dramatically higher than we've seen in the past,' Ryan said. Although it's impossible to pinpoint one cause, 'loneliness is definitely a factor,' she said.'“Many older people are feeling disconnected from other folks in their communities.'
"Ryan was zeroing in on a worsening crisis felt worldwide. In an increasingly digital and mobile era, fewer people know their neighbors, generations are divided by lifestyles and activities, and more seniors live alone than ever. It's a recipe for the social isolation described in a study by health insurer Cigna last year that found 'loneliness at epidemic levels in America.'"
A recent Boston Globe article reported on this issue and some of the efforts being made to address it.
To access the complete Boston Globe report, please visit:
The Boston Globe: 'Disconnected from other folks,' seniors grapple with a loneliness epidemic(3 AUG 19)
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