Approved Research

Association of Loneliness and Social Isolation with Postoperative Outcomes

Lay summary

Over 40% of older adults regularly experience loneliness. Prior research has shown that loneliness and social isolation is associated with a greater risk of medical conditions such as cardiovascular disease, dementia and premature death. Furthermore, low functional mobility and depression is associated with increased postoperative mortality. However, whether loneliness impacts postoperative outcomes is uncertain. It is known that patients undergoing nonelective surgery are particularly at risk of loneliness. Therefore, identifying the effect of loneliness and social isolation in surgical patients is important to optimize perioperative support.

This research project will study whether loneliness and social isolation impact surgical outcomes, particularly 90-day mortality and 30-day postoperative complications. The expected project duration is one year.

The proposed research project will provide valuable information to the public. Specifically, it will help determine if loneliness and social isolation adversely impact postoperative outcomes, which represents an important gap in the literature. Given the high prevalence of loneliness, it is crucial that the consequences are understood and quantified. Depending on the results, the findings may also provide evidence for enhanced perioperative interventions among these patients, such as closer postoperative follow-up and peer support models.