Impact of Informal Caregiving at Older Ages on Loneliness and Social Networks in Singapore

In ageing societies, older adults may increasingly take on informal caregiving responsibilities for others. Although some previous studies indicate that informal caregiving among adults is associated with an increased risk of loneliness and social isolation, studies have not focused specifically on informal caregivers who are older adults themselves and therefore may be at increased risk of adverse psychosocial outcomes. In this study, we aimed to assess if informal caregiving at older ages adversely impacts loneliness and social networks.

We used data pertaining to 2,577 participants in a nationally representative longitudinal study of community-dwelling older adults in Singapore, a rapidly ageing Asian country. To address selection bias into caregiving, we estimated the relationship between caregiving status with loneliness and social networks using inverse probability-weighted regression adjustment, controlling for multiple demographic and health characteristics.

Informal caregiving among older adults impacted loneliness and was related to a 28.9% higher loneliness score. However, informal caregiving at older ages was not related to either social networks overall or family- and friends-focused social networks.

Older adult informal caregivers are a vulnerable subgroup at a higher risk of loneliness. Although informal caregiving does not impact social networks, older adult informal caregivers experience higher loneliness, i.e., a perceived discrepancy between their actual and desired social relationships compared to non-caregivers. Our study suggests the need for further examination of the underlying mechanisms between informal caregiving at older ages and loneliness, as well as a special focus on older adult caregivers in efforts and interventions to address loneliness at older ages.