Being active socially can also safeguard against these negative feelings and thoughts. The findings are from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (Tilda), at Trinity College Dublin, based on responses from 8,000 adults.
It highlights the growing problem of death ideation and the increasing rates of both loneliness and suicidal thoughts among older individuals.
The study is published in peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Public Health and explores the critical issue of social disconnection and its link to a “wish to die” among older adults.
Dr Mark Ward, senior research fellow at Tilda and lead author of the paper, said: “Both loneliness and suicide among older adults have been increasing and are now viewed as critical public health concerns. This wish for death is often a precursor to suicidal thoughts and behaviours.
“On the other hand, pro-social behaviours, including attending religious services and other communal activities, protect against these negative thoughts about one’s own life.
“Uniquely, we also show attending religious services regularly can protect against death ideation among older adults in Ireland. Our findings again highlight the importance of promoting social activities and networks to safeguard against loneliness and related psychological distress.”
Interventions addressing depression and anxiety, including cognitive behavioural therapy, may also help alleviate loneliness, the study found.