Mary Elizabeth Hughes

TL;DR: A short loneliness scale developed specifically for use on a telephone survey is described, finding that objective and subjective isolation are related, indicating that the quantitative and qualitative aspects of social relationships are distinct.

TL;DR: It is suggested that loneliness and depressive symptomatology can act in a synergistic effect to diminish well-being in middle-aged and older adults.

TL;DR: Education and income were negatively associated with loneliness and explained racial/ethnic differences in loneliness, and being married largely explained the association between income and loneliness.

TL;DR: It is found that the experience of marital disruption damages health, with the effects still evident years later; among the currently married, those who have ever been divorced show worse health on all dimensions; both the divorced and widowed who do not remarry show worseHealth at mid-life: chronic conditions, mobility limitations, self-rated health, and depressive symptoms.

TL;DR: The findings suggest that the health disadvantages found previously among grandparent caregivers arise from grandparents' prior characteristics, not as a consequence of providing care, and health declines appear to be the exception rather than the rule.