{"id":20105,"date":"2025-03-14T18:03:12","date_gmt":"2025-03-14T18:03:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/?p=20105"},"modified":"2025-03-14T18:03:13","modified_gmt":"2025-03-14T18:03:13","slug":"retiring-abroad-increases-risk-of-loneliness-for-older-adults-new-study","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/retiring-abroad-increases-risk-of-loneliness-for-older-adults-new-study\/","title":{"rendered":"Retiring Abroad Increases Risk of Loneliness for Older Adults: New Study"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-blockquote uagb-block-e7eb3fc3 uagb-blockquote__skin-border uagb-blockquote__stack-img-none\"><blockquote class=\"uagb-blockquote\"><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__content\">A recent study highlights the increased risk of loneliness faced by retirees who move abroad. The research emphasizes the importance of social support systems in combating emotional and social loneliness among older adults.<\/div><footer><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__author-wrap uagb-blockquote__author-at-left\"><\/div><\/footer><\/blockquote><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-space-between is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-b0ffac9c wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div style=\"font-size:16px\" class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-post-author\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-author__name\">The University Network<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share uagb-social-share__outer-wrap uagb-social-share__layout-horizontal uagb-block-ee584a31\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-ec619ce7\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"facebook\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M504 256C504 119 393 8 256 8S8 119 8 256c0 123.8 90.69 226.4 209.3 245V327.7h-63V256h63v-54.64c0-62.15 37-96.48 93.67-96.48 27.14 0 55.52 4.84 55.52 4.84v61h-31.28c-30.8 0-40.41 19.12-40.41 38.73V256h68.78l-11 71.69h-57.78V501C413.3 482.4 504 379.8 504 256z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-32d99934\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"twitter\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M389.2 48h70.6L305.6 224.2 487 464H345L233.7 318.6 106.5 464H35.8L200.7 275.5 26.8 48H172.4L272.9 180.9 389.2 48zM364.4 421.8h39.1L151.1 88h-42L364.4 421.8z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-1d136f14\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"linkedin\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M416 32H31.9C14.3 32 0 46.5 0 64.3v383.4C0 465.5 14.3 480 31.9 480H416c17.6 0 32-14.5 32-32.3V64.3c0-17.8-14.4-32.3-32-32.3zM135.4 416H69V202.2h66.5V416zm-33.2-243c-21.3 0-38.5-17.3-38.5-38.5S80.9 96 102.2 96c21.2 0 38.5 17.3 38.5 38.5 0 21.3-17.2 38.5-38.5 38.5zm282.1 243h-66.4V312c0-24.8-.5-56.7-34.5-56.7-34.6 0-39.9 27-39.9 54.9V416h-66.4V202.2h63.7v29.2h.9c8.9-16.8 30.6-34.5 62.9-34.5 67.2 0 79.7 44.3 79.7 101.9V416z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Many people dream of spending their golden years in a sunny, more affordable country. However, new research published by the American Psychological Association indicates that retirees who move abroad may face higher risks of loneliness compared to those who stay in their home country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cInternational retirement migration is increasingly popular in Europe and around the world. On social media, you see all the people in Europe sunbathing in Spain, American retirees are moving to Mexico and Japanese retirees to Malaysia,\u201d lead author Esma Bet\u00fcl Sava\u015f, of the Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographics Institute, said in a news release. \u201cAlthough these retirement migrants generally report being happy, they may still face struggles adapting to a new country.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The study, <a href=\"https:\/\/psycnet.apa.org\/fulltext\/2025-87888-001.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">published<\/a> in the journal Psychology and Aging, involved a survey of 4,995 Dutch retirees living abroad and a comparison group consisting of 1,338 Dutch retirees who chose to remain in the Netherlands. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The participants were asked about their feelings of loneliness and their relationships with family, friends and neighbors both back home and in their new countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The research examined two key aspects of loneliness: emotional loneliness, which stems from the absence of close friends or a partner, and social loneliness, which results from a lack of a broader social network or community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The findings revealed that retirement migrants experienced higher levels of social loneliness compared to their counterparts who stayed in their home country. This was despite the fact that the retirement migrants generally had higher socioeconomic status and better health than the non-migrant retirees \u2014 factors typically associated with lower levels of loneliness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Interestingly, the study found no significant difference in emotional loneliness between the two groups. This outcome may be explained by the fact that many retirees move abroad with a spouse or partner, providing them with close companionship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, those retirees who reported losing contact with close friends and family from their home country experienced higher levels of both social and emotional loneliness. In contrast, participants who maintained frequent contact with their neighbors and felt a strong sense of belonging in their new country were less likely to feel socially lonely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOlder adults may face double jeopardy in retiring to a new country as they are vulnerable to both age-related and migration-related risk factors for loneliness, and loneliness is itself a risk factor for adverse health outcomes,\u201d Sava\u015f added. \u201cIt\u2019s important for people considering retirement migration to think about how they can maintain their social ties in their origin country and make new ones in their destination country.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This research highlights the importance of robust social support systems for retirees contemplating international moves. As the trend of international retirement migration continues to grow, it becomes increasingly vital for prospective migrants to weigh the potential emotional and social challenges alongside the allure of a new locale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:14px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Source:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apa.org\/news\/press\/releases\/2025\/03\/retiring-abroad-loneliness\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">American Psychological Association<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Many people dream of spending their golden years in a sunny, more affordable country. However, new research published by the American Psychological Association indicates that retirees who move abroad may face higher risks of loneliness compared to those who stay in their home country. \u201cInternational retirement migration is increasingly popular in Europe and around the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-no-separators","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[154],"class_list":["post-20105","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-lifestyle","tag-netherlands-interdisciplinary-demographics-institute"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"The University Network","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/author\/funky_junkie\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Many people dream of spending their golden years in a sunny, more affordable country. However, new research published by the American Psychological Association indicates that retirees who move abroad may face higher risks of loneliness compared to those who stay in their home country. \u201cInternational retirement migration is increasingly popular in Europe and around the&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20105","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20105"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20105\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20135,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20105\/revisions\/20135"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20105"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20105"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20105"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}