Grant: Catalyst Grant: Analysis of CLSA Data

Loneliness has become increasingly common, especially among older adults. Studies have found that loneliness is associated with poor physical and mental health. This can lead to an increase in the use of health care and affect whether people are able to work, and result in high costs to the economy. Currently, there is no information on the costs of loneliness among Canadians. Using survey data, health records from Ontario and appropriate statistical techniques, this work will estimate the costs of loneliness among older adults in Canada as well as understand whether there are ways to avoid some of these costs. The results of this work will help governments design interventions that help tackle loneliness among older adults.