人們往往認(rèn)為老年人很孤獨。由于老伴可能已經(jīng)離世，他們只好獨自生活，年齡大了又意味著他們沒有辦法像過去那樣四處走動。
Research has shown how loneliness is bad for our health. For example, one study looked at how being lonely can increase the levels of stress hormones in our bodies, which have been linked to heart disease, diabetes, and dementia. Another showed how lonely people have a 50% increased risk of early death.
研究已經(jīng)證明孤獨對身體的傷害。例如，一項研究考察了孤獨如何推高人體應(yīng)激激素的水平，而心臟病、糖尿病和癡呆據(jù)認(rèn)為都與應(yīng)激激素存在關(guān)聯(lián)。還有一項研究證明，孤獨可以讓人的壽命縮短概率增加50%。
Older people are already at a higher risk of health issues, so this is bad news if they are more likely to be lonely too.
老年人出現(xiàn)各種健康問題的風(fēng)險原本就高，如果這個群體還更容易孤獨，那上面所說的真是一個壞消息。
But while we think of older people being more solitary, and thus more lonely, this might not actually be true.
不過，要是人們認(rèn)為老年人因為獨居就更加孤獨，那么實際情況恐怕不是這樣的。
According to the work of Julianne Holt-Lunstad, a psychology professor at Brigham Young University in Utah, loneliness is actually at its peak among teenagers and young adults.
據(jù)美國楊伯翰大學(xué)心理學(xué)教授朱莉安娜.霍爾特-倫斯塔德的研究顯示，最孤獨寂寞的其實是少年和青壯年。
Holt-Lunstad and her colleagues analysed 70 studies, and found that there were stronger risks of loneliness-related illness for under- 65s than over-65s.
霍爾特-倫斯塔德與同事分析了70項研究，發(fā)現(xiàn)65歲以下人群患與孤獨有關(guān)疾病的風(fēng)險超過65歲以上群體。
Also, the US National Social Life, Health and Aging Project states that just 30% of older adults feel lonely fairly often.
另外，美國全國社會生活、健康與老齡化計劃部門表示，只有30%的老年人經(jīng)常感到孤獨。
"Older adults should not be the sole focus of the effects of loneliness and social isolation. We need to address this for all ages," Holt-Lunstad told The New York Times, which summed up the health impacts of loneliness in a recent article.
霍爾特-倫斯塔德對《紐約時報》記者說：“我們研究孤獨及社會隔絕的影響不應(yīng)只關(guān)注老年人。我們應(yīng)把這個問題擴(kuò)大到所有年齡段。”《紐約時報》在前不久的一篇文章中總結(jié)了孤獨對健康的影響。
"If we recognize social connections as a fundamental human need, then we can’t discount the risks of being socially isolated even if people don’t feel lonely," she added.
她還說：“如果我們承認(rèn)社會交往是人類的根本需求，那么就不能低估社會隔絕的風(fēng)險，即使人們沒有孤獨感�！�
Being lonely and being alone are two different things. While older people might be alone much of the time, this doesn’t mean they are unhappy about it.
孤獨與獨來獨往是兩回事。雖然老年人在很多時候是獨自一人，但這并不意味著他們因此不開心。
In fact, people can feel lonely when they’re surrounded by others. Many lonely people are also married.
實際上，被別人眾星捧月時反而可能讓人心生孤獨。許多孤獨的人都是已婚人士。
"Being unmarried is a significant risk," Dr. Holt-Lunstad told the New York Times, "but not all marriages are happy ones. We have to consider the quality of relationships, not simply their existence or quantity."
霍爾特-倫斯塔德說：“單身的確有很高的孤獨風(fēng)險，不過并非樁樁婚姻都幸福美滿。我們必須考慮人際關(guān)系的質(zhì)量，而不僅僅是人際關(guān)系是否存在以及數(shù)量多少�！�
It is well known that things like alcohol, diet, smoking, and air pollution can contribute to us living shorter lives.
眾所周知，飲酒、吸煙以及空氣污染等因素都可能導(dǎo)致壽命縮短。
But it’s important not to overlook loneliness as something that can be detrimental to both our psychological and physical well-being too.
但重要的是，不能忽視孤獨這個因素，孤獨不僅損害人們的心理健康，也損害身體健康。
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