Nancy Newall is an Associate Professor in Psychology at Brandon University and a Research Affiliate with the Centre on Aging at the University of Manitoba. Her work has examined some of the causes of loneliness as well as the consequences of loneliness for older Manitobans in terms of health and longevity. She has also been involved in projects relating to the Age-Friendly Manitoba initiative.

Together with Dr. Verena Menec (Community Health Science, University of Manitoba), Nancy Newall leads Targeting Isolation, an initiative designed to provide research-based information and resources to help address and prevent social isolation and chronic loneliness among  older adults. For more information visit: www.targetingisolation.com.        

Research Connection article (Aug 2021): How socially isolated were Canadians before COVID-19?

Academic Qualifications

PhD – Developmental Psychology – University of Manitoba
MA – Developmental Psychology – University of Manitoba
BSc (with distinction) – Psychology and Biology Double Major – University of Victoria

BU Courses

82.160    Introduction to Psychology
82.275    Adolescent Psychology
82.356    Psychology of Aging
82.457    Aging and Mental Health

Select Publications on Loneliness and Isolation (most to least recent)

Herron, R., Newall, N. E. G., Lawrence, B. C., Ramsey, D., Waddell, C. M., & Dauphinais, J. (2021). Conversations in times of isolation: Exploring rural-dwelling older adults’ experiences of isolation and loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic in Manitoba, Canada. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18, 3028. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18063028

Menec, V., Newall, N., MacKenzie, C., Shooshtari, S., & Nowicki, S. (2020). Examining social isolation and loneliness in combination in relation to social support and psychological distress using Canadian Longitudinal Study of Aging (CLSA) data. PLOS ONE, 15(3), e0230673. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0230673

Newall, N. E. G., & Menec, V. H. (2020). A comparison of different definitions of social isolation using Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) data. Ageing and Society, 40, 2671-2694. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X19000801

Harasemiw, O., Newall, N., Shooshtari, S., Mackenzie, C., & Menec, V. (2019). Is the association between social network types and mental health and well-being mediated by the perceived availability of social support? Aging and Mental Health, 23, 1413-1422. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2018.1495176

Menec, V., Newall, N., Mackenzie, C. S., Shooshtari, S., & Nowicki, S. (2019). Examining individual and geographic factors associated with social isolation and loneliness using Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) Data. PLOS ONE, 14(2): e0211143. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0211143

Newall, N. E. G., & Menec, V. H. (2019). Loneliness and Social Isolation: Why it is important to examine these social aspects together. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 36, 925-939. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407517749045

Harasemiw, O., Newall, N., Shooshtari, S., Mackenzie, C., & Menec, V. (2018). From social integration to social isolation: The relationship between social network types and social support in a national sample of older Canadians. Research on Aging, 40, 715-739. https://doi.org/10.1177/0164027517734587

Newall, N. E. G., McArthur, J., & Menec, V. H. (2015). A longitudinal examination of social participation, loneliness, and use of physician and hospital services. Journal of Aging and Health, 27(3), 500-518. https://doi.org/10.1177/0898264314552420

Newall, N. E. G., & Menec, V. H. (2015). Targeting socially isolated older adults: A process evaluation of the Senior Centre Without Walls social and educational program. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 34, 958-976. https://doi.org/10.1177/0733464813510063

Newall, N. E. G., Chipperfield, J. G., & Bailis, D. S. (2014). Predicting stability and change in loneliness in later life. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 31(3), 335-351. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407513494951

Newall, N. E. G., Chipperfield, J. G., Bailis, D. S., & Stewart, T. L. (2013). Consequences of loneliness on physical activity and mortality in older adults and the power of positive emotions. Health Psychology, 32(8), 921-924. https://doi.apa.org/doi/10.1037/a0029413

Newall, N. E., Chipperfield, J. G., Clifton, R. A., Perry, R. P., Swift, A., & Ruthig, J. C. (2009). Causal beliefs, social participation, and loneliness among older adults: A longitudinal study. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 26, 273-290. https://DOI:10.1177/0265407509106718

Select Publications on Age-Friendly Communities

Menec, V. H., Newall, N. E. G., Nowicki, S. (2016). Assessing communities’ age-friendliness: How congruent are subjective versus objective assessments? Journal of Applied Gerontology, 35(5), 549-565. https://doi.org/10.1177/0733464814542612

Menec, V., Hutton, L., Newall, N., Nowicki, S., Spina, J.,  & Veselyuk, D. (2015). How “age-friendly” are rural communities and what community characteristics are related to age-friendliness? The case of rural Manitoba, Canada. Ageing and Society, 35(1), 203-223. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X13000627

Select Publications Comparing Rural/Urban-living Canadians’ Health and Well-Being

St John, P., Menec, V., Tate, R., Newall, N., O'Connell, M., & Cloutier, D. (in press). Healthcare utilization among Canadian adults in rural and urban areas - the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. Canadian Journal of Rural Medicine.

St John, P., Menec, V., Tate, R., Newall, N., O'Connell, M., & Cloutier, D. (2021). Functional status in rural and urban adults – the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. Journal of Rural Health. Advance on-line. https://doi.org/10.1111/jrh.12578