Retirement from work, bereavement and decreasing mobility can make it hard for older adults to maintain contact with other people. Social isolation and loneliness has long been linked to a range of unusual experiences, including hearing voices.

Some researchers think that without having others around them, older adults may rely on themselves for conversation. It has been suggested that this can lead to some forms of voice-hearing. In this way, voices may function as a useful coping strategy for older adults, helping them to escape feelings of boredom, emptiness and distress caused by social isolation and lack of stimulation.