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Determinants of Loneliness among Older Adults in Canada
Abstract
RÉSUMÉ
L'objectif de cette étude était de découvrir les déterminants principaux de la solitude des Canadiens âgés. Nous avons tiré sur des hypothèses concernant l'importance de la concordance entre la personne et l'environnement pour tester l'importance relative des caractéristiques personnelles, des conditions de vie privées, du réseau social/engagement social, et de la plausibilité de l'explication de la solitude. Les données comprenaient un échantillon de 3 799 répondants âgés de plus de 65, tirées de l'Enquête sociale générale de Statistique Canada, Cycle 22. Les caractéristiques personnelles, la dimension et la composition des réseaux sociaux, et la satisfaction avec les contacts du réseau, tous sont révélés d'être liés à la solitude, de même que les indicateurs de vivre sous des conditions économiquement et socialement difficiles. Les personnes âgées qui ont connu un recul récente de leurs situations financières, et qui n'avaient pas l'aide nécessaire pour faire face à un défi personnel récente, ont déclaré des niveaux plus élevés de la solitude. Une caractéristique frappante de nos résultats, cependant, c'est les scores relativement faibles sur la solitude des Canadiens âgés par rapport aux personnes âgées dans d'autres pays.
... Traditionally, research has focused on older individuals, considered to be particularly vulnerable to loneliness [8,9]. However, recent studies suggest that nowadays younger individuals report the highest loneliness levels [10], this being particularly true during the Covid-19 pandemic [11,12]. ...
... Most of these studies focused on sociodemographic factors (i.e. gender, partner/marital status, living arrangement [15]), as well as social network and social engagement [8,9]. Yet, the role of socioeconomic factors was largely ignored. ...
... Furthermore, our study focuses on emerging socioeconomic determinants, i.e. socioeconomic factors that were identified as particularly relevant determinants of health in the last decades [15], such as poor or precarious housing conditions and job insecurity. Thus, our study overcomes some of the limitations of traditional SES assessments [8,14,18,20]. This is particularly relevant in the Southern-European context, where a succession of severe economic crises has deeply transformed the traditional correlation between education, occupation, and income [25], and precarious housing and employment conditions have become widespread [27]. ...
Purpose
Recent evidence shows that loneliness is associated with socioeconomic factors. However, studies often focus on traditional socioeconomic indicators (income, occupation, educational level) only, disregarding other important socioeconomic determinants, such as job insecurity, housing conditions or material deprivation. Therefore, we analyse the association of a broad range of socioeconomic indicators with loneliness. Moreover, we investigate potential age and gender differences in this relationship.
Methods
We used cross-sectional data from the Barcelona Health Survey 2021, representative of the population of Barcelona (Spain). Individuals over the age of 14 were selected (n = 3,337). The outcome was a loneliness score based on 4 items of the UCLA scale. Loneliness was regressed on a series of sociodemographic and emerging socioeconomic correlates. Linear regression models were fitted, and potential age and gender moderation effects were tested by means of two-way interactions.
Results
Job insecurity and precarity-related factors, such as having a temporary job or working without a contract, material deprivation and financial difficulties, as well as poor housing conditions and facing housing insecurity were associated with increased loneliness levels. While the association between loneliness and precarity-related factors is stronger among younger individuals, material deprivation is associated with increased loneliness among older workers and women.
Conclusion
Beyond sociodemographic individual characteristics, socioeconomic factors are strongly associated with loneliness levels in the population. Findings support the relevance of broadening the scope of socioeconomic indicators, assessing both material conditions as well as perceived insecurity.
... Age and life-changing events that frequently occur later in life, such as deteriorating health and loss of a spouse/partner and/or friends, can differently account for the onset of emotional and social loneliness (Carstensen, 1992;De Jong Gierveld et al., 2015;Fierloos et al., 2021). Although feelings of loneliness can be experienced despite having frequent contact or even living with other people, living alone is a risk factor for feeling alone (Heinrich and Gullone, 2006). ...
... Due to the mixed findings in the literature regarding the link between loneliness and diurnal cortisol indices, we were unable to definitively determine the direction of these associations. However, considering reported evidence showing stronger associations between feelings of loneliness and adverse mental health outcomes, such as depression, low life satisfaction, and resilience, in older males compared to older females (Holwerda et al., 2012;Zebhauser et al., 2014;De Jong Gierveld et al., 2015), and the indication of altered diurnal cortisol levels in adult and older males experiencing loneliness (Papp et al., 2013;Johar et al., 2020), we anticipated that the relationship between social and emotional loneliness with diurnal cortisol indices would be more pronounced in older males than in females. ...
... Several reasons may be postulated to explain the observed sex-specific differences in these associations, including socio-cultural and biological factors. Thus, several studies have indicated that older males exhibit stronger links between feelings of loneliness and adverse mental health outcomes, including depression, low life satisfaction, and resilience, when compared to older females (Holwerda et al., 2012;Zebhauser et al., 2014;De Jong Gierveld et al., 2015, but see also Richard et al., 2017). More recently, a study reported that loneliness in older adults was only associated with psychological health in males, but not in females (Crespo-Sanmiguel et al., 2022). ...
Introduction
Loneliness is a distressful feeling that can affect mental and physical health, particularly among older adults. Cortisol, the primary hormone of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal axis (HPA-axis), may act as a biological transducer through which loneliness affects health. While most previous studies have evaluated the association between loneliness, as a unidimensional construct, and diurnal cortisol pattern, no research has examined this relationship discriminating between social and emotional loneliness in older adults. As sex differences in the negative mental health outcomes of loneliness have been reported, we also investigated whether diurnal cortisol indices and loneliness associations occur in a sex-specific manner.
Methods
We analyzed the diurnal cortisol- pattern in 142 community-dwelling, non-depressed, Caucasian older adults (55,6% female) aged 60-90. Social and emotional (family and romantic) loneliness scores were assessed using the Spanish version of the Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults (SELSA). Five salivary cortisol samples were used to capture key features of the diurnal cortisol pattern, including: awakening and bedtime cortisol levels, awakening response (CAR), post-awakening cortisol output (post-awakening cortisol [i.e., the area under the curve with reference to the ground: AUCG]), total diurnal cortisol release (AUCG), and diurnal cortisol slope (DCS).
Results
After controlling for sociodemographic variables, the hierarchical linear multiple regression analyses revealed that in male older adults, higher scores on social and family loneliness were associated with elevated awakening cortisol levels, total diurnal cortisol output, and a steeper diurnal cortisol slope (DCS). However, these associations were not observed in female older adults. In addition, feelings of romantic loneliness were positively associated with bedtime cortisol levels and AUCG in older males. Multilevel growth curve modeling showed that experiencing more social and emotional loneliness predicted higher diurnal cortisol output throughout the day in older male adults.
Discussion
The presence of sex differences in the relationship between cortisol indices and loneliness among older adults holds particular significance for diagnostic and screening procedures. Combining loneliness scales as screening tools with diurnal cortisol measures has the potential to be an effective and cost-efficient approach in identifying higher-risk individuals at early stages.
... Des travaux de recherche antérieurs ont permis d'établir des liens entre la solitude et des facteurs de risque modifiables et non modifiables, notamment les caractéristiques démographiques 3,5,13-16 et socioéconomiques 14,[16][17][18] , l'état de santé 14,17,19 et la participation sociale 20 . Un nombre limité d'études a permis de déterminer que, parmi ces facteurs, les immigrants étaient plus susceptibles de connaître la solitude que la population née au Canada 16 , en particulier les adultes âgés 10,21 . ...
... Des travaux de recherche antérieurs ont permis d'établir des liens entre la solitude et des facteurs de risque modifiables et non modifiables, notamment les caractéristiques démographiques 3,5,13-16 et socioéconomiques 14,[16][17][18] , l'état de santé 14,17,19 et la participation sociale 20 . Un nombre limité d'études a permis de déterminer que, parmi ces facteurs, les immigrants étaient plus susceptibles de connaître la solitude que la population née au Canada 16 , en particulier les adultes âgés 10,21 . ...
... La solitude était plus répandue chez les femmes que chez les hommes, ce qui correspond à la plupart des études précédentes [46][47][48] , mais pas toutes 17,[49][50] . Du point de vue du parcours de vie, le risque plus élevé de solitude chez les femmes à la fin de leur vie peut également être attribué à l'effet cumulatif des trajectoires de vie, y compris l'occurrence et le moment des transitions familiales (p. ...
Contexte
La prévalence du sentiment de solitude chez les Canadiens est devenue une préoccupation importante en raison de ses conséquences plus vastes sur lasanté et le bien-être. Toutefois, il existe peu d’études canadiennes sur la solitude qui sont désagrégées selon le genre et selon les divers sous-groupes de Canadiens âgés, en particulier les sous-groupes d’immigrants.
Données et méthodologie
Les données de l’Enquête canadienne sur la santé des aînés de 2019-2020 ont été utilisées pour estimer la prévalence du sentiment de solitude chez les Canadiens âgés au sein d’un échantillon représentatif à l’échelle nationale composé de 38 941 Canadiens de 65 ans ou plus. Le lien entre le statut d’immigrant et la solitude a été évalué au moyen d’une régression logistique multivariée corrigée en fonction des caractéristiques démographiques, socioéconomiques et liées à la santé. Les analyses ont été effectuées pour les hommes et les femmes, ensemble et séparément.
Résultats
En 2019-2020, on estime que 1,1 million de Canadiens âgés (19,2 %) ont connu la solitude et que les femmes étaient beaucoup plus susceptibles de se sentir
seules que les hommes. Chez les hommes, les immigrants européens et non européens étaient plus susceptibles de connaître la solitude que la population
née au Canada. Chez les femmes, la probabilité de connaître la solitude était plus élevée parmi les immigrantes européennes que parmi les personnes nées au Canada. Tant chez les hommes que chez les femmes, les immigrants arrivés à l’âge adulte (de 18 à 44 ans) et les immigrants de longue date (20 ans ou plus au Canada depuis l’immigration) présentaient un risque de solitude plus élevé que la population née au Canada. Les personnes qui présentaient une multimorbidité ou qui faisaient face à des obstacles à la participation sociale étaient plus susceptibles de se sentir seules.
Interprétation
Les résultats soulignent l’importance de tenir compte des sous-groupes d’immigrants et du genre dans l’étude de la solitude chez les Canadiens âgés et lors
de l’élaboration de politiques et de programmes pour lutter contre la solitude.
Mots-clés
adultes âgés, solitude, statut d’immigrant, genre, vieillissement
... Previous research has identified associations between loneliness and both modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors, including demographic, 3,5,[13][14][15][16] socioeconomic, 14,[16][17][18] and health status, 14,17,19 and social participation. 20 Among these factors, a limited number of studies have identified the greater likelihood of loneliness among immigrants compared with the Canadianborn population, 16 specifically among older adults. ...
... Previous research has identified associations between loneliness and both modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors, including demographic, 3,5,[13][14][15][16] socioeconomic, 14,[16][17][18] and health status, 14,17,19 and social participation. 20 Among these factors, a limited number of studies have identified the greater likelihood of loneliness among immigrants compared with the Canadianborn population, 16 specifically among older adults. ...
... Loneliness was more prevalent among women than men, which is consistent with most previous studies, [46][47][48] though not all of them. 17,[49][50] According to the life-course perspective, the higher risk of loneliness among women in later life may also be attributed to the cumulative effect of life trajectories, including occurrence and timing of family transitions (e.g., entering into partnership and parenthood, marital stability) [51][52][53] and early-tomidlife adversities, such as lack of adequate social relations and economic hardship, [54][55] and burden of taking care of a spouse with disability. 56 The association of loneliness with multimorbidity is also well documented in the literature-for both men and women. ...
Background
Prevalence of loneliness among Canadians has become an important concern because of its wider consequences on health and well-being. However, there
are limited Canadian studies about loneliness disaggregated by gender and across various subgroups of older Canadians, particularly immigrant subgroups.
Data and methods
Data from the Canadian Health Survey on Seniors (CHSS) – 2019/2020 were used to estimate the prevalence of loneliness among older Canadians in a nationally representative sample of 38,941 Canadians aged 65 and older. The association between immigrant status and loneliness was assessed using multivariable logistic regression adjusted for demographic, socioeconomic and health characteristics. Analyses were conducted for men and women combined and separately.
Results
In 2019/2020, an estimated 1.1 million older Canadians (19.2%) experienced loneliness, with women having significantly higher likelihood of being lonely than
men. Among men, both European and non-European immigrants were more likely to experience loneliness than the Canadian-born population. Among women,
the likelihood of loneliness was higher among European immigrants than among those born in Canada. For both men and women, immigrants who migrated
as adults (from ages 18 to 44) and long-term immigrants (20 years or more in Canada since immigration) were at higher risk of loneliness than the Canadian born
population. The likelihood of being lonely was higher among people living with multimorbidity or experiencing barriers to social participation.
Interpretation
The findings underscore the importance of considering immigrant subgroups and gender in examining loneliness among older Canadians and when developing
policies and programs to address loneliness.
Keywords
Loneliness, immigrant status, gender, aging, older adults
... Los tres indicadores descritos deben ser considerados y analizados de manera diferenciada, dado que están relacionados pero no son equivalentes. Vivir solo/a es una forma de residencia, que favorece pero no determina ni los contactos sociales ni la satisfacción con los mismos: se puede vivir en solitario y mantener contactos frecuentes y/o de calidad con familiares y amigos (De Jong Gierveld et al., 2015;López y Pujadas, 2018;Victor et al., 2000). Asimismo, una red social escasa no implica necesariamente sentimientos de soledad y una red numerosa no supone la ausencia de dichos sentimientos (Arruebarrena y Sánchez, 2020;Cattan et al., 2005;De Jong Gierveld et al., 2015;Gené-Badia et al., 2016;López y Díaz, 2018;Masi et al., 2011;Ong et al., 2016;Victor et al., 2000). ...
... Vivir solo/a es una forma de residencia, que favorece pero no determina ni los contactos sociales ni la satisfacción con los mismos: se puede vivir en solitario y mantener contactos frecuentes y/o de calidad con familiares y amigos (De Jong Gierveld et al., 2015;López y Pujadas, 2018;Victor et al., 2000). Asimismo, una red social escasa no implica necesariamente sentimientos de soledad y una red numerosa no supone la ausencia de dichos sentimientos (Arruebarrena y Sánchez, 2020;Cattan et al., 2005;De Jong Gierveld et al., 2015;Gené-Badia et al., 2016;López y Díaz, 2018;Masi et al., 2011;Ong et al., 2016;Victor et al., 2000). Estos diferentes indicadores de soledad son como decimos independientes pero están relacionados: en concreto, aunque vivir en solitario no es sinónimo de estar objetivamente aislado y/o sentirse subjetivamente solo/a, ambos indicadores son más frecuentes entre las personas mayores que viven solas (Gené-Badia et al., 2016;López y Díaz, 2018;Ong et al., 2016;Victor et al., 2000;Yanguas, 2019). ...
... -Dentro de la red de apoyo familiar, destaca el papel como factor de protección que juega la pareja: carecer de ella (por viudez, soltería, o separación/divorcio) se relaciona con un mayor riesgo de soledad (Cohen-Mansfield et al., 2016;Dahlberg et al., 2015;De Jong Gierveld et al., 2015;Green et al., 2001;López et al., 2020;Masi et al., 2011). ...
... Lack of a sense of belonging to the destination can result in loneliness and feeling like an outsider (Verkuyten, 2018). A higher sense of belonging to the host country is associated with lower levels of loneliness in migrants (de Jong Gierveld et al., 2015;Klok et al., 2017). Therefore, for retirement migrants, feeling a sense of belonging to the destination country may decrease the risk of social loneliness. ...
... Sense of belonging to the destination was especially important in protecting one from feelings of social loneliness. This is in line with previous research emphasizing the importance of belonging to the destination country for older migrants (de Jong Gierveld et al., 2015), marking it as an important migration-related risk factor of loneliness. High loss of contact with adult children was only associated with higher emotional loneliness and not social loneliness. ...
People who migrate at a later age are vulnerable to loneliness: They are challenged to maintain social ties in the origin country while establishing new ties in the destination. In the present study, we investigate (a) the differences in loneliness levels between retirement migrants and older adults who reside in their country of origin (nonmigrants) and (b) the determinants of emotional and social loneliness among retirement migrants. We employ the survey of Dutch retirement migrants abroad (DRM, 2021: Henkens et al., 2022), including 4,995 Dutch retirement migrants residing in 40 destination countries and 1,338 nonmigrants residing in the Netherlands (aged 66–90). Our results showed that retirement migrants were socially lonelier than nonmigrants; however, they were not emotionally lonelier. Among retirement migrants, those who had lost contact with good friends in the country of origin were both emotionally and socially lonelier. Retirement migrants who had more neighbor contact and a higher sense of belonging to the destination were emotionally and socially less lonely. Furthermore, those who had lost contact with their children and had a higher sense of belonging to the Netherlands were emotionally lonelier. The present study presents new insights into the interplay between aging and migration by using a unique representative survey of individuals who migrated at a later age to a new country and points to the risks of the increasingly popular phenomenon of international retirement migration. Differences in levels and predictors of emotional and social loneliness highlight the importance of studying these dimensions separately.
... Social relations are a core concept in this context [10,11]. Loneliness can be understood as the unpleasant and disturbing experience that occurs when a person's network of social relations is quantitatively or qualitatively deficient in some important way [12], creating a situation in which "the number of existing relationships is smaller than is considered desirable, as well as situations where the intimacy one wishes for has not been realized" [13]. ...
... Specifically, it highlights the way that people interpret the role of those relations in their lives. In this regard, the empirical evidence has shown that the structural features of social networks (network composition and density, frequency of contact) are less significant than the quality and satisfaction offered by social contact and relations [10]. In other words, loneliness does not necessarily coincide with situations involving objective social isolation. ...
Loneliness is an increasingly significant social and public health issue in contemporary societies. The available evidence suggests that social support is one of the key psychosocial processes for the reduction and prevention of loneliness. This study investigated the role played by sources of social support in the experience of social and emotional loneliness, identifying seven sources of support split between family (spouse/partner, children, grandchildren, siblings) and non-family (friends, neighbours). The study population comprised people aged 65 years and over living in Spain, with a partner (without cohabiting children), alone or in a nursing home. A mixed-methods approach was used, combining data from a survey involving 887 participants (quantitative phase) and data from semi-structured interviews with 30 older adults (qualitative phase). The relationship between the various sources and loneliness was analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM) for the survey data and thematic analysis for the qualitative information. The results from both phases of the study suggest different association dynamics between sources of social support and the social and emotional dimensions of loneliness. Lower levels of emotional loneliness were related to support from the following sources: spouse, children, grandchildren, siblings and friends. Lower levels of social loneliness were related to support from the following sources: spouse, grandchildren, siblings and friends. In contrast, greater levels of emotional loneliness were related to support from neighbours and greater levels of social loneliness were related to support from children. The findings of this study contribute to a better understanding of the association between social support and loneliness and suggest that interventions aimed at reducing loneliness could be more effectively targeted by considering the specific effects of support derived from different sources.
... Although loneliness can occur at any age, many indicators suggest that it is especially common in old age, with its prevalence increasing among the oldest members of society (Dahlberg et al., 2015;Domènech-Abella et al., 2017;Dykstra et al., 2005;Heikkinen & Kauppinen, 2011;Nicolaisen & Thorsen, 2017). Explanations for this trend are linked to certain changes typically experienced during this life stage rather than age per se (Chawla et al., 2021;de Jong Gierveld et al., 2015). These include shifts in family and social structures (particularly the death of a partner or friends), functional limitations that hinder autonomy, and a decline in economic resources (Bermeja & Ausín, 2018;Hajek & König, 2020;Sims et al., 2015;Yanguas, 2018). ...
... Concerning sociodemographic variables, the results reveal that age was the only indicator significantly correlated with perceived health and both objective and subjective loneliness. As observed in other studies, older participants in this research reported poorer perceived health, greater feelings of loneliness, and less frequent and lower-quality relationships with their family and non-family networks (de Jong Gierveld et al., 2015;Hajek & König, 2020;Heikkinen & Kauppinen, 2011;Losada et al., 2012). These findings highlight age as a relevant risk factor for experiencing loneliness and poor health status. ...
Objectives: This study investigated the relationships between loneliness, social relations (family and non-family), and perceived health in older adults living alone in Spain. Methods: The sample included 306 Spanish older adults aged 65-95 (M = 78.08, SD = 6.95) who lived alone and were Red Cross users. Bivariate relationships were tested before conducting a Stepwise Multiple Regression Analysis to examine the impact of both objective and subjective components of loneliness on perceived health. Results: Older participants showed worse health status, less frequent and less close relationships with their family and friends, and a higher risk of non-family isolation. Additionally, participants with lower perceived health were found to have both less frequent and closer family and non-family relations, a higher sense of loneliness, and were older. Multivariate analysis revealed that non-family relations, feelings of loneliness, and age significantly predicted 17.9% of the explained variance in perceived health (adjusted R 2 = .18, p < .001). Conclusions: This research highlights the importance of non-family relations in preventing and mitigating feelings of loneliness and improving older adult's health. These findings are particularly important as they inform the development of effective interventions and strategies to manage loneliness, ultimately enhancing the quality of care for older individuals living alone. Such strategies should be designed to increase opportunities to expand the non-family networks. KEY POINTS
... Loneliness is defined as individuals' distress or unpleasant feelings that their needs are not being met through social relationships, and/or a perceived disparity between the expected and existing quantity or quality of social relationships [3,9]. Loneliness is distinguished from social isolation in that the latter is conceptualized with quantified social relationship/interaction, indicated by social participation, network size, and other factors [10]. ...
... Among our participants, significantly higher proportions of older adults who used cannabis in the past 30 days were living in a household with two or fewer persons, and having five or fewer close friends and relatives reflect the reality of smaller network size among regular cannabis users. A significant association between a smaller network size and greater loneliness among older adults is supported in this study and other existing ones [3,4]. In addition to the identified positive association between cannabis use and loneliness, several other findings in this study also highlight the greater incidence of loneliness among certain groups of older Canadians. ...
Background
Cannabis use has been increasing among older adults in Canada, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to examine the association between loneliness and cannabis use among older Canadians during the pandemic.
Methods
Quantitative data analyses were performed based on 2,020 participants aged 55 years and older from the Canadian Perspectives Survey Series 6, 2021: Substance Use and Stigma During the Pandemic.
Results
This study found that participants who used cannabis in the 30 days before the survey reported significantly higher loneliness scores than those who never used cannabis after adjusting social-demographic, social interaction, and pandemic-related factors. Participants who kept using cannabis during the pandemic also reported significantly higher loneliness scores than those who never used cannabis.
Conclusion
The findings about the correlation between cannabis use and greater loneliness contribute to the discourse on potential health and wellbeing harms of cannabis use among older adults.
... Many studies have pointed out that social support is related to loneliness (de Jong Gierveld et al., 2015;Makhtar & Samsudin, 2020;Teh et al., 2014;Zhang & Dong, 2022). Older people expect to receive support from family members when they are sick or experience a disability (Chen et al., 2014). ...
... This includes situations where the number of existing relationships is smaller than what is considered appropriate or acceptable, and the intimacy one desires is not obtained. Therefore, loneliness is a subjective and negative experience that depends on a person's evaluation of the quality and quantity of an existing relationship (de Jong Gierveld et al., 2015). Loneliness is a universal problem at all ages, but it is more common and more serious among older people (Beutel et al., 2017;Hutten et al., 2022;Victor & Yang, 2012). ...
As people grow older, the risk of becoming lonely increases. Loneliness has a negative impact on both mental and physical health in older persons. Although research on loneliness among older persons is expanding, less is known about loneliness in Southeast Asia, particularly Malaysia. Therefore, this study's purpose is to investigate the prevalence of loneliness and its associated factors among older persons in Malaysia using the most recent national survey data from the 2014 Malaysian Population and Family Survey. The sample was extracted to include ever-married Malays, other Bumiputera, and Chinese and Indian groups aged 60 and above who had children. Loneliness was measured using a single self-reported question about whether respondents had ever felt lonely, which was then categorised as a binary variable. A Chi-square test was performed on feelings of loneliness across socio-demographic characteristics, mental health, physical health, family support, and social participation, followed by logistic regression analysis using significant variables as predictors. The prevalence of loneliness among older persons was 35.7%. The logistic regression showed that factors contributing to the likelihood of feeling lonely include being widowed, divorced, or separated, experiencing anxiety, physical limitations, and sharing problems with children. In contrast, residing in urban areas, having higher education levels, having more sources of income, having life satisfaction, perceiving life as meaningful, having fair and good self-rated health, co-residence with adult children, and participation in religious activities were associated with a lower likelihood of experiencing loneliness. Loneliness is a serious issue among older persons in Malaysia. The government, community, and family should immediately address this psychological problem. The study suggests the need for appropriate strategies for the prevention of loneliness should be developed in the near future.
... Employed people tend to report less loneliness (Morrish & Medina-Lara, 2021;. Additionally, home ownership represents the role of assets in mental health; those living in rented houses are at higher risk for loneliness than those who own their homes (de Jong Gierveld et al., 2015;Wee et al., 2019). Montazer (2022) referred to the benefit of homeownership to mental health as a factor that enables a feeling of confidence and constancy in the environment and provides a sense of achieving higher status. ...
... Montazer (2022) referred to the benefit of homeownership to mental health as a factor that enables a feeling of confidence and constancy in the environment and provides a sense of achieving higher status. Finally, health-related measurements were also associated with loneliness (de Jong Gierveld et al., 2015;Wee et al., 2019). ...
Loneliness was predicted for women in three ethnocultural groups in Israel: native Jews, Israeli Arabs, and Former Soviet Union (FSU) immigrants. The study was based on Lund et al.’s (2018) conceptualization of social determinant domains of mental health disorders, as in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Social determinants were demographic, economic, social–cultural, and neighborhood factors. We examined whether ethnocultural disparities in loneliness persist when controlling for social determinants in these four domains or whether ethnic disparities are related to other forms of inequality among the three study groups, as reflected in these four domains. Next, we explored associations between the co-occurrence of key social determinants with loneliness. We used cross-sectional representative data of working-age women from the Israeli Social Survey (N = 5,600). Hierarchical logistic regression analyses indicated a higher risk for loneliness among FSU immigrants and Israeli Arabs than among native Jews. Economic risk factors significantly increased the risk of loneliness. Social and cultural factors decreased the risk of loneliness, while discrimination increased it. Improved neighborhood conditions decreased the risk of loneliness. Ethnocultural disparities in loneliness diminished when economic determinants were controlled. Co-occurrence of risk factors greatly increased the risk for loneliness, demonstrating a stepped relationship. Developing supportive networks for women, mainly from minority groups, to increase trust and fight discrimination against any background is necessary. Moreover, significant efforts must be made to combat poverty and narrow socioeconomic inequalities.
... As previously stated, the aim of this research was to analyse the role that loneliness plays in the relationship between SES and depression. The findings of recent studies suggest that loneliness and SES are inter-related processes, with objective financial measures of financial strain (such as income, financial downturn and income disparities) associated with higher levels of loneliness [34][35][36]. Specifically, subjective measures of financial strain are associated with higher levels of loneliness, and this association could be even more intense than the link with objective measures of economic hardship [37]. There is contradictory empirical evidence in the case of education. ...
... These results coincide with those obtained in previous studies [35,55,56]. In this regard, socioeconomic difficulties can restrict relationships for older adults in terms of their social lives, limiting opportunities to take part in sociocultural activities and curtailing access to community resources that are valuable in combating loneliness [39], such that low SES during the ageing process can result in the truncation of social links [34]. It is even possible that low SES (meaning less education and more economic deprivation) may be related to living in contexts-whether neighbourhoods or nursing homes-offering social, economic, cultural and environmental resources that do not Table 5 Summary of logistic regression analyses to predict depression risk situation (risk, potential case) from SES and risk of loneliness support people's needs for socialisation and intimacy as they age. ...
Background
The association between socioeconomic status and depression is weaker in older adults than in younger populations. Loneliness may play a significant role in this relationship, explaining (at least partially) the attenuation of the social gradient in depression. The current study examined the relationship between socioeconomic status and depression and whether the association was affected by loneliness.
Methods
A cross-sectional design involving dwelling and nursing homes residents was used. A total of 887 Spanish residents aged over 64 years took part in the study. Measures of Depression (GDS-5 Scale), Loneliness (De Jong-Gierveld Loneliness Scale), Socioeconomic Status (Education and Economic Hardship), and sociodemographic parameters were used. The study employed bivariate association tests (chi-square and Pearson’s r) and logistic regression analyses.
Results
The percentage of participants at risk of suffering depression was significantly higher among those who had not completed primary education (45.5%) and significantly lower among those with university qualifications (16.4%) (X² = 40.25;p <.001), and respondents who could not make ends meet in financial terms faced a higher risk of depression (X² = 23.62;p <.001). In terms of the respondents who experienced loneliness, 57.5% were at risk of depression, compared to 19% of those who did not report loneliness (X² = 120.04;p <.001). The logistic regression analyses showed that having university qualifications meant a 47% reduction in the risk of depression. This risk was 86% higher among respondents experiencing financial difficulties. However, when scores for the loneliness measure were incorporated, the coefficients relating to education and economic hardships ceased to be significant or were significantly reduced.
Conclusion
Loneliness can contribute to explaining the role played by socioeconomic inequalities in depression among older adults.
... However, the picture may be more complicated than these statistics suggest, with loneliness more widespread among various subgroups of older adults. For example, having chronic medical conditions, functional disability, and poorer self-rated health is linked to higher loneliness among older adults (de Jong Gierveld et al., 2015;Polenick et al., 2020). ...
... Future research might also investigate G2C's effectiveness for populations more vulnerable to loneliness, such as those experiencing disability, mobility issues, chronic conditions, living in longterm care facilities, or other populations for which there is evidence of a significant deprivation of social connectedness and well-being. Indeed, there is substantial evidence to suggest that loneliness is rife among these populations (de Jong Gierveld et al., 2015;Polenick et al., 2020) and ...
Social connectedness is inextricably linked to an array of health outcomes across the lifespan. Most evidence suggests that older adults have experienced increased loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the current easing of physical distancing restrictions in many countries, older adults are reconnecting later and are more likely to remain at risk of chronic loneliness. Given older adults' susceptibility to loneliness, particularly in the context of transitioning out of COVID-19 restrictions, interventions to address loneliness and social isolation in this population are vital. GROUPS 2 CONNECT (G2C) is a personalised, online activity developed to support people in maintaining their social group connections when in-person interaction is not possible. Advancing previous research, this study provided a more rigorous test of G2C's effectiveness for improving social connectedness and well-being. This study's sample comprised 197 older adults exiting COVID-19 physical distancing restrictions in the United Kingdom. Participants' self-rated thriving, perceived control, self-esteem, group connectedness, and loneliness were assessed immediately prior to and following their engagement in either G2C or a control activity and again one-week post-activity. In addition, the impact of activity goal attainment on these outcomes one-week post-activity was examined. Engaging in G2C did not enhance any outcomes at any time point; however, significant reductions in loneliness were observed for participants in the G2C condition who attained both of their goals compared to those who attained one goal. These findings suggest that more evidence supporting the effectiveness of G2C is required before it can be recommended as an intervention to improve the social connectedness and well-being of older adults.
... In the context of this article, we will define 'social isolation' as an objective state of having little or no contact with one's personal social networks, namely families, friends and communities. 15 'Loneliness' we understand as a distressful subjective experience associated with realizing that one's needs for social affiliation and bonding are not met given the quality or quantity of current relationships. 16 Accordingly, there may be people who have many social contacts but subjectively feel lonely, while there may be people who lack social company and conversely do not feel lonely. ...
... In the context of this article, we define 'social isolation' as an objective state of having little or no contact with one's personal social networks, that is, families, friends and communities 15 and 'social support' as one's social network. 17 We The meta-analysis was unable to detect an overall effect of the interventions on social support [SMD: 0.00; 95% CI: À0.11 to 0.12] (see figure 3). ...
Background:
Loneliness and social isolation have comparable health effects to widely acknowledged and established risk factors. Although old people are particularly affected, the effectiveness of interventions to prevent and/or mitigate social isolation and loneliness in the community-dwelling older adults is unclear. The aim of this review of reviews was to pool the findings of systematic reviews (SRs) addressing the question of effectiveness.
Methods:
Ovid MEDLINE®, Health Evidence, Epistemonikos and Global Health (EBSCO) were searched from January 2017 to November 2021. Two reviewers independently assessed each SR in two consecutive steps based on previously defined eligibility criteria and appraised the methodological quality using a measurement tool to assess SRs 2, AMSTAR 2. One author extracted data from both SRs and eligible studies; another checked this. We conducted meta-analyses to pool the study results. We report the results of the random-effects and common-effect models.
Results:
We identified five SRs containing a total of 30 eligible studies, 16 with a low or moderate risk of bias. Our random-effects meta-analysis indicates an overall SMD effect of 0.63 [95% confidence interval (CI): -0.10 to 1.36] for loneliness and was unable to detect an overall effect of the interventions on social support [SMD: 0.00; 95% CI: -0.11 to 0.12].
Discussion:
The results show interventions can potentially reduce loneliness in the non-institutionalized, community-dwelling and older population living at home. As confidence in the evidence is low, rigorous evaluation is recommended.
Registration:
International Prospective Register of SRs (PROSPERO): Registration number: CRD42021255625.
... Psychosocial measures. At the T1 to T6 visits, the PROMIS Social Isolation 4a [50], Lubben Social Network Scale-6 (LSNS-6) [51], Berkman-Syme Social Network Index (BSNI) [52], and De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale will assess social isolation, social connectedness, and social networking, and loneliness, respectively [53]. ...
Background
Ambient air pollution, detrimental built and social environments, social isolation (SI), low socioeconomic status (SES), and rural (versus urban) residence have been associated with cognitive decline and risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). Research is needed to investigate the influence of ambient air pollution and built and social environments on SI and cognitive decline among rural, disadvantaged, ethnic minority communities. To address this gap, this cohort study will recruit an ethnoracially diverse, rural Florida sample in geographic proximity to seasonal agricultural burning. We will (1) examine contributions of smoke-related fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposures to SI and cognitive function; (2) determine effects of built and social environments on SI and cognitive function; and (3) contextualize SI and cognitive function among residents from different ethnoracial groups during burn and non-burn seasons.
Methods
We will recruit 1,087 community-dwelling, dementia-free, ≥45-year-olds from five communities in Florida’s Lake Okeechobee region. Over 36 months, participants will complete baseline visits to collect demographics, health history, and health measurements (e.g., blood pressure, body mass index) and 6-month follow-ups assessing cognitive function and social isolation at each visit. A subsample of 120 participants representative of each community will wear smartwatches to collect sensor data (e.g., heart rate) and daily routine and predefined activities (e.g., GPS-captured travel, frequent destinations) over two months. Ecological momentary assessments (EMA) (e.g., whether smoke has bothered participant in last 30 minutes) will occur over two months during agricultural burning and non-burning months. PurpleAir monitors (36 total) will be installed in each community to continuously monitor outdoor PM2.5 levels.
Discussion
We expect to identify individual- and community-level factors that increase the risk for SI and cognitive decline in a vulnerable rural population.
... Loneliness among older adults has garnered increased attention as shifting demographic trends and societal dynamics shape experiences of aging on a global scale. While research has been established to assess the relationship between loneliness and the aging process in the United States and various European countries [1][2][3], there is a lack of research that has sought to understand this relationship among older adults in Latin America. ...
Introduction: As trends in life expectancy continue to improve, the burden of loneliness in geriatric populations on a global scale is increasing. With advancing age comes an increase in the number of life events that can perpetuate a state of loneliness such as losing a life partner, dwindling social networks, and deteriorating health conditions. This burden can manifest in a variety of mental and physical consequences. While loneliness has been studied in a few communities around the world, there is a need to study loneliness in the context of Latin American communities in Central America, including Costa Rica. The aim of the present study is to assess the prevalence and associated factors of social and emotional loneliness (SEL) in a sample of elderly patients in the canton of Coto Brus, Costa Rica.
Methods: A cross‑sectional study was conducted that sampled 63 adults aged 65 years or above in the canton of Coto Brus. Investigators conducted face‑to‑face interviews in Spanish with the aid of translators. The primary instruments used for the present study were a content‑validated version of the 11‑item De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale and socio‑demographic questions that included age, sex, address, civil status, and level of education.
Results: A high degree of SEL was found, with 60.3% of participants noting at least a moderate degree of loneliness, with the average score being 3.33 on the 11‑point scale. When SEL was broken up into its respective subscores, the average score for social loneliness (SL) was found to be 0.67 on the 5‑point scale, and the average score for emotional loneliness (EL) was found to be 2.67 on the 6‑point scale. There was also evidence that supports both level of education and marital status serving as protective factors in the development of SEL.
Discussion: These results could indicate a stronger association of loneliness being linked to missing a life partner compared with loneliness being linked to having smaller social networks. Given the associations that were found in this preliminary study, it is pivotal to explore loneliness in this community with a larger sample size—potentially through the integration of the country’s Equipos Básicos de Atención Integral de Salud (EBAIS) healthcare system. It is also crucial to expand the study to explore any associations between loneliness and comorbid mental and physical health conditions.
... Of note, the CARED tool was developed for health and social service professionals to quickly determine if a person is socially isolated/lonely and should be referred to services. BOX 2. Risk factors and groups associated with social isolation and loneliness a Advanced age Being female Race/Ethnicity/Indigenous/Culture Living alone Widowhood Low income, poverty or education Lack of affordable housing and shelter, poor neighborhood conditions; loss of community, urban, and home care options Episodic or lifelong physical health issues, including Alzheimer's disease or other dementias, frailty including loss of mobility, sensory loss (hearing and vision), multimorbidity Episodic or lifelong mental health issues including depression, pandemic or other forms of anxiety, psychosis Poor health behaviours, including smoking, heavy drinking, sedentary lifestyle, obesity/poor nutrition Small or shrinking social network Challenges relating to technology use 2SLGBTQIA+ older adults Caregivers (especially spouses and non-kin) with a heavy intensity a de Jong Gierveld et al., (43) Kadowski & Wister, (6) Kirkland et al. (44) ...
Background
Preventing and addressing social isolation and loneliness among older adults is important because of the known associations with negative health outcomes. The Canadian Coalition for Seniors’ Mental Health (CCSMH) took on the task of creating clinical guidelines.
Method
A multidisciplinary working group was established. The process was guided by an initial rapid scoping review of the literature focused on older adults. An adapted GRADE approach was utilized.
Results
CCSMH has produced first-ever clinical guidelines on social isolation and loneliness in older adults. Prevention, including recognition of risk factors and educational approaches focused on clinicians and students, is recommended. Targeted screening with validated tools is recommended. A comprehensive assessment is optimal to treat any underlying conditions and to identify contributing factors that may be responsive to psychosocial interventions. An individualized approach to interventions with shared decision-making is recommended. A variety of possible interventions include social prescribing, social activity, physical activity, psychological therapies, animal-assisted therapies and ownership, leisure skill development and activities, and the use of technology.
Conclusion
The problem of social isolation and loneliness is a “geriatric” giant that needs to be recognized and addressed. Because of its complexity, it will require the collective attention of many individuals and organizations working together at multiple levels of society, to raise awareness and find solutions. We recommend that health-care and social service providers use these guidelines as a comprehensive tool to identify, assess, and implement strategies to reduce the negative impact of social isolation and loneliness.
... Healthcare providers should have knowledge of the risk factors associated with social isolation and loneliness in older adults, and these should be a core part of the educational curriculum. These risk factors include, but are not limited to: advanced age [24,25], female sex [26,27], identifying as 2SLGBTQIA+ (2S: Two-Spirit; L: Lesbian; G: Gay; B: Bisexual; T: Transgender; Q: Queer; I: Intersex; A: Asexual, and + [inclusive of people who identify as part of sexual and gender diverse communities]) [24,25,28], identifying as an ethnic minority [29], living alone, episodic mental or physical health issues [26], and being a caregiver/care partner [30]. Further, as healthcare and social service providers are an important point of contact for older adults, they should leverage their role and knowledge to educate patients and the public about social isolation and loneliness. ...
Social isolation and loneliness are major public health concerns and are associated with morbidity and mortality. As this is an increasing issue in older adults, guidance for healthcare providers is a priority. The Canadian Coalition for Senior’s Mental Health (CCSMH) has developed the first Canadian social isolation and loneliness guidelines to help providers recognize, assess, and manage social isolation and loneliness among older adults. We review and summarize these guidelines to support healthcare and social service providers to apply best practices and evidence-based care for older adults experiencing social isolation and loneliness.
... Social isolation refers to the lack of social contacts; however, the quality of those contacts is also recognised as a factor in subjective feelings of social isolation [17]. Determinants of social isolation and loneliness include individual social and financial challenges and personal characteristics, as well as the size and composition of networks, which can fluctuate over time [18]. Social isolation and loneliness are linked to poorer physical health as well as mental well-being, with loneliness and/or social isolation having an impact on health as well as existing health conditions being exacerbated by social isolation and/or loneliness [19,20]. ...
Introduction
The aim of the study was to explore social isolation and loneliness in those who frequently contacted the ambulance service, what factors contributed to this and how unmet needs could be addressed.
Methods
Semi‐structured interviews with staff from the ambulance service and service users who were identified as frequently contacting the ambulance service. Service users also completed the UCLA loneliness scale and personal community maps. Data were analysed thematically before triangulation with the UCLA loneliness scale and personal community maps.
Results
The final analysis was drawn from 15 staff and seven service user participants. The relationship between social isolation and loneliness and contacting the ambulance service was a contributing, but not the driving, factor in contacting the ambulance service. For service users, we identified three key themes: (1) impact on activities of daily living and loneliness and/or isolation as a result of a health condition; (2) accessing appropriate health and social care services to meet needs; (3) the link between social isolation and/or loneliness and contact with the ambulance service. The analysis of staff data also highlighted three key themes: (1) social isolation and/or loneliness in their role; (2) access to other appropriate health and social care services; (3) the impact of austerity and Covid‐19 on social isolation and/or loneliness.
Conclusions
Our research emphasises the complex nature of social isolation and loneliness, including the cyclic nature of poor health and social isolation and loneliness, and how this contributes to contact with the ambulance service.
Patient or Public Contribution
The advisory group for the study was supported by a public and patient representative who contributed to the design of the study documentation, data analysis and authorship.
... Healthcare providers should have knowledge of the risk factors associated with social isolation and loneliness in older adults, and these should be a core part of the educational curriculum. These risk factors include, but are not limited to: advanced age [14,15], female sex [16,17], identifying as 2SLGBTQIA+ [14,15], identifying as an ethnic minority [18], living alone, episodic mental or physical health issues [16], and being a caregiver/care partner [19]. ...
Social isolation and loneliness are major public health concerns and are associated with morbidity and mortality. As this is an increasing issue in older adults, guidance for healthcare providers is a priority. The Canadian Coalition for Senior’s Mental Health (CCSMH) has de-veloped the first Canadian social isolation and loneliness guidelines to help providers recog-nize, assess, and manage social isolation and loneliness among older adults. We review and summarize these guidelines to support healthcare to apply best practices and evidence based care for older adults experiencing social isolation and loneliness.
... 6 Most common definition of loneliness is an internal, unpleasant subjective experience that begins when an individual's social network undergoes a qualitative or quantitative decline and the emotional support received from others decreases. [7][8][9] Both social and emotional dimensions of loneliness have adverse consequences for the elderly. Emotional loneliness is associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality and social loneliness associated with depression and aimlessness which lower quality of life in older adults. ...
Introduction: Elderly people usually feel lonely that can have adverse health effects. The purpose of current paper is to determine the loneliness score in the elderly population of the Ardakan Cohort and the factors affecting it. Methods: This is a cross sectional study using data from the Ardakan Cohort Study on Ageing (ACSA). Loneliness was measured using a 6-item De Jong Gierveld short scales. The 11-item Duke Social Support Index (DSSI) was used to measures social support of aging. living arrangement, demographic factors and self-rated health was also collected using a checklist. Linear regression was used to examine the relationship between loneliness and predictor factors. The data was analyzed with Stata software version 17 and a p-value of 0.05 was considered as a significant level. Results: Among the 5,188 participants, 48.13% were male and most of the participants were over 60 years old. Total score of loneliness was 3.27±1.45(95% CI: 3.24 to 3.31). Among covariates, age (p value=0.000), sex (p value=0.000), marital status (p value=0.046), education (p value=0.001) and economic status (p value=0.001) have significant association with loneliness score. People with good self-rated health had a lower loneliness score (p value<0.001). The score of social support has an inverse association with the score of loneliness (p value<0.001). Adults who lived with others had a higher loneliness score (p value<0.001). Conclusion: According to the results, elderly people who have more social support and have better self-rated health feel less lonely.
... Similar studies have reported that married older adults living with their spouse tend to have higher social support scores and experience lower levels of loneliness compared to single individuals. [11][12][13] In this study, the main predictors concerning the physiological mode sub-dimension were determined to be the presence of chronic disease, using walking aids, pain, and fear of falling. The study results showed that individuals with chronic diseases have a lower level of adaptation to ageing. ...
Objectives:
To determine the predictors associated with the difficulty of adaptation to ageing of hospitalized older adults.
Methods:
This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in a university hospital between October 2019 and March 2020. The sample consisted of 247 older adults. Research data were collected using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), the Falls Efficacy Scale (FES) International, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and Assessment Scale of Adaptation Difficulty for the Elderly (ASADE).
Results:
The average age of the patients was 73.90 ± 7.38 years, 22.3% of the patients had a fall history in the last year, and 74.5% had a high fear of falling. The mean FES score of the older adult patients was 35.60 ± 11.09, and the mean VAS score was 1.40 ± 1.36. The mean scores for anxiety was 9.30 ± 2.32 and depression was 10.08 ± 1.96. The mean ASADE total score was 16.56 ± 10.7, role and the self-actualization mode score was 9.05 ± 4.66, interdependence mode score was 2.02 ± 1.02, physiological mode score was 3.00 ± 2.03 and self-concept score was 2.47 ± 2.07.
Conclusion:
The findings revealed that using walking aids, being single, pain, fear of falling, and anxiety affect adaptation difficulties to aging. Anxiety was found to have an effect on all sub-dimensions of adaptation difficulty to aging. There is a need for further studies to determine the correlation between anxiety and the adaptation difficulties experienced by older adults.
... The elderly may experience more emotional difficulties than any other age group because of their age. The factors, including losses [1] , feelings of loneliness (2) , feelings of sadness and depilation due to the inattention of children and others (3) , feelings of guilt and self-blame, despair, anxiety, and feelings of futility (4) are the most serious feelings that threaten the elderly. Therefore, the elderly may experience most of the different dimensions of existential anxiety (5)(6)(7) . ...
Objective: The elderly is now struggling with various existential dimensions because they went through difficult life experiences. Due to the absence of any special tool to evaluate the dimensions of existential anxiety in the elderly, this study is aimed to develop a tool to study the dimensions of existential anxiety in the elderly and analyze its factors.Method: This research is a descriptive study, and its statistical population consists of the elderly (men and women) who are 60 years old and above and living in Tehran. In this study, 350 elderly people (male and female) were selected from this population using the multi-stage cluster sampling method. The research tools included the Existence Anxiety Scale, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, Psychological Flexibility Questionnaire, and Anxiety about Aging scale. The methods of exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis, criterion validity, and convergent validity and divergent validity were used to evaluate the validity of the scale. And its reliability was assessed by two methods of internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha) and stability of results (retest) with an interval of two weeks.Results: The exploratory factor analysis with the principal component analysis method and Varimax rotation has led to the extraction of 4 factors. The indicators of confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the existence of the four factors. It has indicated the acceptable correlations between the scale of Anxiety about Aging and its components with other valid parallel tools of criterion validity, convergent validity, and divergent validity of the scale. The reliability coefficients were obtained by the Cronbach’s alpha method and the retest reliability gained at a satisfactory level. Conclusion: The Anxiety about Aging scale is a valid and reliable self-assessment tool to evaluate the level of existential anxiety and its dimensions in the elderly, and it can be used for future activities and researches.
... Participants made the distinction between loneliness and solitude, seeing the latter as positive. Loneliness, the dissatisfaction with the quantity and quality of social contact (de Jong Gierveld et al., 2015), is multidimensional, as Luisa describes, "I felt more alone … much more, because, at that time, my daughter lived with me and then in 2021 she met someone and fell in love and went to live with her … in Lisbon … I was hit with empty nest syndrome. I became … in terms of depression, I was always very susceptible to it. ...
... 2017), a subjective feeling of having insufficient social connection (de Jong Gierveld & Keating, 2015). Although many program developers and researchers alike agree that friendly visiting programs hold great potential to improve the lives of socially isolated older people, few research studies have been able to determine why and how these types of programs may be so successful (Andrews, Gavin, Begley, & Brodie, 2003). ...
Many social interventions have been developed with the hopes of reducing and preventing social isolation among older people (e.g., recreation, arts-based programs and social prescription). Friendly visiting programs, also known as befriending schemes, have been a mainstay in this area for decades and are largely thought to be effective at reconnecting older people (≥ 60 years of age) experiencing isolation. Research and evaluations have yet to determine, however, how and why these programs may be most successful, and under what conditions. This article presents the findings of a realist synthesis aimed at identifying the critical mechanisms and contextual factors that lead to successful outcomes in friendly visiting programs. Seven studies are synthesized to inform a friendly visiting program theory accounting for key mechanisms (e.g., provision of informal support) and underlying contexts (e.g., training of volunteers) that can be used to inform future programs. Recommendations for future research are also presented.
... There is a high prevalence of social isolation both among older adults and middle-aged individuals. Factors like marital status, 33 mobility issues due to health, and logistic factors[34][35][36] can be attributed to the same. Socio-demographic factors, like demographic transition in later phases of life that curbs community participation, can also be attributed as one of the causes of the increased experience of social isolation in the ageing population. ...
Introduction:
Recent studies highlight the negative impact of social isolation and involvement in leisure activities on enhanced well-being of individuals. However, there is dearth of evidence on relationship between social isolation and leisure activities on cognitive abilities and depression of older adults in the Indian context. The paper reports the impact of social isolation and leisure activities on cognitive functioning and depression of older adults.
Methods:
Data were collected from the Longitudinal Ageing Study of India (LASI), and 63,806 participants aged 45 years or above were considered for the study with adherence to the exclusion criteria. Multivariate analysis was carried out to analyse the group-based differences.
Results:
Social isolation (F = 102.09, p < 0.01; η2 = 0.09) and leisure (F = 224.54, p < 0.01; η2 = 0.07) had a statistically significant impact on the cognition and depressive symptoms of participants. Socially isolated older adults with little involvement in leisure activities had the worst cognitive functioning (M = 32.76, SD = 4.41), whereas middle-aged adults who were actively involved in leisure activities and experienced the least social isolation exhibited the best cognitive functioning (M = 32.76, SD = 4.41). However, leisure and age as independent factors did not have a significant impact on depression.
Conclusion:
Socially isolated participants, irrespective of age, and involvement in leisure activities exhibit poor cognitive functioning and are more likely to suffer from depression as compared to their counterparts. The findings of the study can be used to design intervention strategies aimed at reducing social isolation by incorporating leisure activities to ensure the optimal functioning of middle-aged and older adults.
... Analyses were adjusted for (a) socio-demographic factors, (b) living conditions, (c) health status, and (d) health behaviours. Covariates were selected based on their association with loneliness as reported in the literature [15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][41][42][43]. These diverse risk factors were conceptualized using Socioecological (SE) theory, which posits that individual, social system, and environmental factors are interrelated and interdependent components of health [44,45]. ...
Background
Older adults have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and related preventative measures undertaken during the pandemic. Given clear evidence of the relationship between loneliness and health outcomes, it is imperative to better understand if, and how, loneliness has changed for older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic, and whom it has impacted most.
Method
We used “pre-pandemic” data collected between 2015–2018 ( n = 44,817) and “during pandemic” data collected between Sept 29-Dec 29, 2020 ( n = 24,114) from community-living older adults participating in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. Loneliness was measured using the 3-item UCLA Loneliness Scale. Weighted generalized estimating equations estimated the prevalence of loneliness pre-pandemic and during the pandemic. Lagged logistic regression models examined individual-level factors associated with loneliness during the pandemic.
Results
We found the adjusted prevalence of loneliness increased to 50.5% (95% CI: 48.0%-53.1%) during the pandemic compared to 30.75% (95% CI: 28.72%-32.85%) pre-pandemic. Loneliness increased more for women (22.3% vs. 17.0%), those in urban areas (20.8% vs. 14.6%), and less for those 75 years and older (16.1% vs. 19.8% or more in all other age groups). Loneliness during the pandemic was strongly associated with pre-pandemic loneliness (aOR 4.87; 95% CI 4.49–5.28) and individual level sociodemographic factors [age < 55 vs. 75 + (aOR 1.41; CI 1.23–1.63), women (aOR 1.34; CI 1.25–1.43), and no post-secondary education vs. post-secondary education (aOR 0.73; CI 0.61–0.86)], living conditions [living alone (aOR 1.39; CI 1.27–1.52) and urban living (aOR 1.18; CI 1.07–1.30)], health status [depression (aOR 2.08; CI 1.88–2.30) and having two, or ≥ three chronic conditions (aOR 1.16; CI 1.03–1.31 and aOR 1.34; CI 1.20–1.50)], health behaviours [regular drinker vs. non-drinker (aOR 1.15; CI 1.04–1.28)], and pandemic-related factors [essential worker (aOR 0.77; CI 0.69–0.87), and spending less time alone than usual on weekdays (aOR 1.32; CI 1.19–1.46) and weekends (aOR 1.27; CI 1.14–1.41) compared to spending the same amount of time alone].
Conclusions
As has been noted for various other outcomes, the pandemic did not impact all subgroups of the population in the same way with respect to loneliness. Our results suggest that public health measures aimed at reducing loneliness during a pandemic should incorporate multifactor interventions fostering positive health behaviours and consider targeting those at high risk for loneliness.
... Georgescu, 2010). The spatial and territorial appropriation of the new residential universe, which is identifiable by the use frequency of the possessive pronouns and affiliation verbs, is achieved in several ways; some are the adaptive expressions of taking possession and emotionally invest in the room and in the places in the home, while others prove the inability part with the old house (De Jong, Keating, & Fast, 2015). ...
and Holt Romania Foundation REVISTA DE CERCETARE SI INTERVENTIE SOCIALA is indexed by ISI Thomson Reuters-Social Sciences Citation Index (Sociology and Social Work Domains) Working together www.rcis.ro expert projects publishing
A retrospective study was made on 195 institutionalized elderly people and was
carried out between 2002-2006 in three social care centers from Galati county: “Sf.
Spiridon” retirement home (A), “Stefan cel Mare” social care center (B) and Medicalsocial center (C). The aim of this study is to find out the real social life conditions of institutionalized elderly, the shortcomings and positive aspects of their existence, in order to design future measures to improve quality of elderly life in all aspects. Actual quality of life was assessed by, taking into account physical and psychosocial environment, quality of elderly social care, satisfaction degree of assisted persons in relation to living conditions and existing relationships, their health state, as well as to identify the causes that led institutionalization of such persons As working tools were used: individual questionnaire, training manual, sampling lists, summary tables. The study undertaken in Romania confirmed that elderly coming from “Sf. Spiridon “retirement home have the highest average age (up to 75 years old). Loneliness was the main reason which caused elderly admission for institutionalization in three nursing homes (49.6% among the elderly
in the Sf. Spiridon retirement home (A), 43.2% for those from “Stefan cel Mare” social care center (B) and 38.1% of the elderly from Medical-social center (C). Other important reasons were represented by lack of housing and insufficient storage house space. The highest elderly percentage who came into social care centers A, B, C on their self will is 85.3%, 64.9% and 45.2%, respectively.
Keywords: elderly, social care, individual questionnaire, institutions, mutual
assistance.
... Age is not the only cause. Data from the Statistics Canada's General Social Survey demonstrates age is not significantly associated with loneliness when personal and social engagement characteristics are accounted for de Jong Gierveld et al. (2015). ...
Older adults are at a higher risk of loneliness, compared to other demographics. The use of Internet Communication and Technologies (ICTs) among older adults is steadily increasing and given ICTs provide a means of enhancing social connectedness suggests they may have positive effects on reducing loneliness. Therefore, the aim of this scoping review was to examine the research that explores how ICTs may be implicated in mitigating loneliness and increasing social connectedness among older adults. After the examination of 54 articles, we identified three major themes within the literature: (1) ICTs were associated with a reduction in loneliness and increase in wellbeing. (2) ICTs promoted social connectedness by facilitating conversations. (3) Factors such as training, self-efficacy, self-esteem, autonomy, and the design/features, or affordances, of ICTs contribute toward the associations between ICT use and wellbeing. The heterogeneity of methodologies, statistical reporting, the small sample sizes of interventional and observational studies, and the diversity of the experimental contexts underline the challenges of quantitative research in this field and highlights the necessity of tailoring ICT interventions to the needs and contexts of the older users.
... Our sample mean score on loneliness, of 2.2, is slightly higher in comparison with reported scores on large surveys from other countries. For example, a study of older adult loneliness in Canada, drawing on the Canadian General Social Survey of 3799 respondents 65 or older, reported a mean of 1.27 on the same loneliness scale (de Jong Gierveld, Keating, & Fast, 2015). Another study of older adults in five different European countries reported a mean score of 1.61 and 1.58, for France and Germany respectively, but higher scores in Eastern European countries, with Russia (2.65), Bulgaria (3.17), and Georgia (3.66) all reporting a mean score of above 2 (de Jong Gierveld, Dykstra, & Schenk, 2012). ...
This paper examines the relationship between characteristics of older adults' networks and loneliness. Drawing on a mixed-methods study with primary data from 165 surveys and a subset of 50 in-depth interviews from the broader sample, we examine whether and how strong and weak ties in an individual's network provide different forms of support in buffering loneliness. Regression models demonstrate that a higher frequency of contacts with strong ties, rather than the number of strong ties, is associated with lower levels of loneliness. In contrast, a greater number of weak ties is related to lower levels of loneliness. Our qualitative interview data shows that strong ties are susceptible to relationship loss, geographic distances, or relationship conflict. A greater number of weak ties, on the other hand, increases the likelihood of support and engagement when needed, reciprocity of relationships, and access to new social groups and networks. Previous research has focused on the complementary forms of support provided by strong and weak ties. Our study shows the different forms of support provided by strong and weak ties, underscoring the importance of a diverse social network for reducing loneliness. Our study also highlights the role of network changes in later life and social tie availability as important factors that contribute to understanding how social ties operate to combat loneliness.
... In support of this assumption, research has shown that immigrants often report higher levels of loneliness even years after immigration. However, immigrants who share similar language and culture with the majority culture are not lonelier than the majority group (de Jong Gierveld et al., 2015). ...
The present study relied on 15 dyads of adult children and their older parent to better understand intergenerational family relations from a life course perspective. Interviews were analyzed relying on qualitative thematic analysis, identifying similarities and differences within and between interviews and dyads. Our analysis resulted in three major themes. The first concerns the important role of intergenerational family relation as a means to define and conceptualize the experiences of loneliness and ways of coping with loneliness. The second theme concerned intergenerational relations as a cause (and at times a remedy) of loneliness. The third theme concerns the ability of the dyad's members to reflect on the level of loneliness of the other member in the intergenerational dyad. The findings stress the importance of intergenerational family relations throughout the life course and highlight the importance of adopting an intergenerational lens as a possible means to address loneliness.
... In line with previous evidence, we found an independent relationship between depressive mood and loneliness prevalence. Finally, self-reported health has been previously related to several health outcomes, including loneliness [76,80], and the present study showed that good self-reported health is associated with a lower prevalence of loneliness. ...
Backgrounds
The prevalence of loneliness increases among older adults, varies across countries, and is related to within-country socioeconomic, psychosocial, and health factors. The 2000–2019 pooled prevalence of loneliness among adults 60 years and older went from 5.2% in Northern Europe to 24% in Eastern Europe, while in the US was 56% in 2012. The relationship between country-level factors and loneliness, however, has been underexplored. Because income inequality shapes material conditions and relative social deprivation and has been related to loneliness in 11 European countries, we expected a relationship between income inequality and loneliness in the US and 16 European countries.
Methods
We used secondary cross-sectional data for 75,891 adults age 50+ from HRS (US 2014), ELSA (England, 2014), and SHARE (15 European countries, 2013). Loneliness was measured using the R-UCLA three-item scale. We employed hierarchical logistic regressions to analyse whether income inequality (GINI coefficient) was associated with loneliness prevalence.
Results
The prevalence of loneliness was 25.32% in the US (HRS), 17.55% in England (ELSA) and ranged from 5.12% to 20.15% in European countries (SHARE). Older adults living in countries with higher income inequality were more likely to report loneliness, even after adjusting for the sociodemographic composition of the countries and their Gross Domestic Products per capita (OR: 1.52; 95% CI: 1.17–1.97).
Discussion
Greater country-level income inequality was associated with higher prevalence of loneliness over and above individual-level sociodemographics. The present study is the first attempt to explore income inequality as a predictor of loneliness prevalence among older adults in the US and 16 European countries. Addressing income distribution and the underlying experience of relative deprivation might be an opportunity to improve older adults’ life expectancy and wellbeing by reducing loneliness prevalence.
... Een laag inkomen of een plotselinge ernstige daling van het inkomen geeft een risico op sociale isolatie en eenzaamheid. 7 ' 24 '25 ' 26 Deze onderzoeken laten overigens ook zien dat veel mensen met een laag inkomen niet eenzaam zijn: zij slagen er wel in een groter persoonlijk netwerk op te bouwen en te onderhouden, en participeren wel in sociale activiteiten buitenshuis. Sommige mensen zijn goed in het bedenken of zelf fabriceren van een aardig cadeautje voor een jarige en weten gratis activiteiten te vinden. ...
We describe three subgroups of older lonely people (Persona), and design different approaches to loneliness that directly address their specific needs and circumstances: the combination approach. The use of Persona is a middle ground between 'one approach appropriate for all' and 'each person's own approach'. A Persona is described using various risk factors for loneliness. These are advanced age, living alone, small network, low perceived control, and low income. Based on this, we explore the potential effect of improving some of these situations for reducing loneliness (Cohen's d ranges between -0.33 and -0.58). For two approaches we report what the realized effect was (d=-0.83 in both interventions). The three Persona and the approaches are examples that designers of a loneliness approach can use by analogy to elaborate and substantiate their approach.
Feeling positively connected to other people is a basic human need. If this need is threatened by feeling lonely, people might become more susceptible to conspiracy theories to help make sense of their surroundings. Simultaneously, conspiracy beliefs could lead to loneliness because they can strain existing relationships. Using two pre‐registered longitudinal studies, we investigated the reciprocal relationship between loneliness and conspiracy mentality (Study 1, N = 1604) and the more malleable specific conspiracy beliefs (Study 2, N = 1502) during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Random‐intercept cross‐lagged panel models showed that people who are, on average, lonelier are also more likely to believe in conspiracy theories. However, the data provided no support for the notion that conspiracy beliefs and loneliness predicted each other over time. The research helps to understand the thus far mixed evidence on loneliness and conspiracy beliefs and adds important insights to the literature on conspiracy beliefs and need deprivation.
Background: Ambient air pollution, detrimental built and social environments, social isolation (SI), low socioeconomic status (SES), and rural (versus urban) residence have been associated with cognitive decline and risk of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). Research is needed to investigate the influence of ambient air pollution and built and social environments on SI and cognitive decline among rural, disadvantaged, ethnic minority communities. To address this gap, this cohort study will recruit an ethnoracially diverse, rural Florida sample in geographic proximity to seasonal agricultural burning. We will (1) examine contributions of smoke-related fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposures to SI and cognitive function; (2) determine effects of built and social environments on SI and cognitive function; and (3) contextualize SI and cognitive function among residents from different ethnoracial groups during burn and non-burn seasons.
Methods: We will recruit 1,087 community-dwelling, dementia-free, >=45-year-olds from five communities in Florida’s Lake Okeechobee region. Over 36 months, participants will complete baseline visits to collect demographics, health history, and health measurements (e.g., blood pressure, body mass index) and 6-month follow-ups assessing cognitive function and social isolation at each visit. A subsample of 120 participants representative of each community will wear smartwatches to collect sensor data (e.g., heart rate) and daily routine and predefined activities (e.g., GPS-captured travel, frequent destinations) over two months. Ecological momentary assessments (EMA) (e.g., whether smoke has bothered participant in last 30 minutes) will occur over two months during agricultural burning and non-burning months. PurpleAir monitors (36 total) will be installed in each community to continuously monitor outdoor PM2.5 levels.
Ethics and expected impact: This study received Florida Atlantic University’s Institutional Review Board approval and will require participant informed consent. We expect to identify individual- and community-level factors that increase the risk for SI and cognitive decline in a vulnerable rural population.
Purpose: This review aims to examine how the use of voice assistants influences loneliness in older adults. Materials and methods: This study follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Databases such as CINAHL, APA PsycINFO, MEDLINE, PubMed, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Scopus, SciELO, Google Scholar, and IEEE Xplore were used. We implemented search strategies in English to locate studies published between January 2010 and January 2023, including those examining the impact of voice assistant usage on loneliness in older adults. Descriptive information was examined, assessing its quality with the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Results: A total of 499 studies were yielded from the initial search, with 13 included in the final analysis. Positive outcomes in reducing loneliness were reported in 84.6% of these studies. There was a prevalence of quasi-experimental studies, alongside heterogeneous measurement instruments, scarce use of standardized tests, and small samples predominantly consisting of women. Commercial voice assistants were the most commonly utilized. Conclusions: Voice assistants show potential in mitigating feelings of loneliness in older adults. Adequate training and adaptation to specific needs seem essential to maximize their effectiveness. In particular, voice assistants available in the consumer market hold significant potential in this area. Further research is necessary to comprehend their impact, encompassing potential risks and ethical considerations.
Social animal can be defined as form corporations which expands on the far side of human being. Such composition appeared clasping hands with evident, psychological, endocrinal, anatomical, and familial technique to shore up them since the ensuing social learning and reactions prepare them to move on in social environment, replicate, and brought up for their young abundantly extended that they also replicated. Social isolation constitutes an eye which scrutinize these attitudinal, cognitive, endocrinal, biological as well as familial technique. Affirmation from man and animal researches show that isolation boosts up the fears of social pressures and inspires to get in contact with a new social circle. The impacts of discern isolation in human being allocated more commonly effected by exploratory administration of loneliness in nonhumans; reduced puffiness dominance, dispensation, fine feather of sleep, and guise of genetic reactions. This study show that people don't necessarily express their feelings, their choices, or don't use comments to express themselves.
Purpose
Nurses are graduating ill-prepared to work with older adults across care contexts. The education nursing students receive about older adults often focuses on managing illnesses rather than promoting health. To expand the education that nursing students receive regarding health promotion and older adults, we examined nursing students' perceptions of an e-learning activity on health promotion with older adults.
Method
We used a cross-sectional survey design. We included first-year baccalaureate nursing students ( N = 260) at a Canadian university. Students were required to complete the module, but only those who wanted to participate in the study completed the survey ( n = 167; response rate = 64.2%). We used a feedback survey to assess students' perceptions of the e-learning activity using four 5-point, Likert-type items. We also asked one open-ended question to solicit participants' feedback and suggestions for improving the e-learning activity. Descriptive statistics (frequency, mean [ SD ]) were used to summarize participants' perceptions and demographic characteristics. Content analysis was used to explore responses to the open-ended question.
Results
Participants reported that the module increased their knowledge about health promotion, as well as their perceptions and confidence in working with older adults. Participants also found the method of instruction interactive and enjoyable.
Conclusion
Our e-learning activity on health promotion was perceived by nursing students as helpful in sensitizing them to their role in promoting health among older adults. [ Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 50 (3), 19–24.]
Purpose
Social distancing measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic have contributed to increased levels of loneliness, but the specific interactions between loneliness symptoms in the context of the pandemic remain unknown. This study characterized the psychological network of loneliness symptoms in residents during the initial wave of COVID-19 outbreak in China.
Patients and Methods
The study recruited 8472 Chinese residents (61.5% women, aged 33.0±10.6 years) through online snowball sampling. The Six-item De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale (DJGLS) was used to measure loneliness symptoms. Central symptoms of and bridge symptoms between emotional and social loneliness subscales were identified based on centrality and bridge centrality indices, respectively. Network stability was examined using the case-dropping procedures.
Results
The nodes in the loneliness network were separated into two groups, corresponding to the social and emotional loneliness domains of the DJGLS. The strongest direction association was between “no reliable people” and “no trustworthy people” (edge weight=0.546). “No trustworthy people” has the highest node strength (1.047) in the loneliness network, followed by “emptiness sense” (0.767) and “no reliable people” (0.749). “Feeling of rejection” (1.672) and “no close people” (0.403) showed the first and second highest bridge strengths, respectively. Both the stability and accuracy tests supported robustness of the whole network.
Conclusion
Interventions targeting central symptoms “no trustworthy people” and “emptiness sense” and central bridge symptom “feeling of rejection” may be effective for alleviating the overall level of loneliness in pandemic-affected Chinese residents.
Introduction
Data on loneliness among older adults in China during the COVID‐19 pandemic are still scarce. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of loneliness and identify its associated factors among older Chinese adults during the COVID‐19 pandemic.
Methods
During the COVID‐19 pandemic, 1268 older Chinese adults (aged 50+ years) were recruited through snowball sampling. The Chinese version of the validated six‐item De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale was used to assess participants' recent feelings of loneliness, and a cut‐off score of two or more was used to indicate the presence of loneliness.
Results
Loneliness was experienced by 37.9% of the participants in recent days. Factors significantly associated with loneliness included male sex (vs. female, OR: 1.62, p < .001), an education level of middle school and below (vs. college and above, OR: 1.50, p = .007), residing in the COVID‐19 epicenter (vs. other provinces, OR: 1.48, p = .004), concern about contracting COVID‐19 (OR: 1.68, p = .001), poor knowledge of COVID‐19 (OR: 2.39, p = .012), and physical health problems (OR: 1.65, p < .001).
Discussion
Loneliness is common among older Chinese adults amid the COVID‐19 pandemic. Targeted intervention programs may be more effective in reducing loneliness among older adults who are worried about contracting COVID‐19, have poor COVID‐19 knowledge, and experience physical health problems.
Antecedentes. Actualmente se desconocen con exactitud las repercusiones de vivir solo/a en personas mayores sanas sobre el nivel de actividad física (AF) practicada, relaciones sociales, atención sociosanitaria requerida y salud subjetiva. Objetivos. El objetivo ha sido evaluar diferencias en salud, relaciones sociales y atención sociosanitaria de personas mayores activas en función de su nivel de AF y situación familiar (estado civil). Metodología. Participan 397 personas mayores de 61 años (M=69,65; DT=4,71; 64,7% mujeres y 35,3% hombres), pertenecientes a dieciocho centros deportivos, sociales y zonas exteriores deportivas de Alicante. Se utilizó el IPAQ para evaluar la AF y CUBRECAVI para los indicadores de calidad de vida. Se realizó un análisis de varianza multivariados (MANOVAs) para estudiar las diferencias entre los/as participantes según su nivel de AF y su situación familiar. La significación se estableció en p <,05. Resultados. Los resultados mostraron que la salud subjetiva (p<,001; VCramer=,291), frecuencia de relaciones sociales (p<,001, ƞ2=,028) y satisfacción con los servicios sociosanitarios (p=,009; VCramer=,147) difieren según el nivel de AF. La frecuencia y satisfacción de las relaciones sociales (p<,001, ƞ2=,252) y la utilización de los servicios sociosanitarios difieren según la situación familiar (p=,032; VCramer=,153). Conclusión. En conclusión, el estado de bastante satisfacción con su salud subjetiva y con el uso de servicios sociosanitarios es directamente proporcional al nivel de actividad física practicada. Las relaciones sociales de solteros son menos satisfactorias y frecuentes, utilizando más los servicios sociosanitarios.
The COVID-19 pandemic and corresponding measures taken to control it seem to have had negative effects on the well-being of older people. The present study regressed short and long-term loneliness scores on the degree of stringency of epidemic control policies in Europe and in Israel, and on other pandemic-related variables, controlling for a range of possible confounders. The longitudinal sample numbered 18,265 persons, aged 65 and older. The analysis revealed that loneliness rose at both post-outbreak time measurement points. Moreover, stringency was related to change for the worse in loneliness status. Electronic-based communication did not reduce loneliness, while face-to-face contact did. The findings underscore that pandemic-related policy measures have unintended social consequences that need to be addressed.
Loneliness is an distressing experience arising from discontent feeling in quality of social connections in personal and enviormental among young adults in modernized community. The aim of the study is to determine the effect of assertiveness training program to decrease loneliness among college resident students. The study was done among college resident students from same state and from different states of india within the age group of 18-21 years in saveetha college of occupational therapy, Thandalam. A total of 30 college resident students were selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. The samples were divided into two groups-experimental group and control group of 15 subjects each. The experimental group received Assertiveness training program of about two sessions per week for 30 minutes for 3 months (24 sessions). The pre test and post test were assessed by De jong griveld scale (DJGS) in both groups , the outcome of the pre-test and post-test was investigated usingWilcoxon signed-rank test and Man-Whitney U test. The result showed that the comparison of pre test and post test mean scores of loneliness in the experimental group was significantly decreased after intervention to reduce loneliness among college resident student.
Objetivo:
Explorar y describir dimensiones que afectan la adherencia terapéutica en personas mayores con hipertensión o diabetes tipo 2 en Araucanía, Chile.
Metodología:
Investigación cualitativa, etnográfica y descriptiva, que se aborda con análisis de contenido según Bardin. Corresponde a una primera fase de un estudio exploratorio, en la que se realizan dos grupos focales, con participación de 12 personas mayores de 70 años con hipertensión, diabetes tipo 2 o ambas.
Resultados:
Se describen trece categorías emergentes, tres in vivo (ser carga para otras personas, obtención de ayuda a partir del celular y vida empobrecida) y diez teóricas (edadismo, aislamiento y soledad, cultura popular para control de la patología, estructura familiar matriarcal, modelo biomédico arraigado, infravaloración del equipo no médico, paradoja de las expectativas no cumplidas, importancia de la participación social, el autocuidado, adherencia incompleta y fragmentada y riesgo de descompensación).
Conclusión:
La categoría ageísmo, aislamiento y soledad subyace a un mayor riesgo cardiovascular, por la dificultad que tienen las personas que sufren soledad para adherirse al tratamiento. La relación de ayuda se describe débilmente, prevaleciendo el paternalismo biomédico. Se requiere fortalecer estrategias participativas en el programa cardiovascular y actividades a partir de las necesidades de personas mayores.
This study assesses whether changes in older adults’ financial situation after an economic shock are associated with feelings of loneliness. Data come from the 2006 and 2010 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (N = 2,510) which span the 2008 Great Recession. We conduct first-differencing and formal mediation analyses to determine whether change in financial situation is related to change in loneliness in older age and test potential mediation of personal and social resources. Results show that a higher level of loneliness in 2010 is associated with a higher level of subjective financial strain but not with changes in household income and net assets. The findings hold when accounting for personal and social resources. Knowledge of the direct link between financial strain and loneliness in older age provides an important insight for programmes and initiatives aimed at relieving widespread loneliness in later life.
This study established a research model to fully understand the relationship of social engagement, loneliness and cognitive function among Chinese older adults. In the latest wave (2018) of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS), a total of 12,852 participants aged 65 years and older were included in the study. Path analysis was performed to examine our hypotheses. The social engagement had a positive relationship with normal cognitive function while loneliness had a negative one, and the standardized regression weights were 0.618 (p < 0.01) and -0.046 (p < 0.01), respectively. Watching TV or listening to the radio had the greatest association with cognitive function, followed by housework, outdoor activities, reading newspapers or books, playing cards or mahjong, and raising domestic animals or pets. Loneliness played a mediating role between social engagement and cognitive function. Social engagement could be considered as one of the interventions to improve older adults' health.
This article presents a model of loneliness that incorporates characteristics of the social network, background variables, personality characteristics, and evaluative aspects. The most salient aspect of this approach is its emphasis on cognitive processes that mediate between characteristics of the social network and the experience of loneliness. A total of 554 adult men and women served as respondents. The program LISREL, a causal modelling approach, was used to analyze the data. The LISREL program includes a goodness-of-fit test that indicates the degree of fit between a particular model and the data. The hypothesized model made a valuable contribution to the understanding of loneliness: It accounted for 52.3% of the variance in the data set. One of the model's major advantages is its ability to disentangle both the direct and the indirect causal influences of the various factors on loneliness.
Objective:
The objective of this study was to test a conceptual model of loneliness in which social structural factors are posited to operate through proximal factors to influence perceptions of relationship quality and loneliness.
Methods:
We used a population-based sample of 225 White, Black, and Hispanic men and women aged 50 through 68 from the Chicago Health, Aging, and Social Relations Study to examine the extent to which associations between sociodemographic factors and loneliness were explained by socioeconomic status, physical health, social roles, stress exposure, and, ultimately, by network size and subjective relationship quality.
Result:
Education and income were negatively associated with loneliness and explained racial/ethnic differences in loneliness. Being married largely explained the association between income and loneliness, with positive marital relationships offering the greatest degree of protection against loneliness. Independent risk factors for loneliness included male gender, physical health symptoms, chronic work and/or social stress, small social network, lack of a spousal confidant, and poor-quality social relationships.
Discussion:
Longitudinal research is needed to evaluate the causal role of social structural and proximal factors in explaining changes in loneliness.
This study examined the measurement and invariance properties of the
R-UCLA and de Jong Gierveld loneliness scales for research involving middle-aged and
older adults. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) of data from interviews with adults aged
45–84 revealed limited support for the unidimensionality of either scale while subsequent
analyses indicated the multidimensionality of both. However, method effects associated
with positive and negative item wording were also evident. Multiple group CFAs provided
limited support for assumptions of measurement invariance across age groups and from
baseline to follow-up with regard to the R-UCLA scale. In contrast, strong measurement
invariance across age groups and successive measurements was established for the bidimensional
dJG scale. Overall, the findings supported the relative utility of the dJG scale
for research involving middle-aged and older adults but suggested a need for attention to
the implications of method effects associated with item wording and lack of measurement
invariance with respect to item residuals.
RÉSUMÉ
La littérature sur les communautés amies des aînés est axé principalement sur un modèle de vieillissement en un milieu urbain, en omettant ainsi de refléter la diversité des communautés rurales. Dans cet article, nous abordons cette lacune en se concentrant sur la notion de la communauté dans un contexte rural et en demandant ce qui crée une bonne adaptation entre les personnes âgées et leur environnement. Cela se fait grace à (1) comptes autobiographiques et biographiqus de deux environnements géographiques très différents de subsistence: les communautés bucoliques et contournées, et à (b) l’analyse des besoins et des ressources différents des deux groupes de personnes: les personnes âgées marginalisées et actives qui vivent dans ces deux communautés rurales différentes. Nous affirmons que la définition originale de 2007 de l’Organisation mondiale de la Santé (OMS), de “amie des aînés” doit être repensée pour tenir compte des besoins et ressources explicitement différents de la communauté, pour être plus inclusive ainsi que plus interactive et dynamique en intégrant les changements qui sont survenus au fil du temps chez les personnes et les lieux.
Does information on the types of relationships composing older adults' networks provide an indication of the amount and effectiveness of network support? This question was addressed using data from a representative sample from the Netherlands of 160 non-institutionalized older adults between the ages of 65 and 75. Results showed first that different types of relationships differed in their supportiveness. These differences were linked with the degree of consanguinity of kin and the degree of friendship of non-kin. Second, consistent with a mechanism of compensation, the supportiveness of particular types of relationships depended upon the network in which they were embedded, namely upon the availability of an alternative source of support. For example, adult children were more supportive to parents who no longer had a partner than to parents who were still together. Third, the effectiveness of support in providing protection against loneliness varied according to the availability of a partner. Among the cohabiting, support from friends and adult children was unrelated to loneliness. Furthermore, support from the network, instrumental support in particular was less closely associated with loneliness among the cohabiting than among the never married and the formerly married.
A widely held stereotype associates old age with social isolation and loneliness. However, only 5% to 15% percent of older adults report frequent loneliness. In this study, we report a meta-analysis of the correlates of loneliness in late adulthood. A U-shaped association between age and loneliness is identified. Quality of social network is correlated more strongly with loneliness, compared to quantity; contacts with friends and neighbors show stronger associations with loneliness, compared to contacts with family members. Being a woman, having low socioeconomic status and low competence, and living in nursing homes were also associated with higher loneliness. Age differences in the association of social contacts and competence with loneliness are investigated as well.
The aim of this study was to translate into Polish and establish the psychometric properties of the 11-item De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale (DJGLS). The translation process followed the recent guidelines for the crosscultural adaptation of questionnaires and was tested through analysis of differential item functioning (DIF) by the use of the Poly-SIBTEST method and bilingual groups. The essential unidimensionality was checked by bifactor analysis. Reliability was assessed by internal consistency and homogeneity analysis, and external construct validity by correlation with several external scales. The research indicated no differences in item performance between the final Polish and English versions, and confirmed the earlier findings indicating that the DJGLS measures two dimensions of loneliness (social and emotional) which generalize into a higher-order factor of a general sense of loneliness (bifactor structure). Reliability (α = .89) and homogeneity (H = .47) proved to be high. Research showed that the instrument has a satisfactory validity criterion: Correlation with the UCLA Loneliness Scale r = .82; with Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale r = –.56; and with the Beck Depression Inventory r = .46 (all p < .01). The Polish adaptation of the DJGLS thus presents a bifactor structure, with good levels of internal consistency, homogeneity, and construct validity.
Both social isolation and loneliness are associated with increased mortality, but it is uncertain whether their effects are independent or whether loneliness represents the emotional pathway through which social isolation impairs health. We therefore assessed the extent to which the association between social isolation and mortality is mediated by loneliness. We assessed social isolation in terms of contact with family and friends and participation in civic organizations in 6,500 men and women aged 52 and older who took part in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing in 2004-2005. A standard questionnaire measure of loneliness was administered also. We monitored all-cause mortality up to March 2012 (mean follow-up 7.25 y) and analyzed results using Cox proportional hazards regression. We found that mortality was higher among more socially isolated and more lonely participants. However, after adjusting statistically for demographic factors and baseline health, social isolation remained significantly associated with mortality (hazard ratio 1.26, 95% confidence interval, 1.08-1.48 for the top quintile of isolation), but loneliness did not (hazard ratio 0.92, 95% confidence interval, 0.78-1.09). The association of social isolation with mortality was unchanged when loneliness was included in the model. Both social isolation and loneliness were associated with increased mortality. However, the effect of loneliness was not independent of demographic characteristics or health problems and did not contribute to the risk associated with social isolation. Although both isolation and loneliness impair quality of life and well-being, efforts to reduce isolation are likely to be more relevant to mortality.
This study examines loneliness and its correlates-health, residential care, partner status, and network size-over a seven-year period among adults born between 1908 and 1937. The four waves of data are from the Dutch "Living Arrangements and Social Networks of Older Adults" and the "Longitudinal Aging Study of Amsterdam" programs. Data from at least two waves are available for 2,925 respondents. Results show that older adults generally become lonelier as time passes. The increase is greater for the oldest, the partnered, and those with a better functional capacity at baseline. Older adults who lose their partner by death show the greatest increase in loneliness. Not all older adults become more lonely: Improvement in functional capacity and network expansion lead to less loneliness. Entry into residential care does not affect loneliness. The longitudinal design provides new insights into factors that protect against loneliness compared to cross-sectional studies
Loneliness is an indicator of social well-being and pertains to the feeling of missing an intimate relationship (emotional loneliness) or missing a wider social network (social loneliness). The 11-item De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale has proved to be a valid and reliable measurement instrument for overall, emotional, and social loneliness, although its length has sometimes rendered it difficult to use in large surveys. In this study, the authors empirically tested a shortened version of the scale on data from two surveys (N = 9,448). Confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the specification of two latent factors. Congruent validity and the relationship with determinants (partner status, health) proved to be optimal. The 6-item De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale is a reliable and valid measurement instrument for overall, emotional, and social loneliness that is suitable for large surveys.
This paper examines the impact of childhood and adulthood socio-economic status (SES) on personal network characteristics in later life. Data are derived from 2,285 married older adults (born between 1903 and 1937) who participated in face-to-face interviews for the Dutch survey on "Living arrangements and social networks of older adults"; conducted in 1992. Childhood and adulthood SES were indicated by the father's and own level of education and occupation. Multivariate analyses showed that SES in adulthood has more impact on network features in old age than father's SES. People with low lifetime SES or with downward SES mobility had small networks, low instrumental and emotional support from non-kin, but high instrumental support from kin, when compared with the upwardly mobile or those with high lifetime SES. The level of education was a better indicator of network differences than occupational prestige. It is concluded that obtaining a high SES during life pays off in terms of having more supportive non-kin relationships in old age. The small networks and less supportive non-kin relationships of low-status older adults make them more vulnerable to situations in which kin are unavailable or less willing to provide support. This study underscores the distinction between types of support and types of relationships in the SES-network association. Further research on the social pathways of socio-economic inequality in health and wellbeing should take these distinctions into account.
We develop the concept of ambivalence as structurally created contradictions that are made manifest in interaction. We discuss how our reconceptualization enhances the relevance of ambivalence to sociological analyses of family ties. Ambivalence is a particularly useful concept when imbedded in a theoretical framework that views social structure as structured social relations, and individuals as actors who exercise agency as they negotiate relationships within the constraints of social structure. The strengths of conceptualizing ambivalence within this framework are illustrated with examples of caring for older family members and of balancing paid work and family responsibilities.
Prior research has not adequately considered that disablement occurs within a web of relationships that provides socioemotional resources to and/or places demands on older adults. Drawing on the stress process and life course perspectives, we considered the social context of disablement by examining the influence of marital quality on the association between disability and loneliness among married older adults. Using data from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project, we found (1) functional limitations were associated with higher levels of loneliness; (2) neither positive nor negative marital quality mediated this association, contrary to the stress-deterioration hypothesis; and (3) positive (but not negative) marital quality moderated this association, consistent with the stress-buffering hypothesis. These associations were similar for women and men. Our findings indicate the importance of the social context of disablement, as interpersonal resources offer protection from the deleterious socioemotional consequences of disability.
Loneliness concerns the subjective evaluation that the number of relationships is smaller than the individual considers desirable or that the intimacy that the individual wishes for has not been realized. The aim of this study was to assess variations in levels of late-life loneliness and its determinants across Europe. Data came from the SHARE surveys, Wave 2 (Borsch-Supan et al., 2008), encompassing adults aged 50 years and over in Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland (N = 12,248). Loneliness was measured by a single item derived from the CES-D (depression) scale. Using logistic models, the present authors tested several types of explanations for country differences: differences in demographic characteristics, wealth and health, and social networks. Older adults in the southern and central European countries were generally lonelier than their peers in the northern and western European countries. In the southern and central European countries, loneliness was largely attributable to not being married, economic deprivation, and poor health. Frequent contacts with parents and adult children, social participation, and providing support to family members were important in preventing and alleviating loneliness in almost all countries. To combat loneliness among older adults, the findings suggest both (a) generic approaches aimed at improving social embeddedness and (b) country-tailored approaches aimed at improving health and wealth.
The goal of this research is to test whether often observed correlates of loneliness in older age are related to onset of loneliness longitudinally. Despite the increasing number of longitudinal studies, the investigation of factors that are related to onset of loneliness is still limited. Analyses are based on data of the TamELSA study, which is a population-based prospective study in Tampere, Finland and started in 1979. For the present study 469 older adults aged between 60 and 86 years at baseline, who were not lonely at baseline, were selected and followed-up in 1989, 1999 and 2006. During the 28 years of follow-up approximately one third (N = 178) of the study population developed feelings of loneliness. Logistic regression analyses indicated that losing a partner, reduced social activities, increased physical disabilities, increased feelings of low mood, uselessness and nervousness, rather than baseline characteristics, are related to enhanced feelings of loneliness at follow-up. The higher incidence of loneliness among women can be fully explained by the unequal distribution of risk factors among men and women (e.g., women more often become widowed). Our results are in line with the cognitive approach that conceptualizes loneliness as an unpleasant feeling due to a perceived discrepancy between the desired and the achieved level of social and personal resources.
Loneliness concerns the subjective evaluation of the situation individuals are involved in, characterized either by a number of relationships with friends and colleagues which is smaller than is considered desirable (social loneliness), as well as situations where the intimacy in confidant relationships one wishes for has not been realized (emotional loneliness). To identify people who are lonely direct questions are not sufficient; loneliness scales are preferred. In this article, the quality of the three-item scale for emotional loneliness and the three-item scale for social loneliness has been investigated for use in the following countries participating in the United Nations "Generations and Gender Surveys": France, Germany, the Netherlands, Russia, Bulgaria, Georgia, and Japan. Sample sizes for the 7 countries varied between 8,158 and 12,828. Translations of the De Jong Gierveld loneliness scale have been tested using reliability and validity tests including a confirmatory factor analysis to test the two-dimensional structure of loneliness. Test outcomes indicated for each of the countries under investigation reliable and valid scales for emotional and social loneliness, respectively.
The quality and quantity of individuals' social relationships has been linked not only to mental health but also to both morbidity and mortality.
This meta-analytic review was conducted to determine the extent to which social relationships influence risk for mortality, which aspects of social relationships are most highly predictive, and which factors may moderate the risk.
Data were extracted on several participant characteristics, including cause of mortality, initial health status, and pre-existing health conditions, as well as on study characteristics, including length of follow-up and type of assessment of social relationships.
Across 148 studies (308,849 participants), the random effects weighted average effect size was OR = 1.50 (95% CI 1.42 to 1.59), indicating a 50% increased likelihood of survival for participants with stronger social relationships. This finding remained consistent across age, sex, initial health status, cause of death, and follow-up period. Significant differences were found across the type of social measurement evaluated (p<0.001); the association was strongest for complex measures of social integration (OR = 1.91; 95% CI 1.63 to 2.23) and lowest for binary indicators of residential status (living alone versus with others) (OR = 1.19; 95% CI 0.99 to 1.44).
The influence of social relationships on risk for mortality is comparable with well-established risk factors for mortality. Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary.
This book addresses a growing international interest in ‘age-friendly’ communities. It examines the conflicting stereotypes of rural communities as either idyllic and supportive or isolated and bereft of services. Providing detailed information on the characteristics of rural communities, chapters ask the question, ‘good places for whom’? The book extends an understanding of the intersections of rural people and places across the adult lifecourse. Taking a critical human ecology perspective, the chapters trace lifecourse changes in community and voluntary engagement and in the availability of social support. They illustrate diversity among older adults in social inclusion and in the types of services that are essential to their well-being. Detailed information is provided on the characteristics of rural communities that make them supportive to different groups of older adults. Comparisons between the UK and North America highlight similarities in how landscapes create rural identities, and fundamental differences in how climate, distance and rural culture shape the everyday lives of older adults. Rich in national profiles and grounded in the narratives of older adults, this book provides theoretical, empirical and practical examples of growing old in rural communities.
Introduction
Extensive research has shown that social participation has positive associations with better health and well-being in later life. Individuals benefit when participation is meaningful to them (Chapman, 2005) and when personal relationships are formed or strengthened as a result of their engagement (de Jong Gierveld et al, 2006). Yet the ways in which older adults participate may make a difference in terms of whether participation has such positive outcomes. Participation that is freely chosen and is a good fit with one's identity and sense of self may foster positive outcomes (Chapman, 2005). Participation that is not satisfying or is done under duress may be less likely to contribute to ageing well.
Rural communities may be seen as good places for older adults to participate. It is believed that connections to others are easy to develop in these communities as they are small and often have stable populations where people have grown up and grown old together. There also is evidence that rural communities benefit greatly from the contributions of older adults (Liu and Besser, 2003) and in fact are quite dependent on their participation. For example, in some communities, the decline in primary industries like mining, fishing or forestry, or of family farms has led to out-migration of younger people and loss of service infrastructure (Horton, 2005). In others, a boom in resource-extraction industries or the development of retirement housing options in rural areas can generate in-migration to the degree that short-term infrastructure development may not keep pace with economic and population growth (Heather at al, 2005). In these contexts social participation is often seen as a vehicle for rural communities to reinvigorate a declining economy (Shortall, 2004) or to bridge the lack of infrastructure in the midst of an economic boom (Heather et al, 2005).
Rural communities rely on their citizens to support one another. Social participation now is seen as especially important in supporting the social fabric of the community, and in buttressing its service and public infrastructures (Bull, 1998; Shortall, 2004). Adults in mid to later life are seen as a reserve for this social participation. They are assumed to have more free time as their ties to paid work and childcare responsibilities are declining and thus are available for this community work (Herzog et al, 2002; Liu and Besser, 2003).
A widely held stereotype associates old age with social isolation and loneliness. However, only 5% to 15% percent of older adults report frequent loneliness. In this study, we report a meta-analysis of the correlates of loneliness in late adulthood. A U-shaped association between age and loneliness is identified. Quality of social network is correlated more strongly with loneliness, compared to quantity; contacts with friends and neighbors show stronger associations with loneliness, compared to contacts with family members. Being a woman, having low socioeconomic status and low competence, and living in nursing homes were also associated with higher loneliness. Age differences in the association of social contacts and competence with loneliness are investigated as well.
This chapter demonstrates the ways in which the characteristics of rural communities may or may not foster the social participation of older rural residents. It focuses on two kinds of participation: helping others and volunteer activities in formal organisations. These two types of participation show the different ways to engage with and contribute to the community. While helping others is based on individual connections, volunteer activities are community oriented.
This chapter is primarily concerned with the processes of ageing and disability in both rural and urban contexts. It draws upon distinctions that were made in Chapter Two between the normative processes of ageing and the changing demands that are natural in ageing with a disability. The discussion is set within an exploration of whether rural and urban contexts are more or less likely to facilitate participation and social inclusion of those who are ageing with or without disabilities. The interplay of age and disability and of urban and rural location in determining social participation is studied in this chapter. It also determines the role of social participation in shaping the subjective feelings of social integration.
Although the loneliness of both older adults and immigrants is frequently asserted, knowledge regarding the implications of immigration for loneliness in later life is limited. In particular, little attention has been directed to the impact of factors that might differentiate individuals within the immigrant population. Using data from the 2007 General Social Survey (GSS-21) conducted by Statistics Canada, this study examined the effects of immigrant status as well as immigrant generation, length of residence in Canada and race/ethnicity on loneliness among adults aged 60 and over (N=10,553). Regression analyses (ordinary least squares) estimating both the general and age-specific effects of immigrant experience on loneliness, indicated that immigrants report higher levels of loneliness than native-born Canadians, that race/ethnicity influenced loneliness particularly among immigrants and that generational status as well as length of residence also had an impact, but one that differed across age groups. Immigration-related variables appeared less consequential for loneliness in the oldest-old (aged 80+) than in younger elderly age groups. These findings attest to the significance of immigrant status for an understanding of loneliness in later life but suggest a need to acknowledge the diversity of immigrant experiences associated with lifecourse and other factors.
Data from European countries participating in the Generations and Gender Surveys showed that mean loneliness scores of older adults are higher in Eastern than in Western European countries. Although co-residence is considered as one of the fundamental types of social integration, and although co-residence is more common in Eastern Europe, the mean loneliness scores of older co-resident adults in Eastern Europe are still very high. This article investigates mechanisms behind the puzzling between-country differences in social integration and loneliness. Firstly, the theoretical framework of loneliness is discussed starting from the individual’s perspective using the deficit and the cognitive discrepancy approach and taking into account older adults’ deprived living conditions. Secondly, mechanisms at the societal level are investigated: cultural norms, the demographical composition and differences in societal wealth and welfare. It is argued that an integrated theoretical model, as developed in this article, combining individual and societal level elements, is most relevant for understanding the puzzling reality around social integration and loneliness in country-comparative research. An illustration of the interplay of individual and societal factors in the emergence of loneliness is presented.
Predictors of loneliness were investigated in married, widowed, divorced, and never-married older adults. Contacts with adult children, siblings, friends, and neighbors showed a stronger negative relationship with loneliness in unmarried than in married adults. However, divorced and widowed adults were more likely to profit from contact with adult children, whereas never-married and childless unmarried respondents profited most from contacts with siblings, friends, and neighbors. A better functional status was associated with less loneliness in divorced, widowed, and nevermarried adults, but not in married adults. Furthermore, unmarried men showed higher levels of loneliness than unmarried women, whereas only small sex differences in loneliness were found in married respondents. Sex differences in the loneliness of divorced and never-married adults were eliminated by controlling for sex differences in contact with children, siblings, and friends. However, widowers were lonelier than widows even after controlling for sex differences in these contacts.
This article discusses the position of older women in gender theory and in social gerontology. It shows how older women are made invisible in gender theory through the selection of arenas and themes, by model monopoly and by a lack of problematization of age. In the social gerontological field, older women have frequently been objects of research. However, double jeopardy assumptions have resulted in a perspective that foregrounds misery. Results from focus group interviews with women aged 75 and over, shed light on ageing as a process of development and on twofold bodily meanings, such as on-stage-body and off-stage-body. Thus, based on an approach of age and gender as intertwining systems, the article argues for a more complex understanding of the intersection of age and gender.
This paper describes an attempt to construct a measuring instrument for loneliness that meets the cri teria of a Rasch scale. Rasch (1960, 1966) proposed a latent trait model for the unidimensional scaling of di chotomous items that does not suffer from the inade quacies of classical approaches. The resulting Rasch scale of this study, which is based on data from 1,201 employed, disabled, and jobless adults, consists of five positive and six negative items. The positive items assess feelings of belongingness, whereas the negative items apply to three separate aspects of miss ing relationships. The techniques for testing the as sumptions underlying the Rasch model are compared with their counterparts from classical test theory, and the implications for the methodology of scale con struction are discussed.
This study examined the influence of age and cultural background on the causes of loneliness. A total of 194 Canadians and 209 participants from the Czech Republic formed the participant pool. Rather than comparing the two populations and disregarding within and between the age differences the cultural groups were divided into age subgroups. These were young adults (18-30 years old), adults (31-59), and seniors (60-89). Participants answered a 29-item yes/no questionnaire composed of 5 subscales, namely: Personal Inadequacies, Developmental Deficits, Unfulfilling Intimate Relationships, Relocation/Significant Separations, and Social Marginality. The age groups within and between cultures also differed significantly.
Ecology refers to the study of natural systems, emphasizing the interdependence of one element in a system on every other element. We will consider the ecology of aging in terms of the adaptation of man to his environment and his alteration of the environment as part of the process of human adaptation. The aging process itself can be seen as one of continual adaptation: adaptation both to the external environment and to the changes in internal capabilities and functioning which take place during the life cycle. Recently, the word "ecology" has become a slogan in addition to a field of inquiry, with warnings of the impending ecological catastrophe due to many years of disregard for the maintenance of existing natural systems. Less obvious are the frequently unanticipated behavioral and social consequences of changes in the man-made environment. Thus, when we spend tax dollars on road building rather than on public transportation, we may affect the ability of older persons to maintain themselves in the community. The fact that the connection is not obvious does not negate its seriousness. Similarly, the way old people are cared for in nursing homes has an impact on the cost of governance for all of the members of a society, not merely those with a direct relationship to the aged. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
What if being lonely were a bigger problem than we ever suspected? Based on John T. Cacioppo's pioneering research,
Loneliness explores the effects of this all-too-human experience, providing a fundamentally new view of the importance of social connection and how it can rescue us from painful isolation. His sophisticated studies relying on brain imaging, analysis of blood pressure, immune response, stress hormones, behavior, and even gene expression show that human beings are simply far more intertwined and interdependent—physiologically as well as psychologically—than our cultural assumptions have ever allowed us to acknowledge. Bringing urgency to the message, Cacioppo's findings also show that prolonged loneliness can be as harmful to your health as smoking or obesity. On the flip side, they demonstrate the therapeutic power of social connection and point the way toward making that healing balm available to everyone. Cacioppo has worked with science writer William Patrick to trace the evolution of these tandem forces, showing how, for our primitive ancestors, survival depended not on greater brawn but on greater commitments to and from one another. Serving as a prompt to repair frayed social bonds, the pain of loneliness engendered a fear response so powerfully disruptive that even now, millions of years later, a persistent sense of rejection or isolation can impair DNA transcription in our immune cells. This disruption also impairs thinking, will power, and perseverance, as well as our ability to read social signals and exercise social skills. It also limits our ability to internally regulate our emotions—all of which can combine to trap us in self-defeating behaviors that reinforce the very isolation and rejection that we dread.
Loneliness shows each of us how to overcome this feedback loop of defensive behaviors to achieve better health and greater happiness. For society, the potential payoff is the greater prosperity and social cohesion that follows from increased social trust. Ultimately,
Loneliness demonstrates the irrationality of our culture's intense focus on competition and individualism at the expense of family and community. It makes the case that the unit of one is actually an inadequate measure, even when it comes to the health and well-being of the individual. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
This article analyses the determinants of the quality of life in a sample of 600 people aged 60 or more years living in deprived areas of three English cities. Data were collected by means of a face-to-face administered questionnaire. Two standardised measures, the ‘Satisfaction With Life Scale’ (SWLS) and the ‘Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale’ (PGCMS), and a single-item question were used to produce outcome measures of the quality of life. Using a conceptual model of quality of life factors, 21 socio-demographic, objective and subjective variables were correlated with each of the measures. Thirteen of these variables were subsequently entered in three multiple regression models. Subjective variables correlated significantly with all three quality of life measures, but socio-demographic and objective life condition variables correlated less strongly. Regression analysis revealed perception of own health, perceived ability to cope financially, perception of poverty over time and loneliness to be important determinants of the quality of life across all three quality of life measures. Variables that described characteristics of the urban environment had limited direct influence on the quality of life. The findings support the conceptual framework and highlight the key role played by subjective variables in determining the quality of life of older people in deprived urban areas.
The present study affirms previous research findings that volunteering satisfies personal needs but goes further by considering the factor of collective identity for volunteers and its consequences for them. The study specifically focused on older volunteers working at zoos. In the initial phase at Central Park Zoo 30 volunteers completed a short self-completion questionnaire. The second phase involved one-on-one interviews with 21 Bronx Zoo volunteers with a collective self-esteem scale. The responses indicated that the volunteers considered the collective identity of zoo volunteer to be important to their self-concept and believed that this identity is held in high public esteem. The results also suggested that identity as a zoo volunteer not only satisfies personal needs, as found by other volunteer studies, but that the collective identity supports external activism based on shared values. It was concluded that the collective environmental identity facilitated by volunteer work at the zoos provides affirmational social support for the volunteers' work as environmental conservation advocates, and enhances their sense of purpose and self-efficacy.
A negative effect of good health on the instrumental support received can be viewed as an effect of the mobilization of helpers. A positive effect of good health on the personal network size and the instrumental support given demonstrates that people in poor health have difficulty actively maintaining their relationships. Furthermore, the support received and given is positively related to the support given and received in the past. In four waves of a seven-year longitudinal study, personal interviews were conducted with 2,302 older Dutch adults (aged 60 to 85) who live on their own. The hypotheses have been confirmed. An implication is that investing in relationships by giving support might pay off in times of need.
This article contains an overview of three decades of research, theory development, and clinical application about ambiguous loss. Although the work includes both physical and psychological types of ambiguous loss, the focus is the aftermath of 9/11 (September 11, 2001), when the World Trade Center collapsed following terrorist attacks. On the basis of her previous work, the author was asked to design an intervention for families of the missing. She reflects on what she learned from this unexpected test and presents new propositions and hypotheses to stimulate further research and theory that is more inclusive of diversity. She suggests that scholars should focus more on universal family experience. Ambiguous loss is just one example. Encouraging researchers and practitioners to collaborate in theory development, she concludes that research-based theory is essential to inform interventions in unexpected times of terror, and in everyday life.
Relationships with neighbors are considered exchange relationships, in which the continuation of exchanges depends on balance in previous exchanges. Our study tested whether this is the case. An exchange relationship implies that neighbor relationships are isolated units. We expected, however, that neighborhood integration also affects the continuation of exchange among neighbors. Data were from a longitudinal study among 1,692 independently living Dutch adults of ages 55 to 85 years at baseline and their 7,415 relationships with proximate network members. At a four–year follow–up, both perceived balance and neighborhood integration at baseline increased the chance of instrumental support exchange occurring. We concluded that it is too limited to view relationships between neighbors as exchange relationships, as these relationships are embedded in larger communities, where such communities exist.
Research on families in the middle and later years came into its own during the 1990s, documenting the complexity, malleability, and variety of older family connections. We examined 908 articles on family gerontology topics, observing 4 trends: Conceptually, an appreciation for pluralism and resilience as individuals and families age is apparent. Theoretically, life course, feminist, socioemotional selectivity, and family solidarity theories are increasingly applied to intergenerational family relations. Methodologically, new interest in qualitative methods for studying diverse groups has improved the depth with which aging studies can account for variability in old age; new quantitative methodologies have allowed greater sophistication in dealing with longitudinal data. Substantively, there is greater understanding of family caregiving, social support, parent-child relationships, marital transitions, and grandparenting relationships. The field is poised to take even greater risks in fulfilling the promise of studying linked lives over time.
Longitudinal studies of loneliness among older people are comparatively rare. At 8 years after the initial survey in 1999-2000, we followed up on the 999 people aged 65+ years who were living in the community in the United Kingdom. We found that 583 participants were still alive, and 287 (58%) participated in the follow-up survey. The overall prevalence of loneliness at both time points was very similar, with 9% reporting severe loneliness; 30% reporting that they were sometimes lonely, and 61% reporting that they were never lonely. We developed a 12-category typology to describe changes in loneliness across the follow-up period and report that 60% of participants had a stable loneliness rating, with 40-50% rating themselves as never lonely, and 20-25% rating themselves as persistently lonely; 25% demonstrated decreased loneliness, and approximately 15% demonstrated worse loneliness. Changes in loneliness were linked with changes in marital status, living arrangements, social networks, and physical health. Importantly improvements in physical health and improved social relationships were linked to reduced levels of loneliness. This result suggests that strategies to combat loneliness are not confined to the arena of social interventions such as befriending services, which aim to build and support social embeddedness, but may also result from the treatment of chronic and long-term health conditions.
In this paper, we explore the relationships among self-esteem, age, class, and gender. We ask whether relationships between self-esteem and gender are similar across age and class groups. Contrary to past research, which suggests that age has little influence on self-esteem or that self-esteem increases with age, we find that levels of self-esteem are lower in older age groups for both men and women. Furthermore, in all age groups, women have lower levels of self-esteem than do men. Social class does not influence levels of self-esteem for young men or women but does so for those in middle age and older age groups. From middle age on, social classes diverge in their levels of self-esteem such that men and women from lower social classes experience the lowest levels of self-esteem. Unlike past research that links age differences in self-esteem to either role or development theories, we consider these findings within a theoretical framework that recognizes the structural power relations embedded in class, age, and gender, which in turn influence gendered identities.
The effects of the physical-spatial-technical environment on aging well have been overlooked both conceptually and empirically. In the spirit of M. Powell Lawton's seminal work on aging and environment, this article attempts to rectify this situation by suggesting a new model of how older people interact with their environment.
Goals of the paper include (a) integration of the essential elements of the ecology and aging literature, particularly in regard to Lawton's research, (b) development of connections between traditional theories of ecology of aging and life span developmental models of aging well, (c) acknowledgment of the pronounced historical and cohort-related changes affecting the interactions of older people with their environment, and (d) discussion of the implications of this analysis for concepts and theories of aging well.
The model builds on a pair of concepts: environment as related to agency and belonging, founded in motivational psychology, and developmental science.
After describing the model's key components, we discuss its heuristic potential in four propositions for future gerontological research and identify implications of the model for future empirical research.
RÉSUMÉ
La recherche sur le vieillissement en milieu rural s’est développée considérablement depuis la publication du livre, Aging in Rural Canada (Butterworths, 1991). Le but de cet article est double : de fournir une rétrospective sur les questions de viellissement en milieu rural tirée de ce livre, et une revue de la littérature canadienne sur le vieillissement en milieu rural depuis sa publication. L’examen met en évidence les nouvelles orientations dans les définitions conceptuelles du « rural », et dans les questions de l’engagement social, l’indépendance, les réseaux familiaux et sociaux et les services ruraux et la santé. Deux perspectives principales de recherche sont évidents. Le point de vue ou l’optique d’analyse de la marginalisation se concentre sur les personnes âgées en milieu rural ayant des problèmes de santé, mais n’a pas inclus celles qui sont marginalisées par la pauvrété ou le sexe. L’optique d’analyse du vieillissement sain se concentre sur les contributions et l’engagement, mais a omis la recherche sur les relations sociales et la qualité de l’interaction familiale. Le rapport comprend un appel s’interroger sur l’interaction entre les gens et leur lieu de vie et à comprendre les enjeux de la diversité en milieu rural et le processus de vieillissement en milieu rural.
Social isolation has serious repercussions for people and communities across the globe, yet knowledge about this phenomenon has remained rather limited - until now. The first multidisciplinary study to explore this issue, Social Isolation in Modern Society integrates relevant research traditions in the social sciences and brings together sociological theories of social networks and psychological theories of feelings of loneliness. Both traditions are embedded in research, with the results of a large-scale international study being used to describe the extent, nature and divergent manifestations of social isolation. With a new approach to social inequality, this empirically based study includes concrete policy recommendations, and presents a clear insight into personal, social and socio-economic causes and the consequences of social isolation. © 2006 Roelof Hortulanus, Anja Machielse and Ludwien Meeuwesen. All rights reserved.