The older, the lonelier? Risk factors for social loneliness in old age

2010 ◽  
Vol 30 (7) ◽  
pp. 1177-1196 ◽  
Author(s):  
LEEN HEYLEN
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Panel Study ◽  
Correct Identification ◽  
Attachment Figure ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Emotional Loneliness ◽  
The One ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Social Loneliness

ABSTRACTLoneliness is often associated with old age, but many studies have shown that the relationship is not straightforward. This paper seeks a better understanding of the impact of social isolation on feelings of loneliness among older people, by building on the theoretical and actual distinction between social and emotional loneliness. Social loneliness refers to a lack of feelings of social integration; emotional loneliness emerges in the absence of an attachment figure. This paper focuses on social loneliness and has two aims, first to disentangle the direct and intermediate effects of both the number and the quality of social relationships on social loneliness in old age, and second to detect the groups at risk of social loneliness by identifying which personal features correspond with which relational deficits and therefore indirectly increase the risk on social loneliness. Data are analysed for a sample of 1,414 respondents aged 55 or more years drawn from the Panel Study of Belgian Households conducted in 2000. The results confirm that improved understanding is gained by decomposing the interrelation between age and other background features, on the one hand, and the social relational features, on the other, as indirect and direct predictors of social loneliness. Generally, this approach promotes a correct identification of the groups at risk of social loneliness in old age.

scholarly journals Loneliness and Its Association With Social Media Use During the COVID-19 Outbreak

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 205630512110338
Author(s):  
Tore Bonsaksen ◽  
Mary Ruffolo ◽  
Janni Leung ◽  
Daicia Price ◽  
Hilde Thygesen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Media Use ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
The United States ◽  
Social Media Use ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Emotional Loneliness ◽  
Social Loneliness

Social distancing rules during the COVID-19 pandemic changed social interaction for many and increased the risk of loneliness in the general population. Social media use has been ambiguously related to loneliness, and associations may differ by age. The study aimed to examine loneliness and its association with social media use within different age groups during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in Norway, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia during April/May 2020, and 3,810 participants aged 18 years or above were recruited. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between social media use and social and emotional loneliness within separate age groups. Emotional loneliness was higher among young adults and among those who used social media several times daily. Adjusting by sociodemographic variables, using more types of social media was associated with lower social loneliness among the oldest participants, and with higher emotional loneliness among the youngest participants. Among middle-aged participants, using social media more frequently was associated with lower social loneliness. We found that the associations between social media use and loneliness varied by age. Older people’s engagement on social media may be a resource to reduce loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic. We observed higher levels of loneliness among high-frequent social media users of younger age.

scholarly journals Impact of Educational Qualification on Social Support, Social Isolation and Social and Emotional Loneliness: A Study of Senior Citizens

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 153-170
Author(s):  
Salma Naz Gul ◽  
Rabia Chishti ◽  
Maher Bano
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Senior Citizens ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Educational Qualification ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Emotional Loneliness ◽  
The Impact

The present study aims to investigate the impact of educational qualification on social support, social isolation, and loneliness (social and emotional) among Senior Citizens. De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale (1985),Social Support Scale developed by Malik (2002), and Friendship Scale developed by Hawthorne (2006) were used to measure the pertinent constructs of present study. Purposive convenient sampling technique was used to draw the sample of older adults (N = 500) aged 60 to 90 years (M = 67.59, SD = 7.54) from both urban and rural areas of various districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. Alpha coefficients, for all the variables were computed, which ranged between .60 for social loneliness to .96 for social support total scale. Study found significant differences among the variables. Findings revealed that educational qualification of the sample had a positive impact on their social support and they were less socially isolated as compared to uneducated senior citizens.

scholarly journals The Structure of Social Networks and Its Link to Higher Education Students' Socio-Emotional Loneliness During COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuel D.S. Hopp ◽  
Marion Händel ◽  
Svenja Bedenlier ◽  
Michaela Gläser-Zikuda ◽  
Rudolf Kammerl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Online Communication ◽  
Education Student ◽  
Emotional Experiences ◽  
Egocentric Networks ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Emotional Loneliness ◽  
Digital Skills ◽  
The Impact

Lonely students typically underperform academically. According to several studies, the COVID-19 pandemic is an important risk factor for increases in loneliness, as the contact restrictions and the switch to mainly online classes potentially burden the students. The previously familiar academic environment (campus) as well as the exchange with peers and lecturers on site were no longer made available. In our study, we examine factors that could potentially counteract the development of higher education student loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic from a social network perspective. During the semester, N = 283 students from across all institutional faculties of a German comprehensive university took part in an online survey. We surveyed their social and emotional experiences of loneliness, their self-reported digital skills, and their current egocentric networks. We distinguished between close online contacts (i.e., mainly online exchanges) and close offline contacts (i.e., mainly in situ exchanges). In addition, we derived the interconnectedness (i.e., the densities of the egocentric networks) and diversity (operationalized with the entropy) of students’ contacts. The results of correlation analyses and hierarchical linear regressions indicate that strong digital skills are related to both a higher number of online contacts and to lower social and emotional experiences of loneliness. Regardless of whether offline or online, the number of reported contacts is indicative of a lower experience of social loneliness. A well-connected network related to lower experiences of social but not emotional loneliness. Finally, findings suggest that homogenous networks tend to be related with lower experiences of both social and emotional loneliness. Overall, our study indicates that barriers to online communication might be mitigating factors to consider when assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student loneliness.

Loneliness, socio-economic status and quality of life in old age: the moderating role of housing tenure

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 998-1021 ◽  
Author(s):  
AGNES SZABO ◽  
JOANNE ALLEN ◽  
FIONA ALPASS ◽  
CHRISTINE STEPHENS
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Housing Tenure ◽  
Socio Economic Status ◽  
Emotional Loneliness ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTThe study investigated housing tenure as a factor moderating the effects of loneliness and socio-economic status (SES) on quality of life (control and autonomy, pleasure, and self-realisation) over a two-year period for older adults. Data from the 2010 and 2012 waves of the New Zealand Health, Work, and Retirement Study were analysed. Using case-control matching, for each tenant (N = 332) we selected a home-owner (N = 332) of the same age, gender, ethnicity, SES, working status and urban/rural residence. Structural equation modelling was employed to examine the impact of SES, housing tenure and loneliness on quality of life over time. Emotional loneliness exerted a significant negative main effect on control and autonomy and pleasure. Tenure and SES influenced control and autonomy, but not pleasure or self-realisation. Tenure moderated the effect of emotional loneliness on control and autonomy, with the negative effect of emotional loneliness weaker for home-owners compared to renters. Tenure moderated the effect of SES on control and autonomy, with the positive impact of SES stronger for home-owners. Findings suggest that owners capitalise on their material and financial resources more than tenants in terms of their quality of life. In addition, home-ownership can act as a protective factor against the harmful effects of emotional loneliness in old age.

scholarly journals PRODUCTIVE ACTIVITIES AND LONELINESS AMONG JAPANESE MIDLIFE AND OLDER ADULTS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S827-S827 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Wang ◽  
Yihan Wang ◽  
Florian Kohlbacher ◽  
Ernest Gonzales
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Family Caregiving ◽  
Productive Aging ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Productive Activities ◽  
Emotional Loneliness ◽  
Japanese Male ◽  
Male Caregivers ◽  
Social Loneliness

Abstract Background: Loneliness among older population is a public health concern shared worldwide. Using the motivational theory for life-span development, this study examined the associations between loneliness (social and emotional) and productive activities among midlife and older adults in Japan. Methods: The Japanese National Data on Lifestyle and Mental Health, a nationally representative sample of midlife and older adults (2011, N=1,575), were used to examine how employment, volunteering, helping family and friends, and informal caregiving was associated with social and emotional loneliness, controlling for multiple risk and protective factors. Results: Family caregiving was related to more social loneliness. Working, helping family, and volunteering were related to less emotional loneliness, while family caregiving was related to more emotional loneliness. Japanese male caregivers reported more social isolation compared to female caregivers. Face-to-face interactions reduced emotional loneliness among caregivers. Discussion: Findings underscored the nuanced difference of social loneliness and emotional loneliness. Social policies that advance productive aging should recognize “unintended consequences” and aim to protect older adults from social and emotional loneliness. Counselling services and social support programs specifically for Japanese male caregivers are warranted.

scholarly journals A Closer Look at Loneliness: Why Do First-Generation Migrants Feel More Lonely Than Their Native Dutch Counterparts?

2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 291-301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rowan L F ten Kate ◽  
Başak Bilecen ◽  
Nardi Steverink
Keyword(s):  
Social Relationships ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Household Composition ◽  
Social Activities ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Emotional Loneliness ◽  
Contact Frequency ◽  
First Generation Migrants ◽  
Design And Methods ◽  
Social Loneliness

Abstract Background and Objectives Along with the current aging demographics in the Netherlands, the number of older first-generation migrants is also increasing. Despite studies suggesting a higher quantity of social contacts of migrants, loneliness is more common among migrants as compared to native Dutch. We theorize that migrants experience more emotional and social loneliness due to a lower satisfaction with social relationships and lower participation in social activities, respectively, compared to their native counterparts. Research Design and Methods We use data from Statistics Netherlands (N = 7,920) with first-generation migrants aged 40 years and older and their Dutch counterparts. Contact frequency, household composition, satisfaction with social relationships, relationship quality with the partner, and social activities, are used as main predictors and separate regression models for social and emotional loneliness are analyzed. Results Compared to the native Dutch, first-generation migrants are both socially and emotionally more lonely. Migrants have a similar contact frequency as the native Dutch, but are less satisfied with their social relationships, which contributes to their higher emotional, social, and overall loneliness. Migrants engage less in social activities but this does not put them at additional risk of loneliness. Discussion and Implications Migrants experience more social and emotional loneliness and are less satisfied with their social relationships compared to their native counterparts. Interventions should focus on reducing both social and emotional loneliness among older migrants. Specific attention should be paid to fostering satisfying social interactions. Additionally, encouraging migrants to broaden their social network may reduce social loneliness.

scholarly journals Loneliness and life dissatisfaction in gamblers

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Porter ◽  
Julia Ungar ◽  
G. Ron Frisch ◽  
Reena Chopra
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Satisfaction With Life ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Satisfaction With Life Scale ◽  
The South ◽  
South Oaks Gambling Screen ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Emotional Loneliness ◽  
Life Scale ◽  
Internal Experience

This exploratory study examines the manifestation of two experiential variables in undergraduate university students who gamble. The study had 829 participants (270 males and 559 females). They completed self-report questionnaires on gambling-related problems (the South Oaks Gambling Screen), loneliness (the Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults), and overall life satisfaction (the Satisfaction with Life Scale). Based on their scores on the South Oaks Gambling Screen, participants were divided into two groups: recreational gamblers and at-risk gamblers. Male participants were much more likely to be at-risk gamblers than female participants. Compared to female recreational gamblers, female at-risk gamblers were found to be less satisfied with their lives and lonelier, especially in the romantic and social realms. Male recreational and at-risk gamblers did not differ significantly on these factors. Results support the views that the internal experience of female at-risk gamblers differs from that of their male counterparts, and that loneliness is best considered as a multidimensional construct.

scholarly journals The Structure of Social Networks and Its Link to Higher Education Students’ Socio-Emotional Loneliness During COVID-19

2022 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuel D. S. Hopp ◽  
Marion Händel ◽  
Svenja Bedenlier ◽  
Michaela Glaeser-Zikuda ◽  
Rudolf Kammerl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Information Sharing ◽  
Digital Information ◽  
Egocentric Networks ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Emotional Loneliness ◽  
Sharing Behavior ◽  
Close Contacts ◽  
Social Loneliness

Lonely students typically underperform academically. According to several studies, the COVID-19 pandemic is an important risk factor for increases in loneliness, as the contact restrictions and the switch to mainly online classes potentially burden the students. The previously familiar academic environment (campus), as well as the exchange with peers and lecturers on site, were no longer made available. In our cross-sectional study, we examine factors that could potentially counteract the development of higher education student loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic from a social network perspective. During the semester, N = 283 students from across all institutional faculties of a German comprehensive university took part in an online survey. We surveyed their social and emotional experiences of loneliness, their self-reported digital information-sharing behavior, and their current egocentric networks. Here, we distinguished between close online contacts (i.e., mainly online exchanges) and close offline contacts (i.e., mainly in-person face-to-face exchanges). In addition, we derived the interconnectedness (i.e., the densities of the egocentric networks) and heterogeneity (operationalized with the entropy) of students’ contacts. To obtain the latter, we used a novel two-step method combining t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE) and cluster analysis. We explored the associations of the aforementioned predictors (i.e., information-sharing behavior, number of online and offline contacts, as well as interconnectedness and heterogeneity of the close contacts network) on social and emotional loneliness separately using two hierarchical multiple linear regression models. Our results suggest that social loneliness is strongly related to digital information-sharing behavior and the network structure of close contacts. In particular, high information-sharing behavior, high number of close contacts (whether offline or online), a highly interconnected network, and a homogeneous structure of close contacts were associated with low social loneliness. Emotional loneliness, on the other hand, was mainly related to network homogeneity, in the sense that students with homogeneous close contacts networks experienced low emotional loneliness. Overall, our study highlights the central role of students’ close social network on feelings of loneliness in the context of COVID-19 restrictions. Limitations and implications are discussed.

Causal Relationship among various Development Indices: A Panel Study

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Causal Relationship ◽  
Panel Study ◽  
Institutional Development ◽  
Development Index ◽  
Distributed Lag ◽  
Panel Ardl ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Distributed Lag Models ◽  
The One ◽  
The Impact

The concept of development has been regarded as a broader phenomenon encompassing various interrelated factors leading to improvement in the overall human wellbeing. So, it is important to understand the interlinkages between various dimensions of development. The present study was an attempt to analyze the causal relationship between the four aspects of development measured by the indices, namely the Economic Development Index (EDI), Social Development Index (SDI), Environment Development Index (ENDI), and Institutional Development Index (IDI) for a panel of 102 counties from 1996 to 2015. The long?run relationship between these indices through the panel ARDL model were also examined. The results indicated that there existed a bi-directional causal relationship between EDI and SDI, IDI and SDI, ENDI and SDI, and between IDI and ENDI. The one-way causality runs from IDI to EDI and ENDI to EDI. Further, given the nature of the variables considered here, panel autoregressive distributed lag models were used to examine the long?run relationship between the indices of development. The results showed that the impact of development indices with one another was statistically significant in the long run.

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