Loneliness in later life: preliminary findings from the Growing Older Project
Loneliness in later life: preliminary findings from the Growing Older Project
Loneliness is consistently presumed to be a specific ‘social problem’, which accompanies old age and growing older. Ninety per cent of the general population of Britain feel that loneliness is particularly a problem associated with old age. Data concerning the prevalence of loneliness amongst the population aged 65 and over are provided from a quantitative survey of 999 people across Great Britain using a special module commissioned from the ONS Omnibus survey. The overall self-reported prevalence of loneliness shows little change in the post-war period and challenges the stereotype that the problem of loneliness and isolation has become more prevalent. Socio-demographic and health factors were associated with loneliness but contact with family and friends was not. Both quantitative and qualitative data sets illustrate the importance of loss as a theme underpinning experiences of loneliness. Further analysis of these data offers the potential to develop a better understanding of what loneliness really is, what it means to those who experience it may offer the potential to develop interventions and strategies to ‘protect’ older people from this problem.
isolation, loneliness, loss, old age
34-41
Victor, Christina
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Scambler, Sasha
55481fe4-91e2-4edc-96c6-83a23fc74c2e
Bond, John
330e95f0-b152-4eed-905f-3b0bfcc00417
Bowling, Ann
796ca209-687f-4079-8a40-572076251936
2002
Victor, Christina
8b429fcf-a2bc-459f-8f87-d6f168f5d2a0
Scambler, Sasha
55481fe4-91e2-4edc-96c6-83a23fc74c2e
Bond, John
330e95f0-b152-4eed-905f-3b0bfcc00417
Bowling, Ann
796ca209-687f-4079-8a40-572076251936
Victor, Christina, Scambler, Sasha, Bond, John and Bowling, Ann
(2002)
Loneliness in later life: preliminary findings from the Growing Older Project.
Quality in Ageing and Older Adults, 3 (1), .
(doi:10.1108/14717794200200006).
Abstract
Loneliness is consistently presumed to be a specific ‘social problem’, which accompanies old age and growing older. Ninety per cent of the general population of Britain feel that loneliness is particularly a problem associated with old age. Data concerning the prevalence of loneliness amongst the population aged 65 and over are provided from a quantitative survey of 999 people across Great Britain using a special module commissioned from the ONS Omnibus survey. The overall self-reported prevalence of loneliness shows little change in the post-war period and challenges the stereotype that the problem of loneliness and isolation has become more prevalent. Socio-demographic and health factors were associated with loneliness but contact with family and friends was not. Both quantitative and qualitative data sets illustrate the importance of loss as a theme underpinning experiences of loneliness. Further analysis of these data offers the potential to develop a better understanding of what loneliness really is, what it means to those who experience it may offer the potential to develop interventions and strategies to ‘protect’ older people from this problem.
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Published date: 2002
Keywords:
isolation, loneliness, loss, old age
Organisations:
Faculty of Health Sciences
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 334690
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/334690
ISSN: 1471-7794
PURE UUID: cf0f40b0-3176-4855-b2d9-0a16e1f43704
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Date deposited: 23 Mar 2012 15:16
Last modified: 14 Mar 2024 10:36
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Contributors
Author:
Christina Victor
Author:
Sasha Scambler
Author:
John Bond
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