Being cut off from social identity resources has shaped loneliness during the coronavirus pandemic: A longitudinal interview study with medically vulnerable older adults from the United Kingdom

Abstract

Loneliness is a pernicious problem in older adulthood, associated with physical decline and isolation from valued social groups. However, the long‐term evolving experiences of ageing, identity and loneliness have yet to be elucidated. We use a Qualitative Longitudinal Research interview approach with nine vulnerable older adults (Agemean = 79.4 years), in which five participants were interviewed twice between 2019 and 2020, and four participants were interviewed at three‐time points from 2019 to 2021. This study aims to understand the unfolding experiences of ageing, social identity and loneliness during a prolonged period of social isolation during the Coronavirus pandemic. A theoretically guided thematic analysis highlights that participants initially experience ‘Categorisation as Vulnerable and Loss of Agency’ and ‘Shrinking Social Worlds’, leading to ‘Undermining of Reciprocal Support’ and ‘Fears of Persistent Loneliness’. Findings suggest that interventions to ameliorate loneliness among older adults would benefit from addressing age‐based stereotypes and emphasising the value of reciprocal contributions that older adults can make to their networks, as well as scaffolding and enhancing social identification with new groups. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement.

Articles from and inspired by the fifth International Conference on Social Identity and Health

“…Within a shorter timeframe, the three‐wave survey by Du, Livingstone, and Adlam (2023) teases apart the relationship between pre‐COVID‐19 multiple group memberships and post‐lockdown mental health through the emergence of mediating factors, including ‘felt understanding’, during lockdown. Similarly, Harkin et al (2023) use longitudinal interviews to gain insights into how the lived experience of COVID‐19 among medically vulnerable older adults evolved along with the shifting government messaging, which served to undermine their positive ageing identities and left them facing a future of uncertainty.…”

“…A second theoretical contribution comes from the study of group identities during crisis, which highlights the dual role of group memberships as vulnerabilities and/or sources of resilience. While Donaldson, Cruwys, Dawel, and Chen's (2024) longitudinal study showed that multiple group memberships provided psychological resilience to social anxiety during and after COVID‐19, Harkin et al's (2023) qualitative research on older adults with medical conditions highlighted the unique identity‐related vulnerabilities of this group. For these older adults, government messaging confirmed negative stereotypes of helplessness and dependency, regardless of their physical condition and deprived them of the active prosocial roles (and associated group memberships) within their local communities that gave many of them a sense of meaning and purpose in retirement.…”

“…As noted above, Byrne et al's (2023) theoretically guided metareview highlights how the structure and organisation of prison life serves to inhibit help‐seeking for mental health problems, while Wakefield et al's (2024) study of veterans' experiences notes how the ethos and policies of the military can inhibit or even undermine the efforts of retiring service personnel to socially reintegrate. Likewise, both Harkin et al (2023) and Gray et al's (2023) papers on the effects of COVID‐19 on local communities point to the importance of the local community infrastructure in facilitating or inhibiting active involvement, while Filippi, Peters, and Suitner's (2023) paper documents the relationships between organisational decision‐making ethos and the well‐being of employees in the United States, United Kingdom and Italy. By engaging with structural factors which provide opportunities or barriers to social connectedness, these studies enable a fuller appreciation of the many social and environmental ‘determinants of health’ impacting on Social Cure processes.…”