Being in a Bubble: the experience of loneliness among frail older people

Taube, Elin; Jakobsson, Ulf; Midlöv, Patrik; Kristensson, Jimmie

doi:10.1111/jan.12853

Cited by 64 publications

(99 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Shiovitz-Ezra and Ayalon reported that only 45% of people who were classified as lonely by the direct question were classified in the same way by the UCLA loneliness scale, demonstrating that distinct measures of loneliness capture different characteristics of people who suffer from it [34].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Loneliness and depression in the elderly: the role of social network

Domènech‐Abella

Lara

Rubio-Valera

et al. 2017

Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol

362

230

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Purpose. Loneliness and depression are associated, in particular in older adults. Less is known about the role of social networks in this relationship. The present study analyzes the influence of social networks in the relationship between loneliness and depression in the older adult population in Spain. Results. Feelings of loneliness were more prevalent in women, those who were younger (50-65), single, separated, divorced or widowed, living in a rural setting, with a lower frequency of social interactions and smaller social network, and with major depression. Among people feeling lonely, those with depression were more frequently married and had a small social network. Among those not feeling lonely, depression was associated with being previously married. In depressed people, feelings of loneliness were associated with having a small social network; while among those without depression, feelings of loneliness were associated with being married. Conclusion.The type and size of social networks have a role in the relationship between loneliness and depression. Increasing social interaction may be more beneficial than strategies based on improving maladaptive social cognition in loneliness to reduce the prevalence of depression among Spanish older adults.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Loneliness and depression in the elderly: the role of social network

Domènech‐Abella

Lara

Rubio-Valera

et al. 2017

Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol

362

230

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…A sense of hopelessness has been described by lonely older persons, and they considered loneliness to be a permanent state that they were not able to overcome (Taube et al., ). In the present study, those in the lonely group showed significantly weaker SOC scores than did the group that was not feeling lonely.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They also stated that their meals could be prepared in a simpler way. Lonely older adults have further described that mealtime served as a reminder that something was lacking in their social situations (Taube et al., ). The strong relationship between being at risk for undernutrition and loneliness in the present study among older home‐dwelling persons may actualise an assumption made by Ramic et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Being alone, however, may not elicit a sense of loneliness (Nilsson, Lindström, & Nåden, 2006). Some individuals may be satisfied with solitude (Dale, Söderhamn, & Söderhamn, 2012a;Peplau et al, 1982), and older individuals also reported experiencing solitude as a sense of freedom (Taube, Jakobsson, Midlöv, & Kristensson, 2016). However, very old home-dwelling persons, 85 years and older, who lived alone reported in a qualitative study (Graneheim & Lundman, 2010) that feeling lonely involved living with losses that can cause suffering, such as experiencing physical decline, being more dependent on others, missing certain individuals, sensing that they are experiencing the loss of a meaningful life and becoming invisible.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Who often feels lonely? A cross‐sectional study about loneliness and its related factors among older home‐dwelling people

Tomstad

Dale

Sundsli

et al. 2017

Int J Older People Nursing

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“…Frail patients have expressed that issues of spirituality and meaningful activities are lacking in the existing definitions of frailty, and that the ability to maintain a sense of self in spite of losses can help frail older adults’ well-being [49, 50]. Aging and frailty have been proposed as providing an opportunity for the significant development of understanding and embrace of change, letting go, and loss [51, 52].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Use of Figurative Language to Describe Frailty in Older Adults

et al. 2018

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Introduction: Frailty affects 15% of non-institutionalized older adults in the United States, yet confusion remains in defining and, in turn, assessing frailty. Figurative language, such as metaphor, can help to explain difficult scientific concepts and to form new theories. We aimed to examine the use of figurative language to describe frailty and to identify themes in the way figurative expressions are used. Understanding how frailty is described figuratively may offer insights for developing useful communication approaches in research settings. Methods: We performed a comprehensive review of editorials in the scientific literature to explore figurative language used to describe frailty in older adults. We categorized themes among the figurative expressions, which may help to inform how to effectively communicate about frailty. Results: We found 24 editorials containing 32 figurative expressions. The figurative expressions conceptualized frailty in six ways: 1) a complex, multifaceted concept; 2) an important issue in health and medicine; 3) indicative of something that is failing or faulty; 4) indicative of fragility; 5) representative of vulnerable, ignored persons; and 6) an opportunity for self-awareness and reflection. Discussion: Our review highlights the heterogeneity in depictions of frailty, which is consonant with the lack of a standardized definition of frailty. We also found a novel aspect to the concept of frailty, which merits attention: frailty characterized as an opportunity for self-awareness and reflection. Figurative language, which often juxtaposes familiar with challenging, complex concepts, can offer insights on issues in frailty research and holds potential as a tool for researchers to improve communication about this important and debated medical condition.

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Being in a Bubble: the experience of loneliness among frail older people

Cited by 64 publications

References 32 publications

Loneliness and depression in the elderly: the role of social network

Loneliness and depression in the elderly: the role of social network

Who often feels lonely? A cross‐sectional study about loneliness and its related factors among older home‐dwelling people

The Use of Figurative Language to Describe Frailty in Older Adults

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