Lonely societies: low trust societies? Further explanations for national variations in loneliness among older Europeans

Abstract

Cross-national studies in Europe reveal sharp regional differences in the prevalence of loneliness among older adults, with the highest prevalence of loneliness in Eastern European countries. In this study, we investigate an alternative explanation for differences in loneliness prevalence based on differences in trust. Many of the Eastern European countries were ruled by totalitarian regimes that undermined people’s trust in other people and in the system, potentially leading to higher loneliness prevalence. Data are derived from the sixth round of the European Social Survey conducted in 2012, based on 12,042 respondents, of which 4827 live in post-totalitarian countries and 7215 in other European countries and Israel. We estimate a path model with trust in people, trust in the system, and social engagement included as latent variables and one dichotomous outcome (lonely or not). We control for age, gender, health limitations, marital status, income adequacy, and education. The results reveal that loneliness is partly constructed by the social–cultural and historical–political characteristics of the countries in which people live. The higher prevalence of loneliness in the Eastern-European post-totalitarian countries can be linked to a low level of trust in other people through social disengagement. Considering the role of trust in the creation of individuals feelings of loneliness contributes to the understanding of country variations in loneliness and opens a new perspective in loneliness research and the development of policies aimed at reducing loneliness.

Exclusion from Social Relations in Later Life: Micro- and Macro-Level Patterns and Correlations in a European Perspective

“…Of note, a higher level of individualism and greater trust in other people predict higher social participation and lower levels of loneliness. The findings support the often-alleged role of interpersonal trust in fostering social connectedness and reducing loneliness [ 26 ].…”

“…Low levels of institutional trust can compromise social connectivity by eroding social trust and by its association with social unrest, crime, and lower social solidarity [ 24 ]. These notions, coupled with the strong northwest to southeast divide in social and political trust in Europe [ 25 , 26 ], predict a corresponding divide for social connectivity. Furthermore, some nation states may culturally, or even politically, emphasize notions of solidarity and relational practices that are more typically associated with cohesion and socialization and, thus, effectively both bolster social resources and alter relational expectations.…”

Loneliness and Emancipation: A Multilevel Analysis of the Connection between Gender Inequality, Loneliness, and Social Isolation in the ISSP 2017

“…Finally, in high-gender-equality societies, the issue of the special group of socially isolated lonely individuals becomes more pressing. This group can be assumed to be harder to reach due to its social isolation and special in its needs due to the loss of interpersonal trust and trust in institutions [ 86 , 87 ]. Therefore, special policies must be tailored to its needs.…”

Convergent Validity of the Second Version of the Multidimensional Social Capital Scale (Mscs V2)

“…Tomēr ļoti vāja saistība vērojama starp MSCS V2 skalu Institucionālā uzticēšanās un vientulības skalu. Pazeminātu institucionālās uzticēšanās tendenci iespējams skaidrot ar indivīda negatīvu pieredzi, kas varētu būt iegūta dzīves laikā personiskās attiecībās ar kādu no institūcijām (Hudson, 2006), vai arī plašāku pieredzi, piemēram, piedzīvojot totalitāro politisko režīmu (Rapolienė & Aartsen, 2021). Līdz ar to, iegūtā pieredze var veicināt indivīda paļaušanos vairāk uz ciešām homogēnām grupām (Realo, Allik, & Greenfield, 2008), mazinot uzticēšanos makro līmenī.…”