“Trapped in an Empty Waiting Room”—The Existential Human Core of Loneliness in Old Age: A Meta-Synthesis

Kitzmüller, Gabriele; Clancy, Anne; Vaismoradi, Mojtaba; Wegener, Charlotte; Bondas, Terese

doi:10.1177/1049732317735079

Cited by 47 publications

(58 citation statements)

References 100 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…These experiences are consistent with EL arising from an emptiness and disconnected with actual life of the frail elderly, advanced cancer patients, dying persons and terminally ill patients [37][38][39]. However, unlike Kitzmüller et al (2018) review, both Chinese and Swedish older adults in our study made the distinction of "overcoming" rather than "being trapped", (whether the older adults were male or female), though they also depicted EL as a devasting condition connected with negative emotions (i.e., hopelessness, losses, meaningless, see no purpose in life and no value in continuing to live [36].…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 70%

“…This study portrays the EL experiences of Chinese and Swedish older adults living in LTCF and highlights nuanced cultural similarities and differences on how Chinese dealt with EL, as compared to the Swedes. While the study took place in Hong Kong, China and Malmo, Sweden, the findings represented similar ideas from the review by Kitzmüller and her research team (2018) about older adults' voices and their meaning of the existential human core of loneliness in old age [36]. In our study, this was characterized by having the life nearly to an end, disrupting familiar roles and unattaining life goals, having sense of useless because others or even themselves assumed they could no longer contribute, being dependent and being unable to manage their own lives.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 66%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Overcoming existential loneliness: a cross cultural study

Chung

Olofsson

Wong

et al. 2019

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Moving into a long-term care facility (LTCF) can alter the way older adults see themselves and reduce their ability to engage in meaningful experiences and roles. They experience a shrinkage in their social network when they move away from home, a reduction in the frequency of their social contacts and the number of people from whom they receive emotional support. These changes and losses can lead to feelings of loneliness. However, the loneliness these older adults experience may be more than having the difficulty with expressing the feelings of loneliness or the loss of social roles, as common examined in the loneliness literature. Rather, this loneliness stemmed from the intolerable emptiness and lack of meaningful existence attributed to all the losses they have experienced (i.e., existential loneliness (EL). The aim of this qualitative study was to describe the experience of EL in older adults from Eastern and Western cultures who were living in LTCFs and how they dealt with the experience. Methods: Open interviews were conducted with 13 Chinese and 9 Swedes living in the LTCF about the experience of EL. A qualitative study using Thorne’s (2004) interpretive description (ID) was conducted and data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: The core theme “overcoming EL’ captures the participants’ experience of EL. It describes a combined process of “feeling EL” and “self-regulating”. The study affirms that EL, was triggered as a common human condition in our study when the Chinese in Hong Kong, China and Swedes in Malmo, Sweden faced with life boundaries and crisis such as losses, frailty and mortality. Conclusions: EL is a very stress-inducing human phenomenon. Our study demonstrates that EL experience affects the fundamental structure of the ‘self’ unfolded by the experience of loss of control, isolation and meaningless in life. However, being EL allows the older adults of these two ethnics groups reaping the benefits that a ‘clearer’ sense of self provides, ranging from spirit of contentment to decreased distress. Thus, early and clear counselling support addressing the searching and meaning ascribed to EL should facilitate overcoming and better coping with the experience.

show abstract

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 70%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 66%

Overcoming existential loneliness: a cross cultural study

Chung

Olofsson

Wong

et al. 2019

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…EL can be understood as “the immediate awareness of being fundamentally separated from other people and from the universe, primarily through experiencing oneself as mortal, or, and especially when in a crisis, experiencing not being met at a deep human (i.e., authentic) level” (Bolmsjö, Tengland, & Rämgård, , p. 5). In old age, the existential human core of loneliness has been described as an experience of being trapped in an “empty waiting room” (Kitzmüller, Clancy, Vaismoradi, Wegener, & Bondas, ). EL could thus be understood as the essence of loneliness.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Being acknowledged by others and bracketing negative thoughts and feelings: Frail older people's narrations of how existential loneliness is eased

Sjöberg

Edberg

Rasmussén

et al. 2018

Int J Older People Nursing

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Aims and objectives The aim of this study was to describe how EL was eased, as narrated by frail older people. Background Existential loneliness (EL) is an unavoidable part of the human condition. It is a complex phenomenon that has been described as disconnection from life. If EL is acknowledged in the care of older people, the experience of EL can be reduced. Design In this qualitative study, we used an exploratory and descriptive design. Methods The study was based on 22 narrative interviews with frail older people, 76 to 101 years old, who were receiving long‐term care and services. We analysed the data using conventional content analysis. Results Being acknowledged by others, that is, being the focus of others' concern, eased the experience of EL, as did encountering intimacy and having meaningful exchanges of thoughts and feelings. Further, EL was pushed into the background and eased when participants could bracket negative thoughts and feelings, that is, when they could adjust and accept the present situation, view life in the rear‐view mirror, be in contact with spiritual dimensions and withdraw and distract themselves. Conclusion Existential loneliness can be eased by experiencing meaningful togetherness with others and oneself when something else comes to the forefront, pushing EL to the background. Frail older peoples' opportunities to ease EL may be facilitated by health care staff (HCS) providing person‐centred care and create possibilities for solitary time and meaningful togetherness. Implications for practice If frail older people's ongoing processes of adjusting and accepting their situation are understood and confirmed by people in their environment, for example, by nurses, family and friends, the experience of living a meaningful life can be supported, which, in turn, can ease EL.

show abstract

“…[20] Loneliness is also positively associated with chronic conditions such as cancer [19] and cardiovascular disease [21] and it has a negative influence on the quality of life, health and survival. [22] In old age, loneliness is associated with reduced quality of life, poor health, maladaptive behaviour, and depressed mood [23] as well as increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. [24] Loneliness is associated with mental health such as depression, low self-esteem, anxiety, perceived stress [16,25] , psychosis, [26] shame and fear, [18] incident dementia, [27] sleep disorders such as severe insomnia [28] and suicidal ideation in older adults.…”

Section: Loneliness and Physical And Mental Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effectiveness of digital technology interventions to reduce loneliness in adult people: A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

Shah

Nogueras²,

Woerden

et al. 2019

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Introduction Loneliness is an emerging public health problem, which is associated with social, emotional, mental and physical health issues. The application of digital technology (DT) interventions to reduce loneliness has increased in recent years. The effectiveness of DT interventions needs to be assessed systematically. Methods and analysis Aim: To undertake a systematic review and meta-analysis on the effectiveness of digital technology interventions to reduce loneliness among adult people. Design: systematic review and meta-analysis. Data sources: Five leading online bibliographic databases: PubMed, Medline, CINAHL, EMBASE, and Web of Science. Publication period: 1 January 2010 to 30 April 2019. Inclusion criteria: Primary studies involving the application of digital technology interventions to reduce loneliness, involving adult participants (aged 18 years and more) and published in the English language. Search strategy: Literature searches using a priory list of keywords, involvement of two independent researchers in article screening, short listing and data extraction using a predefined template based on the population, intervention(s), comparator(s) and outcome(s) (PICO) framework. Synthesis and meta-analysis: A narrative summary of the characteristics of included studies, findings by the type of DT intervention, and the age, gender and ethnicity of participants. A meta-analysis by the type of DT intervention and determination of effect sizes. Quality of evidence and bias: Quality of evidence assessed the RoB 2.0 (revised tool for Risk of Bias in randomized trials) and ROBINS-I (Risk Of Bias in Non-randomized Studies - of Interventions) tools for randomized control trials and non-randomized studies respectively. Heterogeneity between studies determined by the I2 and Cochran<'>s Q statistics and publication bias checked with funnel plots and the Egger<'>s test. Patients and public involvement: None Ethics and dissemination: Ethics approval was not required for writing this protocol. The findings will be disseminated through the publication of research articles and conference presentations. PROSPERO Registration Number: CRD42019131524.

show abstract

“Trapped in an Empty Waiting Room”—The Existential Human Core of Loneliness in Old Age: A Meta-Synthesis

Cited by 47 publications

References 100 publications

Overcoming existential loneliness: a cross cultural study

Overcoming existential loneliness: a cross cultural study

Being acknowledged by others and bracketing negative thoughts and feelings: Frail older people's narrations of how existential loneliness is eased

The effectiveness of digital technology interventions to reduce loneliness in adult people: A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About