| 1. |
- Axén, Anna, 1984-, et al.
(författare)
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Loneliness in Relation to Social Factors and Self-Reported Health Among Older Adults : A Cross-Sectional Study
- 2023
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Ingår i: Journal of Primary Care & Community Health. - : Sage Publications. - 2150-1319 .- 2150-1327. ; 14
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Loneliness is described as a public health problem and can be both a consequence of aging and a cause of ill health. Lonely older adults tend to have difficulties making new social connections, essential in reducing loneliness. Loneliness often varies over time, but established loneliness tends to persist. Maintaining good health is fundamental throughout the life course. Social connections change with aging, which can contribute to loneliness. AIM: This study aimed to investigate loneliness in relation to social factors and self-reported health among older adults. METHOD: A cross-sectional research design was used based on data from the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care, Blekinge (SNAC-B), from February 2019 to April 2021. Statistical analysis consisted of descriptive and inferential analysis. RESULTS: Of n = 394 participants, 31.7% (n = 125) stated loneliness. Close emotional connections were necessary for less loneliness. Loneliness was more common among those who did not live with their spouse or partner and met more rarely. Furthermore, seeing grandchildren and neighbors less often increased loneliness, and a more extensive social network decreased loneliness. CONCLUSION: This study underlined the importance of social connections and having someone to share a close, emotional connection with to reduce loneliness.
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| 2. |
- Taube, Elin, et al.
(författare)
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Being in a Bubble : the experience of loneliness among frail older people
- 2016
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Ingår i: Journal of Advanced Nursing. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0309-2402 .- 1365-2648. ; 72:3, s. 631-640
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aim: The aim of this study was to explore the experience of loneliness among frail older people living at home.BackgroundLoneliness is a threat to the physical and psychological well-being with serious consequences if left unattended. There are associations between frailty and poor psychological well-being, implying that frail older people who experience loneliness are vulnerable.Design: Qualitative content analysis, focusing on both latent and manifest content.MethodFrail older people (65+ years), living at home and who have experienced various levels in intensity of loneliness, were purposively selected from a larger interventional study (N = 12). For this study, ‘frail’ means being dependent in activities of daily life and having repeated contacts with healthcare services. Data were collected between December 2009–August 2011. Semi-structured interviews were performed, audio recorded and transcribed verbatim.Findings: The analysis resulted in the overall theme ‘Being in a Bubble’, which illustrates an experience of living in an ongoing world, but excluded because of the participants' social surroundings and the impossibility to regain losses. The theme ‘Barriers’ was interpreted as facing physical, psychological and social barriers for overcoming loneliness. The theme ‘Hopelessness’ reveals the experience when not succeeding in overcoming these barriers, including seeing loneliness as a constant state. A positive co-existing dimension of loneliness, offering independence, was reflected in the theme ‘Freedom’.Conclusion: The findings suggest that future strategies for intervening should target the frail older persons' individual barriers and promoting the positive co-existing dimension of loneliness. When caring, a person centred approach, encompassing knowledge regarding physical and psychological aspects, including loneliness, is recommended.
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| 3. |
- Taube, Elin
(författare)
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Loneliness : an essential aspect of the wellbeing of older people
- 2015
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The overall aim of this thesis was to explore loneliness by identifying associated factors and predictors for loneliness among older people. This research was also undertaken to examine the association between loneliness and healthcare consumption. In addition, the reserach explored the experience of loneliness and evaluated the effects on loneliness, symptoms of depression and life satisfaction of a case management intervention for frail older people.Study I was a quantitative study with a longitudinal design involving persons 78 years or older and drawn from the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care. The sample comprised of 828 people at baseline (2001) who were followed-up after three years (n=511, 2004) and six years (n=317, 2007). The sample was divided into two groups, based on if the persons felt lonely or not. Factors such as personality traits, health complaints, self-reported health status and life satisfaction were included for identifying associated factors and predictors for loneliness. Studies II-IV were based on a main study with an experimental design, comprising 153 persons, 65+ years, living at home, with dependency in ADL and repeated contact with the healthcare services. Study II had a cross-sectional design drawn from the baseline assessment (n=153) of the main study. Self-reported data and register data was used to investigate the association between use of healthcare and loneliness, health status and health complaints. Study III had a qualitative design and explored the experience of loneliness by performing interviews with 12 persons (10 women), recruited from the main experimental study. The interviews were analysed by using qualitative content analysis. Study IV was a randomised controlled trial, including 153 persons randomised to an intervention (n=80) or control group (n=73) and evaluated the effect of a case management intervention after six and 12 months.Three outcomes were evaluated in regards to effectiveness; loneliness, symptoms of depression and life satisfaction.The results in Study I showed that 52 per cent of the sample at baseline felt lonely sometimes or often (mean age 84 years). The strongest associated factor for loneliness was living alone (OR=6.1, 95%, CI=3.8-9.9) and the strongest predictors for loneliness at both follow-ups, at three and six years, was feeling lonely at baseline (OR=7.2, CI=3.9-13.4 and OR=5.4, CI=2.8-10.5). Those associated factors and predictors that were identified were mainly related to psychosocial outcomes. Study II showed that 60 per cent of the frail older participants (mean age 82 years) had experienced loneliness occasionally or more often during the previous year. Those who felt lonely used significantly more outpatient services, including visits at the emergency department, compared to their peers who did not feel lonely (p=0.026). Only depressed mood was found to be independently associated with total use ofoutpatient services (B=7.4, p<0.001). In Study III, the experience of loneliness among frail older people was interpreted in the overall theme “Being in a Bubble” illustrating as being in an ongoing world but excluded because of the participants’ social surroundings and the impossibility to regain losses. The theme “Barriers” illustrated how participants had to face barriers, physical, psychological and social barriers for overcoming loneliness. The theme “Hopelessness” revealed the experience when not succeeding in overcoming the barriers and was characterised by loss of spirit and seeing loneliness as an unchangeable state. The last theme “Freedom” illustrated a positive co-existing dimension of loneliness which offered independence and time for reflection and recharging. Study IV evaluated the effect of a case management intervention for frail older people living at home in regards to loneliness, symptoms of depression and life satisfaction. At baseline, there were no significant differences between the intervention and control groups in regards to the main outcomes or sociodemographic factors. According to intention-to-treat no significant differences were found for any of the outcomes, at any time point between the two groups.When accounting for complete cases, significant differences in favour of the intervention were found at six months for loneliness (RR=0.5, p=0.028) and life satisfaction (ES=0.4, p=0.028), as well as for depressive symptoms after 12 months (ES=0.5, p=0.035).Loneliness is fairly common among older people and once the feeling is established, it is likely to stay. Factors related to psychological wellbeing appeared as the major reasons for loneliness. Frail older people tend not to differ in regards to prevalence, compared to older people in general. Frail older people who felt lonely used more outpatient services, including visits to the emergency department compared to their not lonely peers. However, it was not loneliness per se that was found to be associated with use of healthcare but rather depressed mood. The experience of loneliness among frail older people showed that it was a prevalent issue, regardless of intensity and was associated with physical and social losses. Case management for frail older people was not effective in regards to loneliness, symptoms of depression and life satisfaction. Nevertheless, there were indications that case management could be beneficial in terms of these outcomes. Loneliness is an important factor that could be associated with lower wellbeing and needs to be actively targeted. Because of the complexity, where single causes are difficult to isolate a comprehensive and individualised approach is recommended. Loneliness can be problematic regardless of intensity and is likely to be unresolved, if left unattended. This implies that appropriate assessments of loneliness and other aspects of psychological wellbeing should be undertaken.
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| 4. |
- Taube, Elin, et al.
(författare)
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Loneliness Among Older People : Results from the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care - Blekinge
- 2013
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Ingår i: Open Geriatric Medicine Journal. - : Bentham Open. - 1874-8279. ; 6:1, s. 1-10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: To investigate the prevalence and predictors of loneliness in older people (aged 78+) over a six year period.Method: The sample (n=828) was drawn from the Swedish National Study on Aging and Care and the respondents were followed up at three and six years. Data were collected by means of structural interviews with supplementary questionnaires.Results: Half of the respondents reported that they felt lonely sometimes or more often. Women, widows/-ers living alone were more prone to report loneliness. Both independent associated factors and predictors were identified showing that loneliness is associated with and predicted by both physical and psychosocial outcomes.Discussion: Loneliness is common among older people and seems to be a steady state affected mainly by psychological and psychosocial factors such as personality, satisfaction with life, risk of depression, lack of friends and loss of spouse.Psychosocial interventions targeting emotional loneliness and social isolation are suggested.
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| 5. |
- Taube, Elin, et al.
(författare)
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Loneliness and health care consumption among older people
- 2014
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0283-9318 .- 1471-6712. ; 29:3, s. 435-443
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Few studies have investigated loneliness in relation to health care consumption among frail older people. The aim of this study was to examine loneliness, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and health complaints in relation to health care consumption of in- and outpatient care among frail older people living at home. The study, with a cross-sectional design, comprised a sample of 153 respondents aged from 65 years (mean age 81.5 years) or older, who lived at home and were frail. Data was collected utilising structured interviews in the respondent's home assessing demographic data, loneliness, HRQoL and health complaints. Patient administrative registers were used to collect data on health care consumption. Loneliness was the dependent variable in the majority of the analyses and dichotomised. For group comparisons Student′s t-test, Mann–Whitney U-test and Chi-square test were used. The results showed that 60% of the respondents had experienced loneliness during the previous year, at least occasionally. The study identified that lonely respondents had a lower HRQoL (p = 0.022), with a higher total number of reported health complaints (p = 0.001), and used more outpatient services including more acute visits at the emergency department, compared to not lonely respondents (p = 0.026). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that a depressed mood was independently associated to total use of outpatient care (B = 7.4, p < 0.001). Therefore, it might not be loneliness, per se, that is the reason for seeking health care. However, reasons for using health care services are difficult to determine due to the complex situation for the frail older person. To avoid emergency department visits and to benefit the well-being of the frail older person, interventions targeting the complex health situation, including loneliness, are suggested.
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| 6. |
- Taube, Elin, et al.
(författare)
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The use of case management for community-dwelling older people : the effects on loneliness, symptoms of depression and life satisfaction in a randomised controlled trial
- 2017
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0283-9318 .- 1471-6712. ; 32:2, s. 889-901
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- AimTo investigate the effects of a case management intervention for community-dwelling frail older people, with functional dependency and repeated contacts with the healthcare services, focusing on loneliness, depressive symptoms and life satisfaction.DesignA two-armed, nonblinded, randomised control trial with repeated follow-ups, of N = 153 participants at baseline allocated to an intervention (n = 80) and control (n = 73) group.MethodInclusion criteria were the following: ≥65 years of age, living in ordinary housing, in need of assistance in two or more self-reported activities of daily living, having at least two hospital admissions or at least four visits in outpatient care 12 months prior to enrolment. Case managers (nurses and physiotherapists) provided an intervention of general case management, general information, specific information and continuity and safety. The intervention ranged over 12 months with one or more home visit(s) being conducted per month. An intention-to-treat analysis was applied for the primary outcomes of loneliness, depressive symptoms and life satisfaction, along with complete case and sensitivity analyses.ResultsDuring the trial period n = 12 died and n = 33 dropped out. No significant difference was found between the groups at baseline regarding sociodemographic characteristics, subjective health or primary outcomes. The intention-to-treat analysis did not result in any significant effects for the primary outcomes at any of the follow-ups (6 and 12 months). The complete case analysis resulted in a significant difference in favour of the intervention regarding loneliness (RR = 0.49, p = 0.028) and life satisfaction (ES = 0.41, p = 0.028) at 6 months and for depressive symptoms (ES = 0.47, p = 0.035) at 12 months.ConclusionsThe use of case management for frail older people did not result in clear favourable effects for the primary outcomes. However, the study indicates that case management may be beneficial in terms of these outcomes. Due to the complexity of the outcomes, an elaboration of the components and assessments is suggested.
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| 7. |
- Taube, Jill, et al.
(författare)
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Stillasittande och psykisk ohälsa
- 2013
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Ingår i: Långvarigt stillasittande. - : Studentlitteratur. - 9789144078052 ; , s. 47-55
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Bokkapitel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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