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Transitions in loneliness in later life: the role of social comparisons and coping strategies

Deborah Morgan Orcid Logo, Vanessa Burholt Orcid Logo, (CFAS Wales Research Team)

Ageing and Society, Volume: 42, Issue: 7, Pages: 1607 - 1628

Swansea University Authors: Deborah Morgan Orcid Logo, Vanessa Burholt Orcid Logo

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DOI (Published version): 10.1017/s0144686x20001634

Abstract

This study explored the coping strategies and social comparisons used by older adults on different loneliness trajectories (decreased loneliness, stable loneliness and degenerating loneliness). The adaptive consequences of social comparison in later life are recognised as an important strategy for p...

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Published in: Ageing and Society
ISSN: 0144-686X 1469-1779
Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 2022
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa57254
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spelling 2022-07-08T16:22:20.5581537 v2 57254 2021-07-01 Transitions in loneliness in later life: the role of social comparisons and coping strategies 6ab809844c56957c0e9773518a251516 0000-0002-3107-3945 Deborah Morgan Deborah Morgan true false cf7fe9863906cd54df5b0a99904d535e 0000-0002-6789-127X Vanessa Burholt Vanessa Burholt true false 2021-07-01 PHAC This study explored the coping strategies and social comparisons used by older adults on different loneliness trajectories (decreased loneliness, stable loneliness and degenerating loneliness). The adaptive consequences of social comparison in later life are recognised as an important strategy for preserving life satisfaction regardless of age-related losses. Coping strategies are also important in managing loneliness. Narrative interviews were conducted with lonely older adults (N = 11) who had participated in Wave One of the Maintaining Function and Well-being in Later Life Study Wales (CFAS Wales). The study found key differences in the coping strategies employed by older adults on different loneliness trajectories. Differences in coping styles between those who reported decreased loneliness and those who were chronically lonely stemmed from perceptions as to whether loneliness was modifiable or not. Different types of social comparison were also found to modulate the loneliness experience. The findings indicate that higher-order strategies (problem, emotional and meaning focused) are not distinct entities but are part of a dynamic process. The management of loneliness in later life may be dependent on several factors, including older adults’ interpretations of the cause of loneliness. These interpretations will have implications for interventions aimed at alleviating chronic loneliness, where the focus may have to be on changing older adult's perceptions of unmodifiable loneliness. Journal Article Ageing and Society 42 7 1607 1628 Cambridge University Press (CUP) 0144-686X 1469-1779 loneliness; coping strategies; social comparisons; transitions 1 7 2022 2022-07-01 10.1017/s0144686x20001634 COLLEGE NANME Public Health COLLEGE CODE PHAC Swansea University This work was supported by the Economic and Social Research Council (grant number ES/I900993/1). The CFAS Wales study was supported by the Economic and Social Research Council (grant number RES-060-25-0060) and Higher Education Funding Council Wales as ‘Maintaining Function and Well-being in Later Life: A Longitudinal Cohort Study’. 2022-07-08T16:22:20.5581537 2021-07-01T16:01:42.5085407 Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences The Centre for Innovative Ageing Deborah Morgan 0000-0002-3107-3945 1 Vanessa Burholt 0000-0002-6789-127X 2 (CFAS Wales Research Team) 3 57254__20517__40b92887dc6f4c1ca6eacf327eb93423.pdf 57254.pdf 2021-08-02T16:02:57.2527563 Output 291085 application/pdf Version of Record true © The Author(s), 2020. This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence true eng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
title Transitions in loneliness in later life: the role of social comparisons and coping strategies
spellingShingle Transitions in loneliness in later life: the role of social comparisons and coping strategies
Deborah Morgan
Vanessa Burholt
title_short Transitions in loneliness in later life: the role of social comparisons and coping strategies
title_full Transitions in loneliness in later life: the role of social comparisons and coping strategies
title_fullStr Transitions in loneliness in later life: the role of social comparisons and coping strategies
title_full_unstemmed Transitions in loneliness in later life: the role of social comparisons and coping strategies
title_sort Transitions in loneliness in later life: the role of social comparisons and coping strategies
author_id_str_mv 6ab809844c56957c0e9773518a251516
cf7fe9863906cd54df5b0a99904d535e
author_id_fullname_str_mv 6ab809844c56957c0e9773518a251516_***_Deborah Morgan
cf7fe9863906cd54df5b0a99904d535e_***_Vanessa Burholt
author Deborah Morgan
Vanessa Burholt
author2 Deborah Morgan
Vanessa Burholt
(CFAS Wales Research Team)
format Journal article
container_title Ageing and Society
container_volume 42
container_issue 7
container_start_page 1607
publishDate 2022
institution Swansea University
issn 0144-686X
1469-1779
doi_str_mv 10.1017/s0144686x20001634
publisher Cambridge University Press (CUP)
college_str Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
hierarchytype
hierarchy_top_id facultyofmedicinehealthandlifesciences
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofmedicinehealthandlifesciences
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
department_str The Centre for Innovative Ageing{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences{{{_:::_}}}The Centre for Innovative Ageing
document_store_str 1
active_str 0
description This study explored the coping strategies and social comparisons used by older adults on different loneliness trajectories (decreased loneliness, stable loneliness and degenerating loneliness). The adaptive consequences of social comparison in later life are recognised as an important strategy for preserving life satisfaction regardless of age-related losses. Coping strategies are also important in managing loneliness. Narrative interviews were conducted with lonely older adults (N = 11) who had participated in Wave One of the Maintaining Function and Well-being in Later Life Study Wales (CFAS Wales). The study found key differences in the coping strategies employed by older adults on different loneliness trajectories. Differences in coping styles between those who reported decreased loneliness and those who were chronically lonely stemmed from perceptions as to whether loneliness was modifiable or not. Different types of social comparison were also found to modulate the loneliness experience. The findings indicate that higher-order strategies (problem, emotional and meaning focused) are not distinct entities but are part of a dynamic process. The management of loneliness in later life may be dependent on several factors, including older adults’ interpretations of the cause of loneliness. These interpretations will have implications for interventions aimed at alleviating chronic loneliness, where the focus may have to be on changing older adult's perceptions of unmodifiable loneliness.
published_date 2022-07-01T04:12:51Z
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