Loneliness in the Older Adult Participants of an Intergenerational Program
Loneliness in the Older Adult Participants of an Intergenerational Program
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Issue Date
1987
Authors
Shidler, Sarah
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Abstract
This study examines an intergenerational program and its older adult participants (ages 68-91) to describe: 1) the level and type of loneliness of these older adult participants according to four different measures (UCLA Loneliness Scale, Differential Loneliness Scale, Social Loneliness Scale, and Emotional Loneliness Scale); 2) their interpersonal needs that are satisfied by their social relationships in general, i.e, their social provisions (as measured by the Social Provisions Scale); and 3) the social provisions and other loneliness related factors that these older adults receive from their participation in this intergenerational program. The results show that these in-program older adults are lonelier (on the UCLA Loneliness Scale) than other groups of older adults but that they do not differ in the Social Provisions they receive from their social relationships in general. They self-reported a relatively low level of emotional and social loneliness with no significant difference between the two. A large majority of the in-program older adults found this intergenerational program to provide elements that have been correlated with a lower incidence of loneliness, with 85 % evaluating participation in the program as beneficial to a lonely potential participant. The discussion treats possible reasons for the loneliness measurements obtained and the implications for intergenerational programs and further research in the field.