European and Canadian Studies of Loneliness among Seniors
- 1 January 2004
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Cambridge University Press (CUP) in Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement
- Vol. 23 (2), 181-188
- https://doi.org/10.1353/cja.2004.0025
Abstract
This article provides a commentary on a set of five other articles reporting European and Canadian studies of loneliness among seniors. It places those works involving Canadian, Dutch, Finnish, and Welsh samples in the larger context of research on loneliness; offers reflections on the methods and findings reported in the articles; and addresses the question, Is loneliness universal? Points of similarity in the articles are identified and possible ways of reconciling discrepant findings regarding age trends and gender differences are put forward. A discrepancy model of loneliness is used as a key framework for explaining several points, including why objective social isolation and loneliness don't always go together. L'auteur apporte ses commentaires sur cinq articles décrivant des études sur la solitude chez les personnes âgées effectuées en Europe et au Canada. Il examine ces travaux (qui portent sur des échantillons canadiens, hollandais, finlandais et gallois) sous l'angle élargi de la recherche sur la solitude; il analyse les méthodes et conclusions présentées dans les articles et répond à la question : La solitude est-elle universelle? Il note les similitudes entre les divers articles et propose des façons de rapprocher les conclusions divergentes liées à l'âge et aux différences entre les sexes. Il utilise comme cadre de référence un modèle fondé sur le décalage (discrepancy model) pour expliquer plusieurs points, notamment pourquoi l'isolement social objectif et la solitude ne vont pas toujours de pair.Keywords
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