Adaptation Processes in Modern Russia

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of the peculiarities of the experience of loneliness by the elderly in the context of the problems of adaptation to the conditions of modern Russian reality. Considerable attention is paid to understanding the problems of loneliness of older Russians in a situation of increasing social isolation due to response measures to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis is based on data from the from the “Russia Longitudinal Monitoring Survey – Higher School of Economics” (RLMS-HSE). It reveals that social isolation prevails in older people, characterized by a reduction or termination of individual contacts, while physical or complete isolation is quite rare. A significant but weak inverse correlation was found between the frequency of feelings of loneliness and the intensity of communication in old age. If employment significantly expands the possibilities of communication and at the same time reduces the severity of the experience of loneliness, then being in a family reduces the frequency of feeling loneliness while maintaining the intensity of communication with other people. Coronavirus restrictions, which have increased isolation, have had a negative impact on the social well-being of older citizens. Significantly increased the number of people experiencing depression, anxiety, depression, danger and fear. More difficult than others to adapt to a new situation are people who constantly or often experience loneliness. But although forced isolation and other pandemic restrictions have given rise to many problems that require an adequate solution, they still have not become destructive stress for the vast majority of older people. As the regime of restrictions eased and awareness of what was happening increased, the majority of older Russians were able to adapt to the new conditions to one degree or another.