Loneliness and social support of older people in China: a systematic literature review

Abstract

What is known about this topic• Loneliness is one of the most serious problems for older people.• Social support is a key factor to alleviate loneliness.• China is undergoing a rapid ageing of the population. What this paper adds• A broad and systematic review examined the prevalence and related factors of loneliness and the sources of social support of older people in China.• Consistent factors related to loneliness were identified. Family AbstractLoneliness is a serious problem for older people, which can be alleviated by social support. The dramatic population ageing together with social and economic change in China increases the likelihood of loneliness and the availability of different sources of social support of older people. The aim of this review was to identify the prevalence of loneliness and its related factors and sources of social support of older people in China. Electronic literature searches were conducted in September 2011 using Web of Science, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, PubMed, CINAHL, China Academic Journal and VIP Database for Chinese Technical Periodicals. Twenty-six papers were identified and reviewed. The prevalence of loneliness varied across the studies, reflecting the different measurements and samples. Marital status, gender, age, educational level, economic level, living arrangements, health status and social support were significant factors related to loneliness. The family was the most important source of social support followed by friends. The receipt of family support improved subjective well-being and mental health, but the effects of support from friends were inconsistent. Chinese older people received relatively little support from neighbours, governmental or other social organisations. Further well-designed studies are needed to identify additional factors related to loneliness and to understand the support from friends, neighbours, formal organisations and other sources.

Loneliness and Cognitive Function in Older Adults: Findings From the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey

“…To understand the nature of the negative effects of loneliness, studies are also warranted from non-Western settings such as China, where findings may not be applicable due to differences in social and cultural contexts (Yan et al, 2014). Nevertheless, the health consequences of loneliness in Chinese OAs have received very little research attention (S. Chen, Conwell, & Chiu, 2014;Y. Chen, Hicks, & While, 2014;Luo & Waite, 2014).…”

The association between filial piety and loneliness among Chinese older adults in the greater Chicago area

“…[2,3] Chronic feelings of loneliness may indicate negative health consequences including high blood pressure, worsened immune and cognitive function, anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and subsequently, increased mortality. [4][5][6][7][8][9] Older immigrants are especially vulnerable to loneliness since they may encounter tremendous changes in their social lives while adapting to living in another country. Many older immigrants struggle to maintain their international social connections, and further, linguistic and cultural barriers impede their efforts to establish new social networks and relationships in the host country.…”

“…A few studies have begun to explore the associations between socio-demographic factors and loneliness, such as marital status, gender, age, education, income, living arrangement. [7,19] However, the association between integral cultural values, such as filial piety, and loneliness remains under-investigated. To our knowledge, only one study of filial piety and loneliness has been done among older Chinese adults in mainland China.…”

Social Support and Sense of Loneliness in Solitary Older Adults

“…Notably, the percentage of older adults living alone has increased from 11% to 13% in the past decade [2]. A rising trend of living alone among older adults is observed due to late marriage, the declining fertility rate and the lengthening of life expectancy [3,4]. Loneliness refers to feelings of depression and anxiety about being left alone [5], which is one of the most common and distressing problems facing older adults [3].…”