The phenomenon of loneliness among senior citizens: subject of discussion

Abstract

The subject of this research is the phenomenon of loneliness among senior citizens. The goal lies in examination of the problems of loneliness among senior citizens. The article reviews such aspects as alienation from the society, feeling useless and helpless; gives the key characteristics of loneliness – assessment of social status, type of inferiority, type of temporal perspective, models of loneliness. The types of loneliness are divided into situational, chronic, recurrent, as well as emotional and social isolation. Research methodology employs the ideas of phenomenological, systemic, and activity approaches in the context of studying the problems of loneliness among senior citizens and effective ways of their solution. The survey revealed that senior citizens quite often feel lonely, which is reflected in the distorted interaction with other people, experiencing psychological problems, difficulties in self-organization, and the need for assistance of the social workers. The author empirically proves that the developed program “Young at Heart”, through creating hobby groups, helps senior citizens to feel needed in the society, improves their psychoemotional state, and allows overcoming loneliness. The article examines the theoretical approaches towards comprehension of the problem of loneliness among senior citizens. The author formulates the original definition of the concept of “loneliness” in the context of socio-psychological aspect, determines the causes of the phenomenon of loneliness among senior citizens within the framework of their interaction with society, develops a questionnaire aimed at studying the factors of socio-psychological loneliness of senior citizens, offers the ways for overcoming loneliness through active social life, such as  creation of the hobby group “Young at Heart”, which includes the three types of activity: leisure and creative-applied, health promotion,  and garden therapy. It is substantiated that maintenance of zest for living among senior citizens would be effective by creating a socially favorable, psychoemotional and health-preserving environment in the society.