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The Effects of Loneliness, Stigma, and Social Support on the...
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The Effects of Loneliness, Stigma, and Social Support on the Health and Mental Health of Older Populations

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2024) | Viewed by 2728

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Pedro Costa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
William James Center for Research, ISPA—Instituto Universitário, 1149-041 Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: LGBT+ families; parenting aspirations; LGBT+ health; lifecourse development; minority stress; sexual stigma; LGBT+ aging
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
José Alberto Ribeiro-Gonçalves

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
William James Center for Research, ISPA—Instituto Universitário, 1149-041 Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: LGB aging; loneliness; sexual health; minority stress; ageism

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

By 2050, the older world's population is expected to double to nearly two billion (22% of the world's population). These demographic changes highlight the need to promote the health and well-being of older populations. However, two biopsychosocial phenomena stand out as potential major public health pandemics with major negative impact on the mental health of older adults: loneliness and stigma.

Studies from several countries indicate that between 19% and 30% of older people report feeling loneliness. In addition, data from the World Health Organization from 57 countries indicate that 60% of the general population acknowledges that older adults do not receive the respect they deserve. Meta-analyses have recently found that loneliness increases the risk of dementia, stroke, and overall mortality, whereas other systematic data from 45 countries found that in 95% of the studies, ageist stigma led to negative mental health outcomes. Loneliness and stigma are expected to increase in the coming decades due to the population aging trend, the absence of policies to address these problems efficiently, and the lack of evidence from applied interventions that contribute to the improvement of mental health by reducing the impact of these two phenomena on older adults.

The chronicity of stigma, loneliness, and stress can have significant consequences on the health and mental health of older populations. In particular, older sexual minorities (lesbian, gay, bisexual) are faced with inequalities at various levels, including worse health indicators and poorer levels of adjustment and subjective well-being, when compared to the general older population, due to the impact of minority stress and sexual stigma. In contrast, protective variables, such as connectedness to the LGBT+ community, social support, and resilience, have been shown to play important roles in reducing the negative impact of minority stress and stigma.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Social Sciences.

Dr. Pedro Costa
Guest Editor
José Alberto Ribeiro-Gonçalves
Guest Editor Assistant

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • loneliness
  • discrimination
  • ageism
  • stigma
  • sexual stigma
  • older people
  • stress
  • well-being
  • social resources
  • resilience

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 658 KiB  
Article
Group Intervention Program to Facilitate Post-Traumatic Growth and Reduce Stigma in HIV
by Nuno Tomaz Santos, Catarina Ramos, Margarida Ferreira de Almeida and Isabel Leal
Healthcare 2024, 12(9), 900; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/healthcare12090900 - 26 Apr 2024
Viewed by 350
Abstract
Background: Research on post-traumatic growth (PTG) and HIV is scarce and the relationship between PTG and stigma is controversial. Group psychotherapeutic interventions to facilitate PTG in clinical samples are effective but none exist to simultaneously decrease stigma in the HIV population. The main [...] Read more.
Background: Research on post-traumatic growth (PTG) and HIV is scarce and the relationship between PTG and stigma is controversial. Group psychotherapeutic interventions to facilitate PTG in clinical samples are effective but none exist to simultaneously decrease stigma in the HIV population. The main objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention in increasing PTG and decreasing stigma in HIV, as well as to explore relationships between the variables. Methods: Quasi-experimental design with a sample of 42 HIV-positive adults (M = 46.26, SD = 11.90). The experimental group (EG) was subjected to a 9-week group intervention. Instruments: CBI, PTGI-X, PSS-10, HIV stigma, emotional expression, HIV stress indicators, HIV literacy, and skills. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to assess the relationship between the variables. Results: There was an increase in PTG and a significant decrease in stigma in all domains and subscales in the EG. Compared to the control group, stigma (t(42) = −3.040, p = 0.004) and negative self-image (W = −2.937, p = 0.003) were significant, showing the efficacy of the intervention. Discussion: The intervention demonstrated success in facilitating PTG, attesting that in order to increase PTG, personal strength, and spiritual change, it is necessary to reduce stigma and negative self-image. The research provides more information on group interventions for PTG in HIV, relationships between variables, and population-specific knowledge for professionals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of Loneliness, Stigma, and Social Support on the Health and Mental Health of Older Populations)
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27 pages, 384 KiB  
Article
Perceived Loneliness, Social Isolation, and Social Support Resources of Frail Older People Ageing in Place Alone in Italy
by Maria Gabriella Melchiorre, Marco Socci, Giovanni Lamura and Sabrina Quattrini
Healthcare 2024, 12(9), 875; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/healthcare12090875 - 23 Apr 2024
Viewed by 321
Abstract
This paper presents some findings from the IN-AGE (“Inclusive ageing in place”) study, which the authors carried out in 2019 in Italy. It explores the available social support resources for frail older people with functional limitations ageing in place alone, and possible links [...] Read more.
This paper presents some findings from the IN-AGE (“Inclusive ageing in place”) study, which the authors carried out in 2019 in Italy. It explores the available social support resources for frail older people with functional limitations ageing in place alone, and possible links between their social isolation and perceived loneliness. The authors conducted qualitative/semi-structured interviews involving 120 participants aged 65 years and over, and used a mixed-methods analysis (quantitative/qualitative). The main results show the family as the main help resource for daily activities, but also for intimate confidences against social isolation, especially when said relatives live close. Family confidants are less present when seniors are supported by friends/neighbours or/and public services. Moreover, the family is valuable for decreasing loneliness, although not always. However, some older people feel particularly alone when they are supported by public services. Such a complex context draws attention on the need of support for frail seniors living alone and could provide insights for policymakers on adequate policies for preventing and managing loneliness and social isolation in later life. This is especially relevant when family (and other) resources are not available or scarce, also considering the opportunities offered by technology, which can help seniors remain socially connected to relatives, friends and their overall community. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of Loneliness, Stigma, and Social Support on the Health and Mental Health of Older Populations)
12 pages, 296 KiB  
Article
Beyond Mortality: The Social and Health Impacts of COVID-19 among Older (55+) BIPOC and LGBT Respondents in a Canada-Wide Survey
by Robert Beringer, Brian de Vries, Paneet Gill and Gloria Gutman
Healthcare 2023, 11(14), 2044; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/healthcare11142044 - 17 Jul 2023
Viewed by 1447
Abstract
This study focused on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the marginalized populations—specifically Black and Indigenous people as well as People of Color (BIPOC) compared to White older adults and LGBT individuals compared to heterosexual older adults. Data were derived from our [...] Read more.
This study focused on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the marginalized populations—specifically Black and Indigenous people as well as People of Color (BIPOC) compared to White older adults and LGBT individuals compared to heterosexual older adults. Data were derived from our national online survey of Canadians aged 55+, conducted from 10 August to 10 October 2020. The survey explored the influence of COVID-19 on lifestyle changes, well-being, and planning for the future. Our sample comprised 4292 respondents. We compared sets of dichotomous variables with White vs. BIPOC, LGBT vs. heterosexual, and LGBT White vs. LGBT BIPOC respondents. Significantly more BIPOC than White individuals reported changes in accessing food (44.3% vs. 33.2%) and in family income (53.9% vs. 38.9%) and fewer reported feeling accepted and happy, and more felt isolated and judged. Significantly more LGBT than heterosexual respondents reported changes in routines and in accessing social support, medical and mental health care and more feeling depressed, lonely, anxious, and sad. More LGBT–BIPOC than LGBT–White respondents reported changes in access to food (66.7 vs. 30.6, p < 0.001); in family income (66.7 vs. 41.5, p < 0.005); and in access to mental health care (38.5 vs. 24.0, p < 0.05). The only difference in emotional response to COVID-19 was that more BIPOC–LGBT than White–LGBT respondents reported feeling judged (25.9 vs. 14.5, p < 0.05). These findings reflect a complex mix of the effects of marginalization upon BIPOC and LGBT older adults, revealing both hardship and hardiness and warranting further research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Effects of Loneliness, Stigma, and Social Support on the Health and Mental Health of Older Populations)
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