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Article

“Not Alone in Loneliness”: A Qualitative Evaluation of a Program Promoting Social Capital among Lonely Older People in Primary Health Care

by
Laura Coll-Planas
1,2,*,
Dolors Rodríguez-Arjona
1,
Mariona Pons-Vigués
3,4,
Fredrica Nyqvist
5,
Teresa Puig
2,6,7 and
Rosa Monteserín
2,8
1
Fundació Salut i Envelliment (Foundation on Health and Ageing), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08041 Barcelona, Spain
2
Institute of Biomedical Research (IIB Sant Pau), 08041 Barcelona, Spain
3
Servei Català de la Salut (CatSalut), Planning and Assessment Area, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
4
Nursing Department at the Faculty of Nursing, Universitat de Girona, 17003 Girona, Spain
5
Faculty of Education and Welfare Studies, Social Policy, Åbo Akademi University, 65101 Vaasa, Finland
6
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), Spain
7
Epidemiology and Public Health Department, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, 08041 Barcelona, Spain
8
Equip d’Atenció Primària Sardenya, EAP Sardenya, 08025 Barcelona, Spain
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(11), 5580; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18115580
Submission received: 18 March 2021 / Revised: 3 May 2021 / Accepted: 17 May 2021 / Published: 23 May 2021
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health Care for Older Adults)
Review Reports Versions Notes

Abstract

The weekly group-based program “Paths: from loneliness to participation” was conducted face-to-face over 15 sessions by nurses, social workers and volunteers in primary care in Catalonia (Spain) to alleviate loneliness among older people by promoting peer support and participation in community assets. We aimed at exploring participants’ experiences of loneliness and participation prior to the program and its perceived benefits. The qualitative design was descriptive-interpretative. Data were collected through three focus groups and 41 interviews applying a semistructured topic guide involving 26 older participants, six professionals and nine volunteers. Participant-observation of all sessions involved the 38 older people who started the program. A thematic content analysis was applied. Older persons with diverse profiles of loneliness and participation explained different degrees of decrease in loneliness, an increase in participation in local community assets, companionship, peer support and friendship, and an empowerment process. Successful cases reported improvements in mental wellbeing and recovering the sense that life was worth living. Loneliness persisted among some widowed participants and vulnerabilities hampered some benefits. Participants, professionals and volunteers reported different degrees of success in older people to alleviate loneliness by enhancing social relationships and activities through complex processes interrelated with health and socioeconomic factors.
Keywords: ageing; qualitative research; primary health care; loneliness; social capital ageing; qualitative research; primary health care; loneliness; social capital

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Coll-Planas, L.; Rodríguez-Arjona, D.; Pons-Vigués, M.; Nyqvist, F.; Puig, T.; Monteserín, R. “Not Alone in Loneliness”: A Qualitative Evaluation of a Program Promoting Social Capital among Lonely Older People in Primary Health Care. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 5580. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18115580

AMA Style

Coll-Planas L, Rodríguez-Arjona D, Pons-Vigués M, Nyqvist F, Puig T, Monteserín R. “Not Alone in Loneliness”: A Qualitative Evaluation of a Program Promoting Social Capital among Lonely Older People in Primary Health Care. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18(11):5580. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18115580

Chicago/Turabian Style

Coll-Planas, Laura, Dolors Rodríguez-Arjona, Mariona Pons-Vigués, Fredrica Nyqvist, Teresa Puig, and Rosa Monteserín. 2021. "“Not Alone in Loneliness”: A Qualitative Evaluation of a Program Promoting Social Capital among Lonely Older People in Primary Health Care" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 11: 5580. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18115580

APA Style

Coll-Planas, L., Rodríguez-Arjona, D., Pons-Vigués, M., Nyqvist, F., Puig, T., & Monteserín, R. (2021). “Not Alone in Loneliness”: A Qualitative Evaluation of a Program Promoting Social Capital among Lonely Older People in Primary Health Care. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(11), 5580. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18115580

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