International perspectives on social relationships, social isolation, and well-being among older adults

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1 Scopus citations

Abstract

The interpersonal environment in which older adults are embedded strongly influences their health and well-being. A state of social isolation can be defined as the absence of a meaningful interpersonal environment. This chapter presents some important theoretical and methodological distinctions. It looks at the association between several key aspects of the interpersonal realm, on the one hand, and selected positive and negative well-being outcomes, on the other. It examines the contribution of the construct of network type, a composite measure of social relations, to the study and the understanding of the interpersonal domain of older people, and its role in well-being. Following this, it considers another indicator of social relations-this time, a scale of social connectedness-and how this measure disentangles the effects of social relations and social activity on well-being. Finally, the chapter presents findings on the implications of changes that occur in the interpersonal environment on the mental health.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationSocial Isolation of Older Adults
Subtitle of host publicationStrategies to Bolster Health and Well-Being
PublisherSpringer Publishing Company
Pages49-63
Number of pages15
ISBN (Electronic)9780826146991
ISBN (Print)9780826146984
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jan 2018

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 Springer Publishing Company LLC.

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