Friends, family and social belonging as we age
As the number of older adults in Australia increases, attention is being directed toward ensuring their good health. Research suggests that health outcomes of older adults are impacted by social belonging and loneliness, and that family and friend relationship quality is pivotal to wellbeing. Howe...
| Format: | Article |
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| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2015-09-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/conf.fpsyg.2015.66.00011/full |
| _version_ | 1818050828529827840 |
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| collection | DOAJ |
| description | As the number of older adults in Australia increases, attention is being directed toward ensuring their good health. Research suggests that health outcomes of older adults are impacted by social belonging and loneliness, and that family and friend relationship quality is pivotal to wellbeing. However, the roles of family and friend relationships in promoting social belonging have yet to be determined.
Aims: This study investigated if perceptions of social belonging in late adulthood are differentiated by the quality of family and friend relationships.
Method: The study consisted of two phases. In Phase 1, 260 university staff and students, aged 18 to 75, completed an online survey investigating the quality of family and friend relationships and their association with social belonging. In Phase 2, 88 older adults completed a refined print version of the survey.
Results: Multiple regression was used to analyse the predictive ability of family and friend relationships on social belonging. In Phase 1, significant associations were found between both family and friend relationships and social belonging, with friendship yielding the strongest relationship. Interestingly, in Phase 2 the association between quality of family and friend relationships and social belonging was mediated by age. Those aged 65 to 74 reported a significant relationship between friends and social belonging, which contrasted with those aged over 75. A significant association between social belonging and family relationships was also found for the entire cohort aged over 65, while high quality friend relationships enhanced social belonging when family relationships were not strong.
Conclusions: These results are tentative, but suggest that future research should consider the role that both friendships and family play in promoting social belonging in older adults. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T10:59:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6a51d34a6e6c4f74ac4896bed3e55b33 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T10:59:41Z |
| publishDate | 2015-09-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-6a51d34a6e6c4f74ac4896bed3e55b332022-12-22T01:51:44ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782015-09-01610.3389/conf.fpsyg.2015.66.00011169918Friends, family and social belonging as we ageAs the number of older adults in Australia increases, attention is being directed toward ensuring their good health. Research suggests that health outcomes of older adults are impacted by social belonging and loneliness, and that family and friend relationship quality is pivotal to wellbeing. However, the roles of family and friend relationships in promoting social belonging have yet to be determined. Aims: This study investigated if perceptions of social belonging in late adulthood are differentiated by the quality of family and friend relationships. Method: The study consisted of two phases. In Phase 1, 260 university staff and students, aged 18 to 75, completed an online survey investigating the quality of family and friend relationships and their association with social belonging. In Phase 2, 88 older adults completed a refined print version of the survey. Results: Multiple regression was used to analyse the predictive ability of family and friend relationships on social belonging. In Phase 1, significant associations were found between both family and friend relationships and social belonging, with friendship yielding the strongest relationship. Interestingly, in Phase 2 the association between quality of family and friend relationships and social belonging was mediated by age. Those aged 65 to 74 reported a significant relationship between friends and social belonging, which contrasted with those aged over 75. A significant association between social belonging and family relationships was also found for the entire cohort aged over 65, while high quality friend relationships enhanced social belonging when family relationships were not strong. Conclusions: These results are tentative, but suggest that future research should consider the role that both friendships and family play in promoting social belonging in older adults.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/conf.fpsyg.2015.66.00011/fullFamilyFriendsLonelinessAgeingolder adultssocial belonging |
| spellingShingle | Friends, family and social belonging as we age Frontiers in Psychology Family Friends Loneliness Ageing older adults social belonging |
| title | Friends, family and social belonging as we age |
| title_full | Friends, family and social belonging as we age |
| title_fullStr | Friends, family and social belonging as we age |
| title_full_unstemmed | Friends, family and social belonging as we age |
| title_short | Friends, family and social belonging as we age |
| title_sort | friends family and social belonging as we age |
| topic | Family Friends Loneliness Ageing older adults social belonging |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/conf.fpsyg.2015.66.00011/full |