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A review of loneliness: concept and definitions, determinants and consequences

Part of: Bespoke shallow archive Weizmann

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 1998

Jenny de Jong Gierveld
Jenny de Jong Gierveld
Affiliation:
Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NIDI), The Hague, and Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Abstract

The well-being of older adults in general, and their loneliness in particular, are important themes in recent discussions in the Western world. The social integration and participation of older adults in society are seen as indicators of productive aging, and the alleviation of loneliness forms part of policies aimed at achieving the goal of ‘successful’ aging. Discussions about loneliness date back to ancient times, when they were led by philosophers. They wrote primarily about ‘positive’ loneliness. This positive type of loneliness - as indicated in the concept of ‘Einsamkeit’ used in German literature until 1945 - is perceived to be related to the voluntary withdrawal from the daily hassles of life and oriented towards higher goals, such as reflection, meditation and communication with God.

Type
Review Article
Information
Reviews in Clinical Gerontology , Volume 8 , Issue 1 , February 1998 , pp. 73 - 80
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 1998

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