Establishing routines to cope with the loneliness associated with widowhood: A narrative analysis
Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Title
Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing
Publisher
Wiley
School
School of Nursing and Midwifery
RAS ID
22893
Abstract
Background Loneliness in older people is a public health concern in many Western countries. While not necessarily a symptom of mental disorder, it is often associated with depression and anxiety. Widowhood is a transition period during which many older people experience acute loneliness but over time develops strategies to manage it. Little is known about effective strategies that older people have used to manage the experience. The strategies older people used to manage this was the focus of this paper. Aim The aim was to examine older widows' experiences of loneliness. Design The design of this study was a qualitative narrative analysis with thematic analysis and the participants were 40 older widow/widowers aged between 70 and 97 years. Findings The study found that the participants negotiated the experience of loneliness following widowhood from an acute phase of experiencing an absence and the associated loss of routine connection to the establishment of new routines that provided new connections and a new sense of identity as an individual rather than a couple. Conclusions It is important for mental health nurses to screen for loneliness and be able to facilitate interventions that may alleviate the experience of loneliness.
DOI
10.1111/jpm.12339
Access Rights
subscription content
Comments
Davies, N., Crowe, M., & Whitehead, L. (2016). Establishing routines to cope with the loneliness associated with widowhood: A narrative analysis. Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing, 23(8), 532-539. Available here