Abstract

Objectives

The aim of this study is to increase the understanding of loneliness experienced as positive, by exploring the demographic and situational characteristics of older people who experience loneliness as positive.

Method

Two binary logistic regressions were conducted using data from those aged 60+ from the BBC Loneliness Experiment (N = 5250).

Results

The first binary logistic regression compared participants who experience loneliness always as positive (N = 219) to those participants who never experience loneliness as positive (N = 3004). Spending time alone did not emerge as relevant to experiencing loneliness as positive, but enjoying time alone was important (OR = 1.561 (95% CI = 1.313 − 1.856)). The lonelier older people were, the less likely they experienced loneliness as positive (OR = 0.708 (95% CI =0.644 − 0.779)). Men were more likely to experience loneliness as positive compared to women (OR = 1.734 (95% CI = 1.269 − 2.370)). Lastly, the experience of loneliness as positive was likely to decrease when older people had more years of education (OR = 0.887 (95% CI = 0.853 − 0.921)) but increased with age (OR = 1.067 (95% CI = 1.037 − 1.098)). The results of the second binary logistic regression comparing participants who indicated loneliness purely as positive with those participants indicate to experience loneliness sometimes as positive (N = 2027), are in line with the first regression analyses.

Conclusion

The results are critically discussed by emphasizing the role of norms and cultures, gerotranscendence, and severity of loneliness, which might influence the experiences of loneliness. Further qualitative research is needed to elucidate the meanings of these positive experiences of loneliness.

中文翻译：

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在 BBC 孤独实验中，探讨了英国老年人的人口统计和情境特征，认为孤独是积极的

摘要

目标

本研究的目的是通过探索将孤独体验为积极的老年人的人口和情境特征，以增进对孤独体验为积极的理解。

方法

使用来自 BBC 孤独实验 ( N  = 5250) 的 60 岁以上人群的数据进行了两次二元逻辑回归。

结果

第一个二元逻辑回归将总是经历孤独感的参与者（N  = 219）与那些从未经历过孤独感的参与者（N  = 3004）进行比较。花时间独处与体验孤独并不具有积极的相关性，但享受独处时间很重要（OR = 1.561 (95% CI = 1.313 − 1.856)）。老年人越孤独，他们将孤独感视为积极的可能性就越小（OR = 0.708 (95% CI =0.644 − 0.779)）。与女性相比，男性更有可能感受到积极的孤独感（OR = 1.734 (95% CI = 1.269 − 2.370)）。最后，当老年人受教育年限较长时，积极的孤独感可能会减少（OR = 0.887 (95% CI = 0.853 − 0.921)），但随着年龄的增长而增加（OR = 1.067 (95% CI = 1.037 − 1.098) ））。第二个二元逻辑回归的结果将纯粹表示孤独感为积极的参与者与表示有时感到孤独为积极的参与者（N  = 2027）进行比较，结果与第一个回归分析一致。

结论

通过强调规范和文化、老年超越性和孤独感的严重性的作用，对结果进行批判性讨论，这些可能会影响孤独感的体验。需要进一步的定性研究来阐明这些积极的孤独经历的含义。