Franke Global Leadership Initiative (GLI) Oral Presentations
Age, Loneliness, and Culture: Fostering Intergenerational Connections
Presentation Type
Presentation
Faculty Mentor’s Full Name
Devin Carpenter
Faculty Mentor’s Department
New Student Success
Abstract / Artist's Statement
When considering global health issues, physical illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, or COVID-19 are often regarded as the most pressing threats. However, a growing body of research indicates that loneliness is an exponentially increasing risk to holistic wellbeing worldwide. According to a 2020 study by Cigna Health Insurance Group, three in five Americans reported feeling lonely, removed from social connection, and lacking companionship (Demarinis, 2020). In his landmark 2023 report on loneliness, United States Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy argued that chronic loneliness is “as detrimental to our physical health as smoking fifteen cigarettes per day.” While no age group is immune to loneliness, the elderly and young adults experience higher rates of loneliness than other age groups. As a population, the elderly are especially isolated due to physical limitations and psychological deterioration through diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia, and overall fear and stigma of death and the aging process by the general populace (Kane, 2021). Loneliness also varies across cultures, as many cultures worldwide place a different level of importance on maintaining community. Our research thus investigates loneliness in connection with age and culture, with particular focus on the elderly, who are an underserved age group in loneliness research and interventions. Our review of the literature revealed that loneliness interventions which facilitated group activities and learning experiences for participants successfully reduced loneliness, at least in the short term. Furthermore, insights provided through conversations with Missoula Aging Services revealed that ageism may contribute to loneliness among our local population, and that intergenerational loneliness interventions may help reduce ageism and the loneliness associated with it. These findings indicate the potential for reducing loneliness among members of our community through participation in intergenerational, collaborative experiences and conversation around the topics of aging and loneliness. To address this issue, we partnered with Missoula Aging Services and held four events at local senior residences that consisted of a focus group, in which we facilitated conversations around loneliness and aging, followed by group activities which encouraged participants of all ages to engage together. We administered entry and exit surveys to gauge growth in attitudes around loneliness and intergenerational friendship, with the end goal of encouraging members of our community to spend more time seeking connection with each other.
Age, Loneliness, and Culture: Fostering Intergenerational Connections
UC 333
When considering global health issues, physical illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, or COVID-19 are often regarded as the most pressing threats. However, a growing body of research indicates that loneliness is an exponentially increasing risk to holistic wellbeing worldwide. According to a 2020 study by Cigna Health Insurance Group, three in five Americans reported feeling lonely, removed from social connection, and lacking companionship (Demarinis, 2020). In his landmark 2023 report on loneliness, United States Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy argued that chronic loneliness is “as detrimental to our physical health as smoking fifteen cigarettes per day.” While no age group is immune to loneliness, the elderly and young adults experience higher rates of loneliness than other age groups. As a population, the elderly are especially isolated due to physical limitations and psychological deterioration through diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia, and overall fear and stigma of death and the aging process by the general populace (Kane, 2021). Loneliness also varies across cultures, as many cultures worldwide place a different level of importance on maintaining community. Our research thus investigates loneliness in connection with age and culture, with particular focus on the elderly, who are an underserved age group in loneliness research and interventions. Our review of the literature revealed that loneliness interventions which facilitated group activities and learning experiences for participants successfully reduced loneliness, at least in the short term. Furthermore, insights provided through conversations with Missoula Aging Services revealed that ageism may contribute to loneliness among our local population, and that intergenerational loneliness interventions may help reduce ageism and the loneliness associated with it. These findings indicate the potential for reducing loneliness among members of our community through participation in intergenerational, collaborative experiences and conversation around the topics of aging and loneliness. To address this issue, we partnered with Missoula Aging Services and held four events at local senior residences that consisted of a focus group, in which we facilitated conversations around loneliness and aging, followed by group activities which encouraged participants of all ages to engage together. We administered entry and exit surveys to gauge growth in attitudes around loneliness and intergenerational friendship, with the end goal of encouraging members of our community to spend more time seeking connection with each other.