On this page, you can find all publications of the PROMISE project
Social network elements in loneliness interventions for older migrants: Insights from intervention documents and trainers
Mirjam Kingma, Tineke Fokkema, Bianca Suanet and Basak Bilecen have recently published the first paper from the PROMISE project titled: “Social network elements in loneliness interventions for older migrants: Insights from intervention documents and trainers”.
In this study, the researchers analysed which social network elements contribute to reducing loneliness and how they are currently integrated into Dutch interventions. Based on a literature review, the authors concluded that network quality and expectation management are particularly important in combating loneliness among older migrants, rather than network size.
Through content analysis of intervention documents and interviews with trainers, we find that the quality and expectations of social relationships are included in the analysed intervention documents. However, the findings show that socially sensitive topics, such as the quality of relationships, remain difficult to address within intervention groups. Therefore, the authors suggest combining group and individual formats to better facilitate discussions on these sensitive topics.
The authors are grateful to the interviewed trainers who helped make this paper possible!
The article is fully open access. You can read the paper using this link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378873326000584
Article in Welzijn op Recept about the use of social networks in loneliness interventions for older migrants
In an article in Welzijn op Recept, Tineke Fokkema and Mirjam Kingma share insights from their research on the use of social networks in loneliness interventions for older migrants. They emphasise that it is not just the number of contacts that matters, but especially the quality of relationships and the expectations older people have of these contacts. They also point out that discussing relationship quality in group settings can be difficult, while one-on-one conversations can provide more room for meaningful dialogue. In addition, they highlight a blind spot in many interventions: the focus is still too much on the older adults themselves, whereas involving their immediate environment is essential for sustainable change. These findings will be taken into account in the further development of loneliness interventions within the PROMISE project, and the role of the surroundings in reducing loneliness among older migrants will be further studied.
Curious to read the full article? Read it here: https://welzijnoprecept.nl/extra-risicofactoren-eenzaamheid-oudere-migranten/