Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-c47g7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-20T01:02:28.618Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

An exploration of the value and mechanisms of befriending for older adults in England

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 April 2011

HELEN LESTER ,
NICKI MEAD ,
CAROLYN CHEW GRAHAM ,
LINDA GASK  and
SIOBHAN REILLY
HELEN LESTER*
Affiliation:
University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
NICKI MEAD
Affiliation:
University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
CAROLYN CHEW GRAHAM
Affiliation:
University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
LINDA GASK
Affiliation:
University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
SIOBHAN REILLY
Affiliation:
University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
*
Address for correspondence: Helen Lester, NIHR School for Primary Care Research, 7th Floor Williamson Building, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK. E-mail: Helen.lester@manchester.ac.uk
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Social isolation and loneliness in older adults are growing problems. Empirical research suggests that loneliness can lead to poorer health outcomes including higher mortality rates. Befriending has been shown to decrease loneliness and depression although the exact mechanisms of action are unclear. In this study we aimed to explore experiences and identify key ‘ingredients’ of befriending through interviews conducted with 25 older adults who had used five different befriending services across England. We used Berkman's theoretical model of how individual social networks impact on health to help interpret our data and explore the mechanisms of befriending for older adults. Findings suggest that befriending offers some compensation for loss of elective relationships from older adults’ social networks, providing opportunities for emotional support and reciprocal social exchange through development of safe, confiding relationships. Good conversational skills and empathy were the foundation of successful relationships within which commonalities were then sought. Befrienders broadened befriendees’ perspectives on life (particularly among older adults in residential care). Social engagement was a powerful mechanism of action, particularly in terms of connecting people back into the community, reinforcing meaningful social roles and connecting to a past life that had often been significantly disrupted by loss. Understanding key components and mechanisms of befriending for older adults may facilitate development of more effective and theoretically sound befriending services.

Keywords

Englandolder adultsbefriendinglonelinesssocial networkssocial support
Type
Articles
Information
Ageing & Society , Volume 32 , Issue 2 , February 2012 , pp. 307 - 328
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Andrews, G., Gavin, N., Begley, S. and Brodie, D. 2003. Assisting friendships, combating loneliness: users' views on a ‘befriending scheme’. Ageing & Society, 23, 3, 349–62.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Berkman, L., Glass, T., Brissette, I. and Seeman, T. 2000. From social integration to health: Durkheim in the new millennium. Social Science and Medicine, 51, 6, 843–57.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bland, R. 1999. Independence, privacy and risk: two contrasting approaches to residential care for older people. Ageing & Society, 19, 5, 539–60.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brand, E., Lakey, B. and Berman, S. 1995. A preventive, psychoeducational approach to increase perceived social support. American Journal of Community Psychology, 23, 1, 117–35.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bulmer, M. 1986. Neighbours: The Work of Philip Abrams. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.Google Scholar
Carsten, J. (ed.) 2000. Cultures of Relatedness: New Approaches to the Study of Kinship. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.Google Scholar
Cattan, M., Kime, N. and Bagnall, A. M. 2010. The use of telephone befriending in low level support for socially isolated older people – an evaluation. Health and Social Care in the Community, 19, 2, 198–206.Google ScholarPubMed
Cattan, M., Newell, C., Bond, J. and White, M. 2003. Alleviating social isolation and loneliness among older people. International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, 5, 3, 20–30.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cattan, M., White, M., Bond, J. and Learmouth, A. 2005. Preventing social isolation and loneliness among older people: a systematic review of health promotion interventions. Ageing & Society, 25, 1, 41–67.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Charlesworth, G., Shepstone, L., Wilson, E., Reynolds, S., Mugford, M., Price, D., Harvey, I. and Poland, F. 2008. Befriending carers of people with dementia: randomised controlled trial. British Medical Journal, 336, 7656, 1295–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Charmaz, K. 1990. Discovering chronic illness: using grounded theory. Social Science and Medicine, 30, 11, 1161–72.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Charmaz, K. 2006. Constructing Grounded Theory. A Practical Guide Through Qualitative Analysis. Sage, Thousand Oaks, California.Google Scholar
Cm 7655. 2009. Building a Society for All Ages. The Stationery Office, London.Google Scholar
Cohen, S. 2004. Social relationships and health. American Psychologist, 59, 8, 676–84.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cohen, S. and Wills, T. 1985. Stress, social support and the buffering hypothesis. Psychological Bulletin, 98, 2, 310–57.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Davis, C. 1990. What is empathy, and can empathy be taught? Physical Therapy, 70, 11, 707–11.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dean, J. and Goodlad, R. 1998. Supporting Community Participation; The Role and Impact of Befriending. Pavilion Publishing & Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Brighton, UK.Google Scholar
Department of Health 2010. Improving Care and Saving Money. Learning the Lessons on Prevention and Early Intervention for Older People. Department of Health, London.Google Scholar
Ellaway, A., Wood, S. and Macintyre, S. 1999. Someone to talk to? The role of loneliness as a factor in the frequency of GP consultations. British Journal of General Practice, 49, 442, 363–7.Google Scholar
Findlay, R. 2003. Interventions to reduce social isolation amongst older people: where is the evidence? Ageing & Society, 23, 5, 647–58.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Godfrey, M. 2001. Prevention: developing a framework for conceptualizing and evaluating outcomes of preventive services for older people. Health and Social Care in the Community, 9, 2, 89–99.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Godfrey, M. 2005. Risk and resources for depression in later life. Journal of Public Mental Health, 4, 2, 32–42.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Golden, J., Conroy, R. and Lawlor, B. 2009. Social support network structure in older people: underlying dimensions and association with psychological and physical health. Psychology, Health and Medicine, 14, 3, 280–90.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gottlieb, B. 1991. Peer telephone dyads: putting conclusions on hold. American Journal of Community Psychology, 19, 1, 123–32.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Griffin, J. 2010. The Lonely Society. Mental Health Foundation, London.Google Scholar
Grundy, E. 2006. Ageing and vulnerable elderly people: European perspectives. Ageing & Society, 26, 1, 105–34.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Heinrich, L. and Gullone, E. 2006. The clinical significance of loneliness: a literature review. Clinical Psychology Review, 26, 6, 695–718.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hokenstad, M. 1988. Cross-national trends and issues in social service provision and social work practice for the elderly. In Hokenstad, M. and Kendall, K. (eds), Gerontological Social Work: International Perspectives. The Haworth Press, New York, 1–16.Google Scholar
House, J., Landis, K. and Umberson, D. 1988. Social relationships and health. Science, 241, 4865, 540–5.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
House, J., Umberson, D. and Landis, K. 1988. Structures and processes of social support. Annual Review of Sociology, 14, 1, 293–318.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jacobs, S., Xie, C., Reilly, S., Hughes, J. and Challis, D. 2009. Modernising social care services for older people: scoping the United Kingdom evidence base. Ageing & Society, 29, 4, 497–538.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Luanaigh, C. and Lawlor, B. 2008. Loneliness and the health of older people. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 23, 12, 1213–21.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McCormick, J., Clifton, J., Sachradja, A., Cherti, M. and McDowell, E. 2009. Getting On: Well-being in Later Life. Institute for Public Policy Research, London.Google Scholar
Mead, N., Lester, H., Chew-Graham, C., Gask, L. and Bower, P. 2010. Effects of befriending on depressive symptoms and distress: systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Psychiatry, 196, 2, 96–101.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Medical Research Council 2000. A Framework for Development and Evaluation of RCTs for Complex Interventions to Improve Health. Medical Research Council, London.Google Scholar
Mendes de Leon, C. 2005. Why do friendships matter for survival? Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 59, 7, 538–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Murphy, E. 1982. Social origins of depression in old age. British Journal of Psychiatry, 141, 2, 135–42.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Neuberger, J. 2008. Unkind, Risk Averse and Untrusting – If This is Today's Society, Can We Change It? The Joseph Rowntree Foundation, York, UK.Google Scholar
Onrust, S., Smit, F., Willemse, G., van den Bout, J. and Cuijpers, P. 2008. Cost-utility of a visting service for older widowed individuals: randomised trial. BMC Health Services Research, 8, 128. doi:10.1186/1472-6963-8-128.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Patterson, A. and Veenstra, G. 2010. Loneliness and risk of mortality: a longitudinal investigation in Alameda County, California. Social Science and Medicine, 71, 1, 181–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ryan, G. and Bernard, H. 2003. Techniques to identify themes. Field Methods, 15, 1, 85–109.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Salvage, A. 1998. Something to Look Forward To: A Review of Age Concern Visiting and Befriending Schemes. Age Concern England, London.Google Scholar
Tomassini, C. 2006. The Oldest Old in Great Britain: Change Over the Last 20 years. Office for National Statistics, London, 32–9.Google ScholarPubMed
Tsutsui, T. and Muramatsu, N. 2007. Japan's universal long-term care system reform of 2005: containing costs and realizing a vision. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 55, 9, 1458–63.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wenger, G. C. 1997. Social networks and the prediction of elderly people at risk. Aging and Mental Health, 1, 4, 311–20.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
World Health Organization 2002. Active Ageing: A Policy Framework. WHO Non-communicable Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Ageing and Life Course. Geneva. Available online at http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2002/WHO_NMH_NPH_02.8.pdf [Accessed 26 October 2010].Google Scholar
Yates, M., Harrop, A., South, P. and Spinney, H. 2008. Out of Sight Out Of Mind: Social Exclusion Behind Closed Doors. Age Concern England, London.Google Scholar