Exploring loneliness in an Italian group of pre-frail older people : a secondary analysis of data from a qualitative study on the role of technology in supporting older people living alone

Loneliness is one of the factors that affect the quality of life and mental health of older people, especially when they live alone. However, literature seems to focus mainly on “measuring” loneliness in older people, and less on studying their perception of it. We designed a qualitative study on the role of technologies in supporting pre-frail elders, in order to continue living at home, even if alone. Within it, we explored the participants’ experience of loneliness and loss; data were gathered through 25 individual semi-structured interviews and analyzed with the Interpretative Phenomenological Approach. Findings showed that loneliness characterized the interviewees’ life and it was mostly associated with the loss of a beloved one. Although some participants perceived negatively loneliness and its consequences, others emphasized the importance of having space/time for themselves in their lives, and loneliness was almost perceived as a conquest. Some interviewees seemed not to want to surrender to solitude, and they showed to have developed some strategies to face it, such as helping others and maintaining hobbies/interests. More details will be reported in our presentation, where we will reflect on the factors that seem to empower pre-frail older people when facing loneliness, with particular attention to digital literacy.