Authors : Muhammad Ridhuan Tony Lim Abdullah, Saedah Siraj and Zaharah Hussin
Abstract: Studies have reported that older people are at higher risk to succumb to loneliness due to a number of prevalent factors which prevent or limit their social activities. Past studies concured that loneliness if left unattended could lead to declining of physical health, depression, cognitive impairment and even suicidal. Therefore, investigations into appropriate strategies in managing loneliness among the elderly should be a continous effort. Contributing to the investigations, instead of adding to external interventions, this study aimed at investigating how the elderly could cope with loneliness through self-management srategies. In detail, the objective of the study is to propose a self-management coping strategy model as intervention to aid the elderly in Malaysia to cope with loneliness. The model was constructed through integrated expert’s views managed via Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) Technique. About (84) experts from various backgrounds such as academics, ex-patient of loneliness, retired professionals and old folk’s home caretakers were selected to give the input to develop the model. The outcome of the study resulted in a network of 16 self-management coping strategies to map a holistic guide for the elderly in managing loneliness effectively. The outcome of the study would implicate how the elderly could cope with loneliness through self-management strategies as a viable alternative to external aid.
Muhammad Ridhuan Tony Lim Abdullah, Saedah Siraj and Zaharah Hussin, 2017. Coping with Loneliness among the Elderly: An Interpretive Structural Modeling of Self-Management Coping Strategy. The Social Sciences, 12: 299-304.