ArticleBMC geriatrics2022
Loneliness and social isolation among the older person in a Swiss secure institution: a qualitative study.
Article in BMC geriatrics, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 20 citations in OpenAlex.
- Benefits and barriers associated with the use of smart home health technologies in the care of older persons: a systematic review.BMC geriatrics · 2024Pooled it
- The association between exercise, activities, and frailty in older Chinese adults: a cross-sectional study based on the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) data.BMC geriatrics · 2025Article
- Exploring the Psychosocial and Economic Challenges of Elders in Debre Tabor Metropolitan City: A Holistic Perspective.Journal of aging research · 2025Article
- Cognitive dysfunction-an under looked avenue to promote health in incarcerated elderly population through yoga.Frontiers in human neuroscience · 2025Article
- Care for older forensic mental health patients: A consensus guidance document.European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists · 2023Review
- Impulsivity as a Risk Factor for Addictive Disorder Severity during the COVID-19 Lockdown: Results from a Mixed Quantitative and Qualitative Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Barriers and opportunities to accessing social support in the transition from community to prison: a qualitative interview study with incarcerated individuals in Northern Norway.BMC psychology · 2022Article
- The impact of mobile Internet use on mental distress among Chinese adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.Frontiers in public health · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundA pandemic of loneliness is hitting the aging population. As COVID19 forced us to isolate ourselves, we are in a better position to understand consequences of social distancing. The recent literature showed that older incarcerated adults are particularly at risk of health-related complications due to isolation in the prison environment, reducing their social capital. Mental and physical health can be severely affected by loneliness and social isolation, especially in prison.
methodsOur qualitative study investigates the view of older persons deprieved of their liberty on loneliness and social isolation pertaining to their mental health. We interviewed 57 older participants, including imprisoned individuals and forensic patients, following a semi-structured interview guide. During the data management and data analysis process, we excluded 7 interviews which were of poorer quality. Thereafter, we analyzed the remainders following a thematic approach.
resultsMost interviewees experience loneliness following lack of significant human relationships in prison. Making friends appears to be a challenge for all the participants, because, for one thing, they do not find people with similar interests. Also, secure institution setting aggravates isolation due to the restrictions of movement placed such as rules concerning movement between floors, hindering intimate relationship, and separation between friends. Moreover, contact with prison personnel is limited and lack social capital (e.g. trust).
conclusionTo our knowledge, this study is one of the first to present incarcerated persons' perspective on loneliness, social isolation and poor social capital in the Swiss prison setting. These has been reported to cause health problems both somatic and psychological. Our participants experience these deleterious factors in detention. As prisons have the possibility to become a health-promoting environment through connectedness, friendship, and trust promotion, stakeholders need to better their social capital.
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