Coping with loneliness in later life

How does marginalisation influence experiences and coping with loneliness in later life? a participatory study.

This interdisciplinary PhD project aims to advance knowledge on how marginalisation can shape and influence older people’s experiences of loneliness and explore what type of coping strategies are deployed when self-managing loneliness.

This project involves the recruitment and training of older people as co-researchers in an attempt to reach individuals from marginalised groups, specifically focusing upon LGBT and ethnic minority older people.

This knowledge will inform future policies designed to tackle loneliness in later life and to expand upon existing co-research models.

Research aims

1. To explore the narratives of older people’s experiences of loneliness, examining how marginalisation can shape such experiences.
2. To examine how older people from marginalised groups cope with loneliness.
3. To investigate how older people from marginalised groups can be involved in research as co-researchers and the advantages and disadvantages of using such an approach.

Research team

Principal investigator

• Natalie Cotterell

Supervisors

• Tine Buffel
• James Nazroo
• Pamela Qualter

Publications

• Cotterell, N., Buffel, T., and Phillipson, C. (2018). Preventing social isolation in older people. Maturitas, 113, 80-84.
• Lewis, C. & Cotterell, N. (2018). Social isolation and older Black, Asian and minority ethnic people in Greater Manchester.