Social Isolation, Loneliness and Health among Older Adults in Singapore
| Name of Recipent | Assistant Professor Huso Yi Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore (NUS) |
| Project Title | Social Isolation, Loneliness and Health among Older Adults in Singapore |
| Project Status | Completed |
| Year Awarded | 2018 |
| Type of Grant | Social Science Research Thematic Grant |
One issue faced by older adults is social isolation and loneliness. These increase physical and mental morbidity and mortality, and are risk factors for poor health outcomes and low social cohesion in the community. With a growing ageing population in Singapore, it is important to enhance our knowledge of social connections and health in the social-ecological context to address the unmet needs of older adults who are at risk of loneliness, and to increase the effectiveness of community activities designed for social engagement of older adults in Singapore.
The overall goal of the study is to understand older adults’ experiences with social isolation and loneliness over the course of ageing and its effects on health; identify focal points of interventions to reduce loneliness; and provide evidence of what should be done to improve the existing participatory interventions in Singapore.
The project has the potential to inform Singapore’s active ageing programmes to better support the needs of older adults who are at risk of loneliness.