The relationship between loneliness, death anxiety, and social networks in older adults

The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between loneliness, death anxiety, and social networks among older adults living in the community. The research was conducted between January 2024 and March 2024 with 250 older adults aged 65 and over, selected using a known population non-probability sampling method, who were affiliated with a family health center in the central area of Yozgat province. Data collection tools included a Personal Information Form, the Loneliness Scale for the Older Adults, the Death Anxiety Scale, and the Lubben Social Network Scale. In the analysis of the data, Mann Whitney U, Kruskal Wallis, and Spearman correlation tests were used. The average age of the older adults included in the study was found to be 70.04±5.65, with 53.6% being male, 76% married, 47.2% primary school graduates, 97.2% having social security, and 50.8% evaluating their income status as low. The average loneliness score of the older adults participating in the study was determined to be 6.94±5.21, the average death anxiety score 29.06±25.45, and the average social network score 31.36±10.46. It was found that women had higher levels of loneliness and death anxiety, single older adults experienced more loneliness, primary school graduate older adults experienced more loneliness, and older adults with moderate income levels had more social networks. A positive and moderate relationship was found between the loneliness and death anxiety scale scores of older adults and a negative and moderate relationship was found between the loneliness and social network scale scores (p<0.05). While no significant relationship was found between death anxiety and social network scale scores, a negative and low-level relationship was found between the friend social network and the sub-dimension scores of thinking about and witnessing death (p<0.05). Therefore, it is recommended to develop educational and intervention programmes that can help alleviate the loneliness levels and death anxiety of older adults, strengthen the social ties between the older adults, encourage community programmes, social activities and intergenerational interaction. Keywords: Death Anxiety, social networks, loneliness, older adult individual