Loneliness and Psychological Distress among Older Adults in Bangladesh

Abstract

Objective: The study aimed to examine the relationship between loneliness and psychological distress of the participants. Methods: Co-relational research was conducted among 112 selected older adults using a convenience sampling technique. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews. After data collection, it was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Loneliness had a highly significant positive correlation with psychological distress. Loneliness is also significantly associated with age, religion, family members, marital status, occupation, residence, and disease conditions. The psychological distress was significantly associated with age, gender, family members, marital status, occupation, family income, and disease condition. Conclusion: Based on the findings, it is recommended that minimizing loneliness and psychological distress of older adults in Bangladesh needs a culturally sensitive health education program that targets not only older adults but also their significant others who are authorized persons in the family.