Being Alone Without Feeling Lonely? The Unmet Desire for Company Among Older Italians

Annalisa Donno, University of Padova
Tiziana Nazio, University of Turin
Maria Letizia Tanturri, University of Padova

Ageing aligns with changes in living arrangements, social networks, and companionship patterns that may increase time spent alone. But social isolation not necessarily implies loneliness, the subjective feeling of being alone. We jointly test the determinants of loneliness: living alone, spending time alone, and the existence of a network in case of need, together with an objective measure of daily pattern of time spent alone and with others. Using the most recent Italian Time Use survey data (2013-14) we focus on individuals aged over 60 and model a measure of loneliness, the unmet desire for company measured through the following question: Would you like to spend more time in the company of other people? We use Sequence Analysis and clustering techniques to identify relevant daily patterns of time spent alone and with others, at home and outside. Regression models test how those time-use profiles are linked with loneliness and help identify high-risk groups. Results provide evidence that the patterns of daily activities contribute to explaining the perception of loneliness more than solo living or the lack of social networks. Those who spend time alone and at home faring well signal that being alone and feeling lonely are separate dimensions.

Keywords: Older Adults and Intergenerational Relations, Population Ageing, Families, Unions and Households, Inequality, Disadvantage and Discrimination

See extended abstract.