Loneliness and the exchange of social support among older adults in Spain and the Netherlands

TY - JOUR

T1 - Loneliness and the exchange of social support among older adults in Spain and the Netherlands

AU - Sánchez Rodrigues, M.M.

AU - de Jong Gierveld, J.

AU - Buz, J.

N1 - Reporting year: 2013

PY - 2014

Y1 - 2014

N2 - Previous research has shown that exchanges of support within social networks reduce the loneliness of older adults. However, there is no consistent evidence on how types of support (instrumental and emotional) and the direction of that support (giving and receiving) are related to loneliness, and whether the effects are culture-specific. The aim of this study was to investigate support exchanges and their effects on loneliness in Spain and the Netherlands. We suggest that cultural differences, such as more interdependent cultural values in Southern Europe and more independence-related values in Northern Europe, influence social realities such as the social support exchanged. In Spain relationships with family members are determined by mutual obligations; older people expect to receive instrumental support from them. However, in Northern Europe independence is highly valued and intimacy and closeness are shown primarily by confiding about personal matters. This paper examined data from two comparable surveys, one in Spain (N=646) and one in the Netherlands (N=656). Older adults in Spain provide for, and receive, high amounts of instrumental support and this proved to be a protective factor against loneliness. An alternative pattern was found in the Netherlands where respondents provided more and received more emotional support than Spanish older adults; emotional support is a protective factor in the Netherlands (but only for support received). KEY WORDS: emotional support; instrumental support; loneliness; older adults; social network; Spain; The Netherlands

AB - Previous research has shown that exchanges of support within social networks reduce the loneliness of older adults. However, there is no consistent evidence on how types of support (instrumental and emotional) and the direction of that support (giving and receiving) are related to loneliness, and whether the effects are culture-specific. The aim of this study was to investigate support exchanges and their effects on loneliness in Spain and the Netherlands. We suggest that cultural differences, such as more interdependent cultural values in Southern Europe and more independence-related values in Northern Europe, influence social realities such as the social support exchanged. In Spain relationships with family members are determined by mutual obligations; older people expect to receive instrumental support from them. However, in Northern Europe independence is highly valued and intimacy and closeness are shown primarily by confiding about personal matters. This paper examined data from two comparable surveys, one in Spain (N=646) and one in the Netherlands (N=656). Older adults in Spain provide for, and receive, high amounts of instrumental support and this proved to be a protective factor against loneliness. An alternative pattern was found in the Netherlands where respondents provided more and received more emotional support than Spanish older adults; emotional support is a protective factor in the Netherlands (but only for support received). KEY WORDS: emotional support; instrumental support; loneliness; older adults; social network; Spain; The Netherlands

KW - SSCI

KW - emotional support

KW - instrumental support

KW - loneliness

KW - older adults

KW - social network

KW - Spain

KW - Netherlands

U2 - 10.1017/S0144686X12000839

DO - 10.1017/S0144686X12000839

M3 - Article

SN - 0144-686X

VL - 34

SP - 330

EP - 354

JO - Ageing & Society

JF - Ageing & Society

IS - 2

ER -