The Cost of Loneliness: Assessing the Social Relationships of the Elderly via an Abbreviated Sociotype Questionnaire for inside and outside the Clinic

Jorge Navarro, Miguel Cañete, Francisco J. Olivera, Marta Gil-Lacruz, Ana Gil-Lacruz and Pedro C. Marijuán
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Jorge Navarro: Grupo de Decisión Multicriterio Zaragoza (GDMZ), Faculty of Economics, University of Zaragoza, 50005 Zaragoza, Spain
Miguel Cañete: Psychology and Sociology Department, Education Faculty, University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
Francisco J. Olivera: Department of Psychiatry, Hospital San Jorge (Psychogeriatric Program), 22004 Huesca, Spain
Marta Gil-Lacruz: Psychology and Sociology Department, Health Science Faculty, University of Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
Ana Gil-Lacruz: Business Department, School of Engineering and Architecture, University of Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
Pedro C. Marijuán: Independent Scholar Affiliated to Bioinformation Group, Instituto Aragonés de Ciencias de la Salud (IACS), 50009 Zaragoza, Spain

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 3, 1-15

Abstract: Gauging the social relationships of the elderly is a significant sociometric research subject and a deep biomedical concern—particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic. It is imperative for facultatives in primary care, for geriatric clinics, and for social care services. In this respect, this article explores the validity of an abbreviated version of the Sociotype Questionnaire (SOCQ), a tool previously developed by the authors for assessing the social relationships of the general population, now specifically addressed to the elderly population. The aim is to construct a 4-item dichotomous scale (SOCG-4) out of the 12 items of the original scale of the SOCQ, so that it can serve to discriminate among the patients in primary care and the geriatric clinic, helping the facultative to find those in need of social care or of psychosocial intervention. The population data have been obtained from a series of previous studies on social relationships in different segments of the elderly population (Ntotal = 915). The resulting abbreviated version of SOCG-4 was extracted by means of confirmatory factor analysis, with the congruence, validity, and relationship with the determinants as close to optimal. The significant correlations with SOCQ (0.82), UCLA (−0.55), Barthel (0.40), and other relevant tests are obtained. The test was also put to trial in a pilot study, being applied to 150 subjects via phone surveys, home visiting, and geriatric clinic—it becomes particularly useful for assessing the social relationships in geriatric clinic use. The 4-item Geriatric Sociotype scale (SOCG-4) appears as a valid measurement instrument for use in the clinic and in other social care instances.

Keywords: loneliness; social relationships; sociotype questionnaire; elderly isolation risk; geriatric clinic (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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