Carers and loneliness in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

Research questions:
1. Do carers have different levels of loneliness than non-carers in the ELSA dataset?
2. Do the determinants of loneliness differ between carers and non-carers?
3. What are the health consequences of loneliness among carers and non-carers?
Background and rationale:
Loneliness is a subjective feeling of inadequacy of relationships, either their number or their quality (Peplau and Perlman 1982). Loneliness negatively affects well-being and quality of life and is associated with greater use of health and social care services, and earlier mortality. Loneliness is highest among the young (15-24) and the oldest-old (80+). People who provide informal care are known to be at higher risk of poor mental and physical health, collectively referred to as carer burden, and many carers find themselves isolated in their caring role. Research on rates of loneliness among carers to date has shown mixed results. For example, Carers UK reported that 80% of carers of all ages in the UK were lonely or isolated (Carers UK 2015). However, research from Sweden shows that older carers had lower levels of loneliness than older non-carers, although the age range studied (75-90) had a poor health profile so younger groups may have a different pattern (Ekwall et al. 2005). The age group in the UK most likely to provide informal care is the 50-64 group. The proposed PhD will explore the relationships between caring, loneliness, and physical and mental health outcomes among people aged 50 and over using the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. The methods will include regression analyses both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. The findings will give a greater understanding of pathways to loneliness and its consequences, and ways in which policy makers and health and social care services can intervene to help carers in need of support.