Bibliographic Details
| Title: |
'Nowhere to go:' older African immigrants' experience of loneliness while living with adult children in the United States. |
| Authors: |
Adeniji, Dolapo O. (AUTHOR), Ashirifi, Gifty D. (AUTHOR), Adamek, Margaret E. (AUTHOR) |
| Source: |
Aging & Mental Health. Oct2025, Vol. 29 Issue 10, p1865-1873. 9p. |
| Subjects: |
African Americans, Immigrants, Qualitative research, Mental health, Pilot projects, Interviewing, Parent-child relationships, Loneliness, Descriptive statistics, Judgment sampling, Psychological well-being, Thematic analysis, Research methodology, Quality of life, Interpersonal relations, Social support, Psychology of adult children, Intergenerational relations, Social isolation, Psychosocial factors, Old age |
| Geographic Terms: |
United States |
| Abstract: |
Objectives: Loneliness emerged in previous studies as a challenge that negatively impacts older immigrants' physical and mental health. Despite the rapid growth of this population in the United States, there is limited knowledge about the loneliness experiences of older African immigrants. This study explored the loneliness experiences of older African immigrants living with their adult children in the United States. Methods: In‑depth interviews were conducted with nine participants aged 69‑84. The tape recordings of the interviews were transcribed verbatim for thematic analysis. Results: Findings show that loneliness is prevalent among older African immigrants, despite living with their adult children's family. Four major themes emerged from the study: 1) "Nowhere to go": Loneliness experience, 2) "It makes one sick if one is doing nothing": Consequences of loneliness, 3) "My grandkid makes me happy": Protective strategies, and 4) "If they ask older people to come. I will go there": Way forward in the community. Conclusion: This study provides evidence that living with adult children may not prevent the experience of loneliness for older immigrant parents. Interventions that promote social interactions and embeddedness into the United States community are needed to ensure a good quality of life for older African immigrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
|
Copyright of Aging & Mental Health is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
| Database: |
Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
