Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland,
Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research LIVES, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland,
Gerontology. 2019;65(3):275-287. doi: 10.1159/000494112. Epub 2019 Jan 3.
Critical events in the second half of life, such as divorce, pose a significant threat to well-being. Individuals undergoing divorce often experience feelings of social loneliness and may benefit differently from available resources depending on how much time has passed since the event. Personality traits have been found to be related to adaptation, with particularly strong effects immediately after the critical event. Other resources, such as identity-stabilizing mechanisms (i.e., valued social groups and self-continuity), may play a role only later in adaptation. However, little is known about the benefits of these resources and their potentially time-dependent effects on social loneliness when one is overcoming later-life divorce.
This study investigates the role of psychological (e.g., personality, self-continuity, multiple important group memberships) and social resources (e.g., new partner, having someone to help deal with divorce) for social loneliness in two post-divorce phases, using a married group as the reference, controlling for sociodemographic aspects and health.
A representative sample of 850 divorced (aged 40-79 years) and 869 married individuals (aged 40-78 years) living in Switzerland were compared, using multiple regression analyses.
Differential predictive patterns for social loneliness between the two divorced groups and the married group were observed. For the short-term divorced (up to 2 years after divorce), higher extroversion and agreeableness and lower neuroticism were associated with lower levels of loneliness. For the long-term divorced (2-5 years after divorce) and for those who remained married, extroversion was similarly important for loneliness. Additionally, higher levels of self-continuity and multiple group memberships predicted lower loneliness, but the short-term divorced did not benefit from them. Having someone to help overcome the divorce benefited members of both divorced groups. A new partner was related to less loneliness, but only in the long-term divorced group.
Our findings demonstrate that the effects of psychological and social resources on social loneliness vary by adaptation phase. Although extroversion is beneficial for all divorced and married individuals, other personality traits play a more decisive role in the initial adaptation phase. Identity-promoting resources (i.e., multiple group memberships, perceived self-continuity) are beneficial only later in the adaptation process. To be successful, professional interventions must be tailored as needed.
人生后半段的重大事件，如离婚，对幸福感构成重大威胁。经历离婚的人常常会感到社交孤独，而且根据事件发生后时间的长短，他们从现有资源中受益的程度也不同。研究发现，人格特质与适应有关，在重大事件发生后立即会产生特别强烈的影响。其他资源，如身份稳定机制（即有价值的社会团体和自我连续性），可能只在适应过程的后期发挥作用。然而，当人们克服晚年离婚时，对于这些资源的好处以及它们对社交孤独的潜在时间依赖性影响知之甚少。
本研究通过使用已婚群体作为参照，控制社会人口统计学方面和健康状况，调查心理（如人格、自我连续性、多个重要群体成员资格）和社会资源（如新伴侣、有人帮助处理离婚）在两个离婚后阶段对社交孤独的作用。
对居住在瑞士的 850 名离异（40-79 岁）和 869 名已婚人士（40-78 岁）进行了比较，使用多元回归分析。
观察到两个离异群体与已婚群体之间社交孤独的预测模式存在差异。对于短期离异者（离婚后 2 年内），较高的外向性和宜人性以及较低的神经质与较低水平的孤独感相关。对于长期离异者（离婚后 2-5 年）和那些仍已婚的人，外向性对孤独感同样重要。此外，较高的自我连续性和多个群体成员资格预测孤独感较低，但短期离异者没有从中受益。有人帮助克服离婚对两个离异群体的成员都有益。新伴侣与较少的孤独感有关，但仅在长期离异群体中。
我们的研究结果表明，心理和社会资源对社交孤独的影响因适应阶段而异。尽管外向对所有离异和已婚人士都有益，但其他人格特质在初始适应阶段起着更决定性的作用。促进身份认同的资源（即多个群体成员资格、感知自我连续性）仅在适应过程的后期才有益。为了取得成功，专业干预措施必须根据需要进行调整。
