Assisted Living Residents' Sense of Belonging and Psychosocial Outcomes

Little is known about the psychosocial adjustment of older adults in the assisted living environment. A sense of belonging has been linked to psychological health and a lack of belonging could lead to loneliness. We conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study to examine relationships between social engagement, sense of belonging, and psychological outcomes. Seventy female and 30 male assisted living residents participated. The mean age was 83.9 (range 65-99) years. Structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that older age, higher physical function, and greater sense of belonging were associated with fewer negative psychosocial outcomes (depression and loneliness) and that sense of belonging functioned as a mediator between social engagement and psychosocial outcomes. Additional work is needed to fully understand how sense of belonging and other factors influence psychosocial outcomes.