Profiling Social Detachment in Older People in Taiwan: A Cluster Analysis

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Social Psychology
• Public Health

Background:

• Social relationships are crucial for older adults' well-being.
• Social detachment is a growing concern in aging populations.
• Validated tools are needed to assess social detachment in older adults.

Purpose of the Study:

• To profile social detachment among older adults in Taiwan using the SDQO.
• To explore the SDQO's utility in differentiating social engagement levels.
• To identify demographic correlates and psychological distress associated with social detachment.

Main Methods:

• A telephone survey of 2549 individuals aged 55+ in Taiwan.
• Utilized the Social Detachment Questionnaire for the Older Population (SDQO) and Brief Symptom Rating Scale-5 (BSRS-5).
• Employed cluster analysis for grouping, regression for associations, and ROC analysis for cutoff determination.

Main Results:

• Cluster analysis revealed two groups: high and low social engagement.
• Low social engagement (higher detachment) was linked to older age (≥75), lack of children, and lower education.
• Low social engagement correlated with higher BSRS-5 scores (psychological distress).
• Optimal SDQO cutoff for low social engagement identified as 27/28.

Conclusions:

• The SDQO effectively identifies socially detached older adults.
• Socially detached older adults are at higher risk for psychological distress.
• Targeted screening using SDQO and demographic risk factors can identify vulnerable individuals for intervention.