Problems of the elderly in the psychological context of loneliness

There is an increase in the average life expectancy of the elderly, so that the old age becomes an independent and long period of time with its own social and psychological characteristics. The study of the problem of loneliness is extremely relevant in the context of the development of society in the 21st century. Today most authors who deal with the problem of loneliness agree that loneliness is associated with a person’s isolation in the community of people. Nowadays the research of loneliness is a complex and multifaceted problem. Loneliness and social isolation are often seen as problems related to ageing and are considered to be important determinants for the quality of life of the elderly. The experience of one’s own old age and loneliness depends on the nature of a person’s subjectivity. The level of anxiety and loneliness is considered to be a reliable indicator of a person’s adaptation to others, to the environment and to oneself. The effectiveness and functioning of the subjectivity characteristics are defined by the level of a psychic state of the elderly. Loneliness is an experience that causes a complex or keen feeling that reflects a certain form of self-awareness and shows a split in the relations and connections of the individual’s inner world. Psychological loneliness is a merge of intrapersonal feelings. The experience of loneliness is a condition, a prerequisite for a number of psychological problems such as low self-esteem, anxiety and other mental states. Studies of loneliness of the elderly and a study of the anxiety level, the content of the self-image, and other mental states – all these make us search for interdependence between these phenomena, taking into account a number of economic factors that also determine the quality of life of the elderly.