caa a22 4500 386314195 CHVBK 20180307111600.0 cr unu---uuuuu 161130s1988 xx s 000 0 eng 10.1017/S0714980800014859 doi S0714980800014859 pii (NATIONALLICENCE)cambridge-10.1017/S0714980800014859 Delisle Marc-André Laval University, Québec What does Solitude Mean to the Aged? [Elektronische Daten] [Marc-André Delisle] This article examines the extent and the meaning of solitude among the aged. A comprehensive study of the foreign, Canadian and Quebec literature was undertaken to prepare this document, but priority was given to the somewhat lesser known investigations originating from Quebec. First, the concepts most often utilized in discussing the phenomena under scrutiny were defined: solitude, social isolation and the feeling of loneliness. Then, the relative importance of each phenomenon was assessed, based on the available data. In order to fully understand the meaning of the facts observed, their causes were also examined. Finally, avenues for future research were proposed. This study suggests that solitude among the elderly is a more complex problem than believed. Even if the isolated and (or) lonely aged are in the minority, this does not mean that all their socio-affective needs are being met. These people spend long periods of time alone and this affects their lives. The problem as such is largely caused by the position the elderly occupy in the society and, in turn, this position probably influences their behaviour. However, gerontologists have scarcely studied this hypothesis. This article then highlights certain aspects of the solitude phenomenon which have so far been overlooked by gerontologists. Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 1988 Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement Cambridge University Press 7/4(1988), 358-371 0714-9808 7:4<358 1988 7 CJG https://doi.org/10.1017/S0714980800014859 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1017/S0714980800014859 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 100 1- Delisle Marc-André Laval University, Québec NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement Cambridge University Press 7/4(1988), 358-371 0714-9808 7:4<358 1988 7 CJG CC0 http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0 nationallicence BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-cambridge