Emotional Loneliness and Coping Strategies: A Reference to Older Malaysians at Nursing Homes

This article presents an in-depth qualitative study using a phenomenological approach to understand loneliness among elderly individuals in Malaysia. The objective of the study was to understand how the Malaysian elderly perceive and understand social isolation as well as loneliness, with the aim of identifying the factors that cause emotional loneliness among the elderly in nursing homes. In addition, this study also explored their coping strategies when dealing with loneliness. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten elderly participants from two different nursing homes in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor with representatives from the three major ethnic groups of Malaysia. Based on the results, there are several factors that cause the elderly to feel lonely – health factors, lack of family ties, and the lack of communication and cognitive factors, such as memory and perception. It was also found that internal (expectations and optimism) and external (work and activities) coping strategies play major roles in overcoming loneliness. In conclusion, some recommendations are made to respective party families and the government to consider when developing plans to help the elderly overcome loneliness, which could strengthen the family and social support system in Malaysia.