Keywords: Ethnicity; Loneliness; Older adults; PPIE; Public engagement; Public involvement.
Loneliness is very common, and people from diverse ethnic groups are often excluded from meaningful support. Stereotypes about multigenerational living create problems of ‘hidden loneliness’ in later life. Older adults from ethnically diverse groups have faced discrimination and language barriers throughout their lives. They may have felt that services have not been designed for them or that activities offered for social connection are not culturally relevant. Increasing our understanding of loneliness within ethnic groups may help address these issues. “What does the word loneliness mean to you?” This is the question we asked in the Connect and Cope workshops to begin a conversation about loneliness with older adults from three ethnically diverse groups. Between June and July 2023, we engaged 46 people over the age of 65 across the UK from South Asian (n = 10), Chinese (n = 16) and Somali (n = 20) communities. After the workshops, all the older adults reported knowing more about loneliness. These workshops would not have been possible without support from the communities in which we were engaging. This provided valuable insight into the specific needs of each group, creating an inclusive space in which older adults were happy to discuss their experiences of loneliness. Having a person lead the workshop in the language that the attendees felt most comfortable with was key to relationship development. Future work to engage ethnically diverse groups in sensitive discussions such as loneliness should utilise the expertise of community organisations supporting older adults at the start of projects.