Subjective Social Status as a Predictor of Loneliness: The Moderating Effect of the Type of Long-Term Care Setting

Abstract

Much has been written about the important role that subjective social status plays in older adults’ well-being and subjective health. Less is known, however, about the potential role played by subjective social status in people’s sense of loneliness. In the present study, the author examined the role of subjective social status as a predictor of loneliness in adult day care centers (ADCCs) and continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) over a 1-year period. The main analyses consist of data from 245 respondents (141 ADCC participants and 104 CCRC residents) who completed the interviews in Waves 1 and 2. A significant interaction between subjective social status and type of long-term care setting was found. Higher levels of subjective social status were associated with lower levels of loneliness in CCRCs, but no such association was evident in ADCCs. These findings are interpreted in view of the characteristics of the CCRC as a total institution versus the ADCC as a setting that provides support for only several hours per day, several days per week.