Loneliness and Psychosocial Vulnerability among Older Adults in Romania: Stakeholder Perspectives on Care, Social Isolation, and Institutional Fragmentation

Autori:

Eliza Monica MOTORGA

Cod: ISSN: 1583-3410 (print), ISSN: 1584-5397 (electronic)
Dimensiuni: pp. 100-115

How to cite this article:

Motorga, E.M. (2026). Loneliness and Psychosocial Vulnerability among Older Adults in Romania: Stakeholder Perspectives on Care, Social Isolation, and Institutional Fragmentation. Revista de Cercetare si Interventie Sociala, 94, 100-115, DOI: 10.33788/rcis.94.6

Abstract:

This study examines psychosocial vulnerability among older adults in Romania through a qualitative stakeholder analysis focusing on loneliness, emotional isolation, and fragmented care structures. The empirical material consists of 12 semi-structured interviews and 55 stakeholder questionnaires conducted between 2023 and 2024 with social workers, psychiatrists, caregivers, rehabilitation specialists, representatives of non-governmental organizations, and coordinators of residential and community-based services from Bucharest, Sibiu, Brașov, Timișoara, Craiova, and Galați. Data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis and inductive coding. The findings indicate that psychosocial vulnerability in later life is shaped not only by biological ageing but also by the interaction of migration-related family separation, weakened intergenerational relationships, declining community participation, institutional fragmentation, and limited access to psychosocial support. Across interviews and stakeholder questionnaires, loneliness emerged as the most persistent and under-recognized dimension of vulnerability, reflecting broader processes of social exclusion and relational disconnection. The article argues that psychosocial vulnerability should be understood as a socially produced and institutionally mediated condition rather than solely as an individual consequence of ageing. By highlighting the interconnected roles of emotional, relational, community, and institutional factors, the study contributes to current debates on ageing, social exclusion, care precarity, and welfare transformation in post-socialist societies. The findings also underscore the importance of integrated support systems and community-based interventions for promoting well-being in later life.