Aging and Loneliness: 6th International Symposium on Lonelines

Held under the leadership of Üsküdar University on 27 December 2024, the 6th International Symposium on Loneliness was organized this year around the main theme of “Aging and Loneliness.” This book contains a compilation of the papers, articles, and evaluation texts presented at the symposium.

The studies included in the book address loneliness in later life not merely as an emotional state, but also as a structural issue with neurological, psychosocial, institutional, local governmental, and intercultural dimensions. In this respect, the book offers theoretical, empirical, and practice-oriented contributions within an interdisciplinary framework. Among the studies included in the volume are a theoretical framework that evaluates the effects of loneliness on older adults from a multidimensional perspective; a study by Assoc. Prof. Yüksel Erdal, which discusses the neurological effects of loneliness in relation to dementia, increased cortisol levels, cognitive reserve, and neurodegenerative processes; an analysis by Asst. Prof. Sıla Ayan, examining innovative gerontological intervention models developed in Türkiye through a rights-based and active aging perspective; findings from a field study conducted with 800 participants across 30 provinces in Türkiye, addressing loneliness, social relationships, spousal loss, friendship ties, and digital communication channels; a practice-oriented assessment by Tuğçe Tıngır, demonstrating how a gerontological perspective can be translated into practice in local governments through the experience of Şişli Municipality; an analysis by Fayzieva Farogat Baxtiyorovna, which examines loneliness in the context of digital socialization in Uzbekistan and relates it to intergenerational recognition and socialization processes; and a study by Natalia Bolshakova, which discusses the role and potential of the foster family model in reducing loneliness among older adults in Russia.

AGING AND LONELINESS

BOOK OF THE 6TH INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON LONELINESS: PAPERS, ARTICLES, ESSAYS

Editors
Prof. Ebulfez SÜLEYMANLI
Asst. Prof. Nihan KALKANDELER ÖZDİN
Asst. Prof. İdil ARASAN DOĞAN
Melike DEMİR

ISBN: 978-625-91976-7-8

Publication Date: 2026

ÜSKÜDAR UNIVERSITY Press– 130