‘The loneliness on a daily basis is the toughest part’: a qualitative exploration of older veteran men’s social connection needs and barriers

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to identify lonely older U.S. military Veterans' social connection needs and barriers, to inform interventions to improve connection. METHODS: Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with older Veteran men who screened positive for loneliness on the 3-item UCLA loneliness scale. Interviews assessed Veterans' current social connections, barriers to social connection, desired changes or improvements to connection, and efforts Veterans have made so far to improve connection and their impacts. Team-based rapid qualitative analysis was used. RESULTS: Twelve interviews were completed and analyzed. There was significant variety in types of current social connection experiences, barriers to connection, desired changes, and efforts to improve connection that Veterans identified. Barriers to connection included difficulty relating to others due to military background or different interests; functional and sensory impairments; and mental health challenges. Veterans expressed desires for improvement in close confidants and romantic relationships, personal growth, social activities, and social networks. Veterans reported making a variety of efforts to improve connections, with mixed results. CONCLUSIONS: Older Veteran men report heterogeneous and unique social connection needs and barriers for which they struggle to find support. These findings can guide development of multidimensional, flexible interventions to improve social connection in older Veteran men.