Can walking groups help with social isolation: a qualitative study

ABSTRACT

Context

In affluent areas, issues such as social isolation and mental health are often over-looked, neglected and stigmatised, especially in the elderly.

Project aim

This study aimed to test the feasibility of a weekly walking group to reduce loneliness within the community and to identify participants’ motivations and reasons for taking part.

Description

The intervention was a 1-h lunch time walk along the River Thames. Searches for ‘isolated’ and ‘lonely’ were conducted in one general practice’s medical records, to identify high-risk patients that would benefit most, and these patients contacted directly. Additionally, posters advertising the walk were placed around the waiting room and clinical areas.

Outcomes

The activity ran for 2 weeks and was attended by 12 participants. The walks were well received, however participants were attending for exercise rather than to meet new people and socialise as originally intended.

Conclusions

The pilots results seem to indicate that walking is generally associated with improved physical health rather than mental health in patients and that less physically involved methods may be more appropriate for reducing isolation. However, the study highlights the important factors that need to be considered when organising an intervention in primary care, namely stressing the purpose and recruitment.

KEYWORDS:

• Social isolation
• loneliness
• mental health
• walking groups
• community

View correction statement:

Correction

Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank the whole team at the Kingston Health Centre for making the pilot possible.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Ethical approval

This is not applicable.

Informed consent

No identifying information was asked of participants and they cannot be identified.