Loneliness Among Indigenous People in Chile: A Neglected Issue

Abstract

Indigenous communities in Chile live in rural native settlements in generally isolated zones. In recent decades, these territories have experienced accelerated depopulation. However, older Indigenous adults prefer to live in their settings despite the decline in their social interactions. This chapter provides an in-depth analysis of the feeling of loneliness and the social and community resources that Indigenous communities mobilize so as not to feel lonely. The chapter reports the findings of a study performed in two Chilean regions with a highly concentrated Indigenous population. It examines the incidence of and factors related to loneliness among Aymara and Mapuche older adults. The study findings confirm a high prevalence of loneliness among Indigenous older people. The significance of the results is addressed in the discussion of the internationally published literature. Specifically, it is argued that there is a need to include loneliness-related problems affecting Indigenous older adults as part of the development of specific public policies that recognize and promote the specificity of the aging process in Indigenous communities.