“I understand the need for research into loneliness having grown up in a rural community”
Talented scientists, researchers, doctors, nurses, clinicians and care workers across Wales dedicate their time and effort developing ground-breaking medicines and care for us.
Stephanie Jones knows only too well what it’s like to feel alone growing up in a rural community, and it’s that feeling of loneliness that is driving forward her research into social inequality.
Social inequality refers to disparity by way of distribution of resources within a community and how this can impact upon an individual’s social status or social class.
She is one of three social care PhD students funded by the 2020/21 Health and Care Research Wales Social Care PhD Studentship Scheme.
Understanding rural living
Stephanie was drawn back to rural Wales after completing an undergraduate degree in adult nursing at Bangor University and her postgraduate degree at the University of Chester.
“I grew up in a rural area and saw the difficulties of access to support. For example, I had to rely on other people to give me lifts to go to social clubs and groups, and our nearest hospital was a 30-minute drive away.
“In cities there’s lots more support available to people – more work done by the third sector, more transport links,” she said.
“I understand the loneliness having grown up in it. We have so much to offer in Wales and it’s a fantastic place to live but there are pockets of people who go days without speaking to family or friends, who can’t access support.”
“It was nice to grow up in a close community, however some of our elderly neighbours who lived alone did appear to experience loneliness. I remember my mum always encouraging me to go and talk to our neighbours and ask how they were, as I may be the only person they spoke to that day.”
Identifying who’s at risk of loneliness
32 year-old Stephanie, who lives in Powys, has started her three-year PhD journey at Aberystwyth University, on a project titled ‘How living in rural areas con-tributes to feelings of loneliness in diverse rural communities, and the role communities play in addressing social inequality’.
“We’re exploring diverse communities in rural areas in relation to risk of experiencing loneliness”, she explained.
“The overarching aim of the study is to investigate interventions to support whichever groups are identified as most at risk of loneliness.
“There may be various barriers that stop people accessing services that could help them. For example, mobility and ability to leave the house, language and caring responsibilities.”
Keeping an open mind
After Stephanie trained as an adult nurse, she specialised in helping people with substance misuse.
“I have experience in researching homelessness and inequalities relating to accessing primary and acute care services and hospital discharge, and I think my background sits well with this project as I’m used to talking and understanding a variety of seldom heard from communities in my research.
“I want to engage with the charities, matching up data and stakeholders to identify the gaps in support to people. I want to keep an open mind and let the data guide me.”
Future goals
Stephanie’s end goal is to provide evidence that can inform policy development, including existing and new initiatives which address social isolation going forwards.
“My hope for the future is to improve services through research to support more people, and this PhD will open up those possibilities for me.
“I want to become an expert in rurality and diversity - if I could research forever I would! I’m so grateful for the studentship and the opportunity. I feel lucky and very determined to do it justice.”
The Health and Care Research Wales Social Care PhD Studentship Scheme funds talented individuals to undertake research and study leading to a PhD in Wales.
The scheme supports health and social care research by funding high-quality research projects, providing robust evidence which addresses the social care needs of service users, carers and the wider population, and the organisation and delivery of efficient and effective social care services in Wales.
Read more about Health and Care Research Wales funding schemes on our webpage.
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