RiViS65+: Solidão e risco de violência na população idosa do concelho de Alpiarça

Portugal is one of the European countries with the highest levels of population aging, reflecting a persistent demographic trend that poses significant challenges to social policies, healthcare systems, and community responses. This context makes it particularly relevant to analyze the living conditions, well-being, and vulnerability factors of the elderly population, especially regarding loneliness and the risk of violence. Loneliness and violence against older adults are complex and often invisible phenomena, with profound impacts on physical, mental, and psychosocial health, compromising quality of life and the ideal of active, dignified, and safe aging. Despite the increasing political and institutional focus on aging, these risk factors continue to require integrated, contextualized approaches centered on the perceptions of older individuals themselves. Although there is growing attention to population aging and its implications, gaps remain in research that systematically and comprehensively explores older adults’ perceptions of loneliness and the risk of violence—two critical factors of psychological and social vulnerability. In particular, studies that adopt participatory approaches and integrate sociodemographic, contextual, and psychosocial factors in the analysis of these phenomena are scarce, especially in rural and low-population-density contexts. This report is part of the RIVIS 65+ project and aims to characterize the situation of loneliness and the risk of violence among individuals aged 65 and over residing in the municipality of Alpiarça. By enhancing knowledge about the local reality and valuing the participation of older adults and nearby institutions, the study seeks to provide relevant empirical evidence for identifying risk and protective factors, support the development of territory-specific intervention strategies, and contribute to the design of more effective and sustainable social, community, and psychosocial responses.