Affective economies of loneliness in school: bullying, violence, and undesirable social connections

Loneliness and mental ill-health are a serious threat to the well-being of young people. It is important to listen to their own voices about how they experience loneliness and mental ill-health, but few studies focus on loneliness related to young people's friends and school. The aim of the study was to examine young people's and young adults’ experiences of loneliness and mental ill-health in relation to friends and school and strategies for alleviating loneliness. A qualitative study with an inductive approach was used as a design. Ten young people aged 19-27 were interviewed. The data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The results show that young people's experiences of loneliness may be related to their upbringing and personality traits and may originate in not fitting in, lack of friends, suffering from mental illness, and experiencing exclusion and bullying. Another reason for young people's experiences of loneliness is not having someone close to talk to. Several describe the transition from primary to secondary school as a time when they experienced loneliness. Mental health problems, such as anxiety and panic attacks, can be causes of emotional loneliness. Young people have different strategies for alleviating experiences of loneliness; nature can provide alleviation or they may seek different forms of entertainment as a strategy to relieve their suffering, such as gaming, watching movies or doing exercise. Negative coping strategies include eating disorders, addictions, self-harm, social isolation and an unhealthy lifestyle. One strategy to alleviate the experience of loneliness is to engage with other people in the community. Moreover, young people would like to see early interventions if student loneliness is discovered at school. They would also like to see places for various inexpensive activities and support groups for young people who feel lonely.

Loneliness is a growing international problem and is expected to increase as the population ages. We aimed to explore the experience of social connection and loneliness in older adults and the acceptability of emerging approaches to mitigate loneliness. Underpinned by a constructivist paradigm, we conducted an interpretative qualitative study involving interviews with 31 community dwelling older adults living in a regional metropolitan area and examined the data using inductive thematic analysis. Four key themes were identified: (1) Age related changes to social connection; (2) Key connections in later age and how these are sourced; (3) Navigating being alone and the experience of loneliness; and (4) Fostering health and social connection in later life. Older adults in our study experienced social connection and loneliness on a spectrum from a greater or lesser extent, influenced by engagement with family, friends or engagement in group activities and volunteering. Participants were selective and preferred social opportunities based on interest. The results suggest that approaches to ameliorating loneliness should particularly target older people who live alone, have mobility challenges, do not drive, or have low digital literacy.

Experiences of loneliness and social isolation among young people with chronic physical conditions: A thematic synthesis of qualitative studies.

BackgroundYoung people have a higher prevalence of loneliness than other age groups, and they are also at risk of depression. Quantitative studies describe a bidirectional association between loneliness and depression, but there is limited understanding of how these influence each other. Little is known about the experience of loneliness among young people with depression. Qualitative approaches may help understand the relationship between loneliness and depression among young people, and how to intervene to improve outcomes. We aimed to conduct a meta-synthesis to understand the complex inter-relationship between loneliness and depression among young depressed people by synthesising evidence from a systematic review of qualitative studies.MethodsWe conducted a meta-synthesis of qualitative studies capturing experiences of loneliness among young people with depression. We systematically searched six electronic databases for selected search terms, critically appraised eligible studies, and analysed the data from included studies using the approach of thematic synthesis. We used feedback from an inter-disciplinary research workshop to improve reflexivity.ResultsOur inclusion criteria identified fourteen studies. Our analysis identified four themes: (1) social withdrawal due to poor mental health, (2) non-disclosure of depression contributing to social distance, (3) the desire to connect, and (4) paradoxes of loneliness and depression. These themes illustrated a range of pathways between depression and loneliness, and a sense of how these might be mutually reinforcing. Our findings suggest that where depressed individuals engage in certain behaviours (withdrawing; not confiding) for a range of reasons, this can lead to feelings of loneliness, an awareness of which worsens their mood, thus perpetuating their depression.ConclusionsYoung people with depression experience loneliness as an insurmountable distance between themselves and others. Our findings identified non-disclosure of depression, and the debilitating nature of the depressive symptomatology, as factors perpetuating a vicious cycle of loneliness and depression. They suggest that approaches to tackling the problem might include helping young people communicate about their depression to trusted friends and educating their social networks in how to support them. The wider research literature suggests that cognitive interventions may have a role in shifting maladaptive cognitions about their social world.

PurposeThe stay-at-home orders were necessary to contain the spread of COVID-19 but have worsened social isolation and loneliness among older persons. Strategies to maintain social connections have been proposed. It is unclear if the reported experiences of social isolation and loneliness are comparable for older immigrants and if the proposed strategies are relevant to this vulnerable population. This study aimed to address this knowledge gap.Design/methodology/approachThis scoping review addressed two questions: What evidence exists on the experience of social isolation and loneliness in older immigrants? What strategies can be beneficial to keep older immigrants socially connected during the COVID-19 pandemic? The search for relevant articles was done in several databases covering the scientific and gray literature, using keywords that reflect the diversity of terminology referring to the main concepts (isolation and loneliness) and target population (older immigrants). Discussion papers and research studies were reviewed, and the main points or findings were documented on data abstraction forms and summarized in a table. The information in the table was compared and contrasted to identify common themes.FindingsOnly six articles (four discussion papers and two studies) met the scoping review’s eligibility criteria. Concerns about interruptions of older immigrants’ social connection during the pandemic were partially corroborated with the studies’ results. Most participants shifted the medium of their contacts from in-person to telephone or social media, and perceived no change in the experience of loneliness. Those with high levels of loneliness reported heightened anxiety and depression. The proposed strategies entailed the use of technology to connect with others and to deliver services, outdoor group activities within the constraints of containment measures and provision of culturally tailored social programs or services.Research limitations/implicationsThe acceptability, feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed strategies should be examined to determine the best practices aimed to promote social connection among older immigrants within and outside the context of the pandemic.Originality/valueThe scoping review identified strategies that can be used to address social isolation and loneliness among older immigrants during the pandemic.

PurposeThis paper explores the subjective interpretations of school principals' experiences of loneliness in the workplace and the implications of those experiences. The study poses two questions: (1) How do school principals perceive that their experience of loneliness affects their emotional well-being? (2) How do school principals perceive that the experience of loneliness influences their performance at work?Design/methodology/approachSemi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 elementary and secondary school principals in Israel. A qualitative research methodology was employed to collect and analyze the data.FindingsData analysis resulted in four overarching themes, which captured the subjective consequences of principals' experiences of loneliness at work: a negative effect on work performance, emotional distress, physical health consequences and a positive perspective on loneliness.Originality/valueExpanding upon the current knowledge regarding principals' perceived outcomes of loneliness may help to deepen our understanding of principals' emotional experiences and functioning at work. This examination is of great value as previous research has demonstrated the central role of principals on school success.

Loneliness can happen at any stage in life but is known to be particularly common in young people. Long-term loneliness at this age is associated with poor physical and mental health, and lower educational attainment and employment prospects. Given the adverse consequences of loneliness for young people, it is important to identify those experiencing high levels of loneliness and provide tailored support. Research suggests that the experience of loneliness may differ across life stages. However, current measures that are used to quantify loneliness in youth have been developed without the input of young people themselves, instead relying on adult researchers’ conceptualisations of the experience of loneliness for this group, potentially affecting the validity of these measures. Indeed, a recent review found that currently available loneliness measures don't fully capture the range of the affective dimensions of loneliness, as experienced by young people. This presentation will share findings from a study that aimed to explore young people's conceptualisations of their experiences of loneliness, and compare these with how adult experts in the field conceptualise youth loneliness. Using Delphi methodology, we collected the opinions of experts by experience (young people aged 10-24) and adult experts, on the experience of loneliness for young people. We found many similarities between these groups’ thoughts on youth loneliness, however there were subtle differences, highlighting the importance of the affective experiences of loneliness for young people, and the key role that feeling a lack of support by others may play in youth loneliness. These insights further our understanding of youth loneliness, and can inform the development of developmentally sensitive measures and support for young people experiencing loneliness.

In the current study, data collected from Wave 6 of the Millennium Cohort Study (n = 11,872), a nationally representative sample survey of youth aged 14 years in the UK, are used to examine the prevalence of loneliness among this age-group, investigate the feelings associated with the experience of loneliness among youth, explore the risk factors for loneliness among young people, and learn how they coped with loneliness. Given recent findings that youth are vulnerable to loneliness, the study assesses the prevalence of loneliness among adolescents across some important sociodemographic characteristics, such as nation of residence, gender, and ethnicity. We also identify the kinds of social experiences that accompany loneliness during adolescence, exploring friendship, relations with parents, social support, and bullying. Our key finding is that, in addition to the absence of desired social relationships, which has been typically identified as the ultimate source of loneliness, the presence of undesirable and even harmful social relationships is a major source of loneliness. This study uniquely brings together psychological and sociological perspectives to understand the experience of youth loneliness.

Background: Intimate partner relationships foster individuals' well-being throughout the lifespan. However, dissatisfying or conflict-laden relationships can have a detrimental impact on well-being and relationship quality. The majority of older adults live together with a spouse/partner, and intimate relationships are one of the most important social contexts in their daily lives. Purpose: Expanding on previous research, we examined the role of previous conflict on experiences of loneliness and affect in the daily lives of older partners from a dyadic perspective. Relationship duration and quality, personality traits (neuroticism and extraversion), conflict frequency during the measurement period, physical health as well as age were considered as moderators. Study Sample and Data Analysis: We used data from an experience sampling study with 151 older heterosexual couples (302 participants; 65+ years old) reporting on their positive and negative affect, loneliness, and previous experience of relationship conflict 6 times a day for 14days. Data were analyzed using dyadic multilevel models. Results: For both men and women within couples, previous conflict was associated with an increased experience of negative affect and loneliness and a decreased experience of positive affect. Higher neuroticism predicted less positive and more negative affect following conflict for women and more loneliness for men. Higher relationship satisfaction predicted less increase in negative affect after conflict for female partners. Age, relationship duration, physical health, extraversion, and the number of conflict episodes showed no moderating effects. Conclusions: Our results support the notion that relationship conflict deteriorates emotional well-being in old age and renders older adults lonelier even in the context of intimate partner relationships.

ABSTRACTThis phenomenological study investigated Syrian refugee children's experiences of loneliness in Turkish primary schools through Max van Manen's existential framework—lived space, body, time and others. Data were collected via semi‐structured interviews with 14 children aged 9–12 and 6 weeks of classroom observation in a public school in Ankara. Thematic analysis, using Saldana's coding techniques, revealed that loneliness was not merely emotional but experienced spatially through marginalisation, bodily via self‐critique, temporally as disrupted continuity and relationally through limited peer and teacher connections. Language barriers, peer exclusion and lack of teacher support were key contributors to emotional isolation. The study calls for culturally responsive pedagogy, inclusive peer practices and affective support systems to foster belonging. Theoretically, it extends van Manen's existential lens into the domain of forced displacement, offering a novel interpretation of refugee childhood loneliness as a multidimensional, lived phenomenon. This approach makes an original contribution to both migration studies and existential phenomenology.

During the COVID-19 pandemic children and young people (CYP) were socially restricted during a stage of life crucial to development, potentially putting an already vulnerable population at higher risk of loneliness, social isolation, and poorer wellbeing. The objectives of this study are to conduct an exploratory analysis into loneliness before and during the pandemic, and determine which self-reported factors are associated with loneliness. Participants from The Children with Long COVID (CLoCk) national study were invited to take part via an online survey, with a total of 31,017 participants taking part, 31,016 of which reported on their experience of loneliness. Participants retrospectively answered questions on demographics, lifestyle, physical health and mental health and loneliness before the pandemic and at the time of answering the survey. Before the pandemic 6.5% (2,006/31,016) of participants reported experiencing loneliness "Often/Always" and at the time of survey completion 17.4% (5,395/31,016) reported feeling lonelier. There was an association between meeting the research definition of long COVID and loneliness [3.49 OR, 95%CI 3.28-3.72]. CYP who reported feeling lonelier at the time of the survey than before the pandemic were assigned female at birth, older CYP, those from Black/African/Caribbean/Black British or other ethnicity groups, those that had 3-4 siblings and lived in more deprived areas. We demonstrate associations between multiple factors and experiences of loneliness during the pandemic. There is a need for a multi-faceted integrated approach when developing interventions targeted at loneliness. It is important to follow up the CYP involved at regular intervals to investigate the progression of their experience of loneliness over time.

Loneliness epidemics affecting roughly 10% to 40% of adult populations do not have sufficient guidance for public health experts or governments to adequately address. To improve guidance, we developed an interdisciplinary approach to deepen explanation of underlying causes of loneliness using a critical realist lens. Using theory about social connection as a human basic need to frame our analysis, we first conducted thematic narrative inquiry to examine broader patterns in the social systems adults described during loneliness experiences. Secondary data came from online, open-ended survey responses by anonymous adults about their loneliness experiences, made publicly available by The Loneliness Project in 2018. We further developed our results through abductive reasoning to deepen explanation of underlying causes. Major Health Problems, Big Moves & Small Families, Stigma Mistreatment or Abuse, Caregiving Beyond My Capacity, and Fitting In, described five social systems of poor relationship quality that could compound across society and over time, resulting in exclusion from society. These systems could intersect, explaining differences in the severity of exclusion. Five main social systems were found to describe the process of marginalization from society. These results offer an alternative approach to clinical and therapeutic interventions for loneliness that have focused on individual changes of lonely adults to find inclusion in their communities. It may be possible to identify specific mechanisms for marginalization that could be changed to reduce severe and chronic loneliness for whole communities.

Loneliness is a severe problem in New Zealand and most prevalent among the young, namely Generation Z. In March 2020, New Zealand went into lockdown due to Covid-19, and there was a spike in young people indicating loneliness as an issue. This age group experienced feeling the loneliest.
 The experience of loneliness is subjective for all individuals; however, feeling lonely relates to broader and shared social, economic, political, and environmental issues. As we have recently become regular social media users and have more screen time, disconnection and lack of deep human relationships and social connections are becoming serious issues for young people. 
 It is widely reported that loneliness, social isolation, and living alone have increased the risk of heart disease, stroke, and dementia, leading to depression and death. Promoting social connection is imperative for people and our community’s well-being and health.
 This research used documentary as a methodology to explore the thoughts and perceptions of people involved in understanding loneliness to help provide viewers with a deeper understanding, raise social awareness for people experiencing loneliness, and reduce the impact of being lonely. 
 The ‘Loneliness in Aotearoa’ documentary indicates that New Zealand’s young people are currently suggesting that they are more lonely than other generations, and collectively there is a need to take action to minimise loneliness.
 In the UK, Tracey Crouch, appointed the first Minister of Loneliness in 2018, stated, “Nobody should feel alone or be left with no one to turn to. Loneliness is a serious issue that affects people of all ages and backgrounds, and it is right that we tackle it head-on.”
 In New Zealand, we have not appointed a Minister of Loneliness yet. There is the; question do we need one?

Young and Lonely The Social Conditions of Loneliness gathers evidence of young people’s experience of loneliness and connection from a youth co-produced research project and locates these within longstanding cultural and historical discussions of loneliness and solitude, friendship and belonging. The study explores loneliness and the experiences of connection/disconnection and inclusion/exclusion with a particular focus on the experience of loneliness in young lives and on how it is navigated when it is first encountered. It proposes that loneliness should not be considered only or even primarily as another psychological disorder or contagion, whilst recognising that severe loneliness may be an aspect of and connected to severe forms of psychological and emotional distress. The ways that young people encounter loneliness have resonance across the age spectrum and for questions of social organisation more generally. In three subsections, The social conditions of loneliness, The experience of loneliness, and Building friendship and connection, which focuses on the innovative critical and creative co-research used methods (which built on youth work practice) which enabled the conditions in which from the transient to the more enduring loneliness is experienced to be explored are explored. An accompanying attention to the range of methods of finding friendship and connection allows the complexity of young people’s experience to be foregrounded. The creative research methods used in the ‘Loneliness Connects Us’ collaborative research give a sense of some of the ways this sensitive topic might be approached and enhance understanding of friendship and solidarity.

Currently, there is little research investigating how schools can support the mental health and social development of young people with cystic fibrosis (CF), given their heightened risk of mental illness. Few studies have examined the relationship between bullying and mental health in populations of children with CF. This study describes the peer bullying experiences of young people with CF, and examines associations between school bullying and the psychological well-being of these young people. A sequential mixed-methods approach was used to collect data from 26 young people with CF (10-16 years of age). These data were compared with large samples of healthy children. Following an online survey, 11 young people, through online focus groups, expanded on the survey findings, describing their experiences within the school environment. Young people with CF reported lower involvement in bullying victimization and perpetration relative to the comparison population. For older adolescents with CF, victimization was associated with less connectedness to school and less peer support, and more school loneliness, anxiety, and depression. Young people with CF reported they generally liked the school environment, and were happy with their friendships, whereas some older adolescents reported that bullying evoked anxiety and mood problems. Reported bullying was primarily verbal and targeted characteristics of their CF, including their coughing, noninvolvement in certain activities because of shortness of breath, use of medication, and being underweight (for boys only). The findings provide some recommendations for interventions to promote mental health and school engagement among young people with CF. (PsycINFO Database Record