Abstract
Loneliness and social isolation have negative consequences on physical and mental health in both adult and pediatric populations. Children with neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDD) are often excluded and experience more loneliness than their typically developing peers. This scoping review aims to identify the type of studies conducted in children with NDD to determine the effects of loneliness and/or social isolation. Three electronic databases (Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsychINFO) were searched from inception until 5 February 2019. Two independent reviewers screened the citations for inclusion and extracted data from the included articles. Quantitative (i.e., frequency analysis) and qualitative analyses (i.e., content analysis) were completed. From our search, 5768 citations were screened, 29 were read in full, and 12 were included. Ten were case-control comparisons with cross-sectional assessment of various outcomes, which limited inference. Autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and learning disorder were the most commonly studied NDD. This review showed that loneliness among children with NDD was associated with negative consequences on mental health, behaviour, and psychosocial/emotional development, with a likely long-term impact in adulthood. Lack of research in this area suggests that loneliness is not yet considered a problem in children with NDD. More studies are warranted using prospective designs and a larger sample size with a focus on the dynamic aspect of loneliness development.
Highlights
Belonging is a basic human need—a psychological “need to love and care for others, and to believe we are loved and cared for in relationships” [1]
This review showed that loneliness among children with neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDD) was associated with negative consequences on mental health, behaviour, and psychosocial/emotional development, with a likely long-term impact in adulthood
This is the first review of the literature that focuses on the association between loneliness/social isolation and health/developmental problems in children with NDD
Summary
Belonging is a basic human need—a psychological “need to love and care for others, and to believe we are loved and cared for in relationships” [1]. This need can be explained by a common human goal: to stay alive. We are motivated to seek social attachments, just like we strive to maintain an appropriate temperature and blood sugar level, so that we can stay alive and increase our chances of gene perpetuation [2]. Social interaction is a crucial component in human experiences. A lack of this interaction can lead to social isolation (defined by a decrease of social contacts) and even to the feeling of loneliness.
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