Loneliness and Anxiety Sensitivity: Understanding Behavioural Avoidance in the Lonely

Renu Narchal

doi:10.4172/2469-6676.100130

Abstract

The current study investigated the putative relationship between loneliness and anxiety sensitivity (AS. Socially embedded, normal, and lonely participants (N=308) completed 4 reliable and valid measures, Revised UCLA loneliness scale, the State- Trait Anxiety Inventory Trait scale (STAI-T), Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI), and Fear Questionnaire (FQ). A positive relationship between loneliness and AS was found. After controlling for trait anxiety, AS predicted group differences between the lonely and normal, however this difference was not found between the lonely and socially embedded groups. Avoidance produced a significant multivariate main effect but did not predict group differences after controlling for trait anxiety and AS. It was concluded that avoidance in lonely individuals may be due partially to an enhanced sensitivity to the physiological symptoms of anxiety (AS) elicited distinctively within social contexts. Future research utilising multidimensional models of loneliness and attachment measures are suggested.

Highlights

Loneliness has been associated with a variety of clinical and social constructs including anxiety [1]; depression [2]; low selfesteem [3] and; low self-efficacy [4], among numerous others
The present study sought to deepen this understanding while simultaneously broadening the lens of loneliness research by adding Anxiety Sensitivity (AS) to the literature
Bartlett’s test of sphericity was significant at p=0.01 indicating that all of the dependent variables were suitable for Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA)

Summary

Introduction

Loneliness has been associated with a variety of clinical and social constructs including anxiety [1]; depression [2]; low selfesteem [3] and; low self-efficacy [4], among numerous others. The present study sought to deepen this understanding while simultaneously broadening the lens of loneliness research by adding Anxiety Sensitivity (AS) to the literature. Whilst a greater clinical focus has been highlighted in loneliness research [5], a broader social focus has been around AS research [6]. This study heeds to both of these calls by bridging the fields of loneliness and AS. Unmet belongingness needs invariably result in such negative affectivity as depression, anxiety, and loneliness. Two main typologies for loneliness are suggested [12]: social isolation and emotional isolation

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Conclusion