Loneliness, belonging and psychosomatic complaints across late adolescence and young adulthood

Abstract

Abstract Loneliness and a sense of belonging refer to social connectedness and are associated with young people's health; however, the relationship between these constructs and their impact on health is still being discussed. The dual continuum model has been suggested (Lim et al., 2021) where these two constructs are regarded as independent but related. Four groups of individuals are defined in the model depending on the level of loneliness and belonging: socially fulfilled (low loneliness, high belonging), socially searching (high loneliness, high belonging), socially distressed (high loneliness, low belonging), and socially indifferent (low loneliness, low belonging). Swedish cohort data collected among late adolescents (age 17-18 at baseline in 2019) who were followed up in young adulthood (age 20-21 in 2022) (n = 2684) was used to examine the association between these distinct groups of individuals and psychosomatic complaints. Three psychosomatic complaints were measured: stomach aches, headaches, and sleeping difficulties, and a summary index (range 3-15) was calculated. Linear regression analyses showed that loneliness and a sense of belonging were cross-sectionally associated with psychosomatic complaints (additional adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics barely affected the estimates). The socially fulfilled group reported fewer psychosomatic complaints compared with the other groups, while the socially distressed group reported the highest level of psychosomatic complaints. Furthermore, the socially indifferent group reported fewer psychosomatic complaints than the socially searching group. The prospective analysis supported these patterns; however, after adjustment for earlier psychosomatic complaints, only the socially distressed group showed a significant positive association with subsequent psychosomatic complaints. These findings confirm that the dual continuum model reflects the complexity of social needs and their association with health complaints. Key messages • The categorisation of the conjoint relationship of loneliness and belonging helps to reveal more nuanced links between these two constructs and psychosomatic complaints in young people. • Knowledge of the more nuanced links between loneliness, belonging, and health complaints can be beneficial for developing specific, targeted public health recommendations and interventions for youth.