The Use of Telephone Help-lines by Lonely Children and Adolescents

Marilyn Campbell

doi:10.2174/1874350101508010133

Abstract

Loneliness is a subjective distressing feeling of being disconnected from a desired group or intimate relationship. Most children and adolescents experience loneliness at some time but for 10-20% of young people it can be severe and chronic. While there are many avenues for help for distressed young people, such as friends and family as well as the professional help of counselors and psychologists, lonely young people often do not seek help. Telephone help-lines are one way to assist young people in difficulty which is cost effective, accessible and anonymous. Many countries provide this free or low cost help with specific services for youth either by telephone or online. From the call records of help-lines however, it would seem that lonely young people do not often utilize these services. The reasons for this apparent reluctance are discussed.

Highlights

In today‟s complex world where over a quarter of young people experience mental health difficulties and 70% of them go untreated [1], telephone help- lines provide one avenue of assistance
Solitude is a state of “voluntary aloneness” [9, p. 456] which can be an enjoyable experience, a time for regeneration, contemplation and active creative pursuits, while loneliness is a feeling of being disconnected from a desired group or intimate relationship
The purpose of this paper is to present an integrative review on the use of help-lines by children and adolescents who experience loneliness

Summary

Introduction

In today‟s complex world where over a quarter of young people experience mental health difficulties and 70% of them go untreated [1], telephone help- lines provide one avenue of assistance. One issue which young people call telephone help- lines for is loneliness [3]. Almost all young people experience loneliness at some time in their lives. In adolescents 66-79% of young people have reported some feelings of loneliness [13]. Adolescents report more feelings of loneliness when they are forming important relationships to establish their identity. The developmental trajectory for young people who experience chronic loneliness is associated with numerous difficulties such as depression [20]; anxiety [21]; psychosocial difficulties [22]; school refusal [23]; poor academic performance [17] and suicidal ideation and behavior [24].

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Conclusion