Abstract
The present study examined the relationship between developmental patterns of loneliness and psychosocial functioning among adolescents (9–21 years; N = 110, 52% male). Four-wave longitudinal data were obtained from the Nijmegen Longitudinal Study (NLS) on Infant and Child Development. Loneliness was measured at 9, 13, 16, and 21 years of age and anxiety, depression and self-esteem at 9 and 21 years of age. Using k-means cluster analysis, three trajectories of loneliness were identified as “stable low” (56% of the subjects), “high decreasing” (22% of the subjects), and “low increasing” (22% of the subjects). Importantly, trajectories of loneliness across adolescence significantly predicted psychosocial functioning in young adulthood. Both the “high-decreasing” and “low-increasing” loneliness clusters were associated with higher risk of depression and lower self-esteem compared to the “stable low” loneliness cluster. The “low-increasing” loneliness cluster was associated with higher risk of anxiety compared to the “stable low” loneliness cluster. These results indicate that loneliness in adolescence is a vulnerability that manifests itself in higher levels of anxiety and depression and lower self-esteem in young adulthood.
Highlights
Interpersonal wellbeing is a fundamental human need (Perlman and Peplau, 1981)
The present study explores the trajectories of loneliness from middle childhood to young adulthood and the predictive value of loneliness trajectories for psychosocial functioning in young adulthood
The association between loneliness and psychosocial functioning in adolescence is well-established, less is known about the relationship between developmental patterns of loneliness and depression, anxiety, and self-esteem
Summary
Interpersonal wellbeing is a fundamental human need (Perlman and Peplau, 1981). The painful feeling associated with a perceived deficiency in the quantity or quality of one’s social relationships is called loneliness (Perlman and Peplau, 1981). Recent studies revealed distinct trajectories of loneliness from middle childhood to young adulthood (Qualter et al, 2013; Schinka et al, 2013; Vanhalst et al, 2013a; Eccles et al, 2020) These studies have reported three to six distinct developmental patterns of loneliness characterized by different mean loneliness levels and directions of change. The association between loneliness and psychosocial functioning in adolescence is well-established, less is known about the relationship between developmental patterns of loneliness and depression, anxiety, and self-esteem. The present study aimed to gain insights into developmental patterns of loneliness across adolescence and the association between trajectories of loneliness and psychosocial functioning in young adulthood. We expected to find that the majority of adolescents had low and stable loneliness levels and that loneliness trajectories that are not characterized by stable and low levels of loneliness are associated with worse psychosocial functioning
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
