Uzroci usamljenosti

Abstract

Researchers have been primarily oriented on the experience of loneliness and very little attention has been given to the causes of loneliness. This investigation was conducted with the part of the A. Rokach’s questionnaire “Experiences of loneliness” which is related to the causes of loneliness. A questionnaire was administered to 484 subjects aged 16-90 years. The sample consisted of 261 woman and 223 man. The aim was to examine the structure of causes of loneliness, as well as age and gender differences. Principal factor analysis was used, and seven interpretable factors were extracted. These factors were named as: Replacement, Disrupted intimate relationships, Loss, Disrupted relationships in parent’s family, Emotional and social inadequacy, Traumatic experiences, and Disrupted relationships in own family. A series of one way analysis of variance showed that there are no age differences only in the factors named Emotional and social inadequacy and Traumatic experiences. Factors named Replacement, Disrupted intimate relationships, Emotional and social inadequacy, and Disrupted relationships in own family are more significant as causes of loneliness for women. It might be possible that the life situation of older people (widowhood, loss of well known environment) makes older people more vulnerable to loneliness, as well as that developmental changes have more significant impact on adolescents. Men attribute causes of their loneliness to uncontrollable experiences, while women attribute causes of their loneliness to their own behaviour, to their relationships and to their own characterological shortages.