Aspects Of Loneliness Research Articles

Religion and Loneliness: Investigating Different Aspects of Religion and Dimensions of Loneliness

This study explores the relationship between religiosity, spirituality, and loneliness in the United States, using the 2018 General Social Survey to assess their interactions against a backdrop of declining traditional religious affiliation and a rise in “spiritual but not religious” identification. It examines religion and spirituality’s capacity to counteract loneliness, a condition with significant health implications. The analysis uncovers complex relationships between aspects of religious life and loneliness, showing no mitigating role of spirituality when controlling for other factors, with complex and varied negative relationships of religious service attendance and self-rate religiosity to different aspects of loneliness. Yet, any potentially protective effect of religion varies, with minority religious groups reporting feelings of increased loneliness. These findings underscore religion and spirituality’s nuanced roles in emotional well-being, indicating that their benefits (or not) against loneliness are complex, varied, and depend on the aspect of religion or loneliness observed, along with non-religious factors. The paper contributes to the literature on societal loneliness, changing religious and spiritual engagements, and highlighting the need for a comprehensive approach to explore the role of religion and spirituality in understanding loneliness specifically, and personal and social well-being more generally.

Understanding perceived loneliness: a multifaceted approach

Purpose This paper aims to understand loneliness with a special focus on perceived loneliness using a multifaceted approach. Design/methodology/approach To the best of the author’s knowledge, this appears to be the first paper dedicated to investigating the perception of loneliness as its primary topic. Unfortunately, not much work is available on this specific focus. However, various facets and dimensions can be integrated to gain a better understanding. Therefore, the author has carefully selected four sections, each focusing on different aspects of loneliness. These sections can contribute to a better understanding of loneliness, keeping in mind its perception. Findings Section one examines the cognitive processes and self-assessment mechanisms that set lonely individuals apart from their non-lonely counterparts. These include heightened awareness, negative social cue interpretation and increased sensitivity to social threats. Section two examines the predictors of loneliness and associated emotional responses. This includes factors such as emotional responses, attributions, duration and situational variables. Section three challenges conventional definitions of loneliness by introducing social asymmetry. Within this framework, personality traits such as extraversion emerge as resilient against loneliness, even in social isolation. Section four discusses the significant influence of cultural diversity on perceptions of loneliness. Collectivist cultures rely on familial and community support to combat loneliness, whereas individualistic cultures require interventions that promote independence. Originality/value This comprehensive examination contributes insights for informing targeted interventions, reinforcing support systems and enhancing our understanding of human connectivity in an increasingly isolated world.

CHILDLESSNESS AND LONELINESS IN LATER LIFE? THE MODERATING ROLE OF REASONS FOR CHILDLESSNESS

Abstract Having children is a significant life event that causes major changes in social networks. Despite the fact that percentages of childlessness are on the rise worldwide, the connection between childlessness and loneliness in old age is still underresearched. Additionally, the scientific literature frequently draws a line between childlessness that is voluntary and involuntary, while a considerably gray area of reasons for childlessness is present between these two extremes of the continuum. The hypothesis of this study is that there is a moderating effect of reasons for childlessness on the link between childlessness (i.e., having children or not) and loneliness. A cross-sectional survey was created for this, containing questions on topics like social relationships, childlessness, and reasons for childlessness, as well as several validated measurement instruments, such as the De Jong Gierveld 11-item Loneliness Scale and the 3-item UCLA Loneliness Scale. A total of 500 older adults, at least 60 years old, participated in this study, with half of them being childless. The findings describe 1) the degree of social, emotional, and overall loneliness among older adults with and without children; 2) the reasons of childlessness among older adults; 3) the relationship between childlessness and current loneliness; and 4) whether the relationship between childlessness and loneliness is moderated by the reasons for childlessness. This study increases understanding of various aspects of loneliness among older persons in relation to childlessness, as well as the accompanying changes in the dynamics of social relations in later life.

Loneliness among University students as a growing concerne

This academic paper aims to discuss the issue of loneliness among university students and suggest strategies to combat it. Despite previous research exploring various aspects of loneliness, there has been a general neglect in examining the effectiveness of various therapies specifically for university students. The paper begins by defining loneliness, exploring its types and causes, and highlighting its effects on university students. It then offers suggestions for alleviating loneliness through various strategies. A secondary objective is to emphasize the importance of universities providing support by organizing various social activities to bring students together and to encourage further research into effective methods of combating loneliness. The paper will review existing research to identify the causes of loneliness among university students, assess its impact on their lives, and suggest potential strategies to address it.

Are we measuring loneliness in the same way in men and women in the general population and in the older population? Two studies of measurement equivalence.

High levels of loneliness are associated with negative health outcomes and there are several different types of interventions targeted at reducing feelings of loneliness. It is therefore important to accurately measure loneliness. A key unresolved debate in the conceptualisation and measurement of loneliness is whether it has a unidimensional or multidimensional structure. The aim of this study was to examine the dimensional structure of the widely used UCLA Loneliness Scale and establish whether this factorial structure is equivalent in men and women. Two online UK-based samples were recruited using Prolific. The participants in Study 1 were 492 adults, selected to be nationally representative by age and gender, whilst the participants in Study 2 were 290 older adults aged over 64. In both studies, participants completed the UCLA Loneliness Scale (Version 3) as part of a larger project. In both studies, the best fitting model was one with three factors corresponding to 'Isolation,' 'Relational Connectedness,' and 'Collective Connectedness.' A unidimensional single factor model was a substantially worse fit in both studies. In both studies, there were no meaningful differences between men and women in any of the three factors, suggesting measurement invariance across genders. These results are consistent with previous research in supporting a multidimensional, three factor structure to the UCLA scale, rather than a unidimensional structure. Further, the measurement invariance across genders suggests that the UCLA scale can be used to compare levels of loneliness across men and women. Overall the results suggest that loneliness has different facets and thus future research should consider treating the UCLA loneliness scale as a multidimensional scale, or using other scales which are designed to measure the different aspects of loneliness.

Correlation Between Aspects of Perceived Patient Loneliness and Spinal Cord Stimulation Outcomes

ObjectivesLoneliness as a whole has been characterized as a health-related risk factor and is associated with worse outcomes after cardiac procedures. Evidence suggests that chronic pain patients are particularly vulnerable to feeling lonely. We examined the relationship between different aspects of loneliness and one-year postoperative outcomes after spinal cord stimulation (SCS) for chronic pain. Materials and MethodsWe contacted 69 patients with thoracic SCS who had participated in our prospective outcomes database with one-year follow-up to complete the validated, abbreviated UCLA Loneliness Scale (UCLA-3). We examined responses on question 9 of the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), question 12 of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and UCLA-3 due to their relevance to different aspects of loneliness. We conducted regression analyses to determine the relationship between aspects of loneliness and pain outcomes. ResultsWe identified that loss of interest in people, companionship, and feeling excluded were associated with pain outcomes. Loss of interest in people was associated with improvement in pain (NRS worst p = 0.021, r = 0.32, NRS least p = 0.004, r = 0.4; NRS right now p = 0.016, r = 0.33). Companionship and feeling excluded were also associated with pain. We examined the interface between depression and total loneliness and found that while both were related to each other, depression was not associated with pain outcomes. ConclusionsThis study demonstrates an association between loss of interest in people, companionship, and feeling excluded and worse postoperative pain outcomes after receiving SCS. It identifies aspects of loneliness as important factors to consider when predicting the outcomes of SCS therapy for chronic pain control.

Psychological features of the relationship of personality resilience and subjective feelings of loneliness

The article focuses on identifying and describing some aspects of the psychological characteristics of the relationship between personality resilience and the subjective feeling of loneliness in adolescence. Resilience is understood as a person’s ability to adapt and be effective, to function successfully despite the influence of any external factors, to survive and develop. Resilience is presented as the ability to recover from setbacks, to rely on the gained life experience for your personal growth and self-realization. An empirical study has shown that there is a strong inverse statistically significant relationship between the phenomenon of vitality and the subjective feeling of loneliness in adolescents. The experimental (correctional and developmental) work carried out was effective, as it influenced the development of the participants’ resilience. The emphasis in correctional and developmental work was placed on the discovery and activation of the development of resources for self-care, a positive self-concept, positive self-attitude, forward thinking, and the ability for long-term planning, the ability to cope, reflexive and communication skills and abilities, the ability to establish and develop connections with other people. The experimental work can be considered quite effective, since, according to the research participants, they began to cope with the negative aspects of loneliness, difficult life situations, became more positive and stable better.

Loneliness experience during distance learning among college students with ADHD: the mediating role of perceived support and hope

ABSTRACT This study examined the predictive role of attention deficit disorders (ADHD) on the experience of loneliness among college students during the move to distance learning and social distancing policy during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study examined a serial multiple mediation of students’ experiences with distance learning, perceived social support, and hope. We hypothesised that students with ADHD would experience social distress in addition to struggling with distance learning. However, we expect that social support and hope may mediate their loneliness. The sample consisted of 648 students (Mean age 27.99, SD – 7.08), in a medium size college in the centre of Israel. Participants were divided into two groups: 529 typical students and 119 students with ADHD. Loneliness, negative experiences during the use of distance learning, perceptions of social support, and hope were examined. Students with ADHD reported higher levels of loneliness and more negative experiences with distance learning than their peers. Results demonstrated that ADHD and negative experiences with distance learning predicted higher levels of loneliness, while college support and peer support in addition to hopeful thinking mediated these relations. The discussion focuses on the theoretical and practical aspects of loneliness and support while emphasising the therapeutic implications of hope.

Providing Opportunities for Meaningful Activities for Covid-19 Patients: A Community Response

Context: Patients hospitalized for Covid-19 are at high risk for experiencing isolation, boredom, anxiety, and depression. These psychosocial issues can contribute to poorer health outcomes.
 Objective: The purpose of this project was to bridge the gap between patient needs and available resources: bringing supplies to the patients, such that they could participate in meaningful activities in the isolation of their rooms, with hopes of mitigating aspects of loneliness and boredom. 
 Case Report: This case study describes the activities of the occupational and recreational therapy academic programs initiated in order to resource supplies from the community in response to a request from the hospital. A carload of technology and non-technology activity resources were delivered to the hospital and distributed to patients. A treating physician provided an overview of the patient response.
 Patient Experience: Staff reported fewer complaints of isolation and boredom following the delivery of resources. This also increased staff morale.
 Conclusion: Providing resources patients can independently utilize may reduce feelings of isolation and boredom, which may improve health outcomes.

Co-Creating Culturally Nuanced Measures of Loneliness With Māori Elders

The growing international evidence on the impacts of social isolation and loneliness has profound implications for positive health status and wellbeing (Holt-Lunstad et. al. 2015). This raises important questions about how we measure loneliness, particularly in extended family cultures where loneliness may be experienced differently from western more individualistic cultures. In this research, key questions around loneliness and social isolation were co-created with Māori Elders and responses were compared with a standard international loneliness scale (De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale) to help identify universal aspects of loneliness and Māori specific aspects. The results demonstrated significant correlations between the co-created questions and the international scale. However, they also demonstrated substantial expressions of loneliness among older Māori that are not captured by standard scales showing the need for Māori specific scales which are more inclusive of their cultural norms and can provide more precise data for constructive policy making and service provision.

Diabetes assistance before, during and after Covid-19 in Ferrara, Italy

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly changed people's habits and social organization, including the care models of people with chronic diseases. Diabetes care in Ferrara is based on Integrated Care Protocols (ICP) in collaboration with General Practitioners (GPs). The sudden arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in the suspension of most of the planned health activities. The Diabetes Services have mainly dedicated themselves to communicating by telephone with their clients to suspend appointments and monitor their health conditions, accepting only urgent situations that could not be managed by telephone. The psychosocial aspects of people with diabetes have led to the fear of contagion taking into account the greater risks related to age and comorbidity and the aspects of loneliness and reduction of social contacts. After the lockdown, the health systems are reactivating the suspended treatment paths even if with all the measures to avoid spreading the infection. Consequently, the assistance activities will be quantitatively less numerous to apply the safety criteria. E-health gives the opportunity to customize monitoring and assistance and to configure a profile of the monitored parameters aimed at revaluations of care in the clinic only when necessary, rather than at predetermined deadlines.

Who benefits most from resilience-building groups for ‘at-risk’ older people? a pilot service-evaluation

Objectives Resilience-building interventions have not yet targeted older adults, despite the importance of well-being for maintaining independence and health. The ‘My Generation’ programme aims to build resilience through greater access to social networks, well-being activities, and psycho-educational support; this paper examines service evaluation data from its pilot implementation to identify factors leading to positive outcomes. Method The ‘My Generation’ programme comprises eight weekly 2-hour group sessions; each session includes both psychoeducation and a well-being activity. Participants were invited to complete questionnaires at the start and end of the course, and 12 weeks later. These included measures of well-being, loneliness, social connections and self-efficacy. Results Baseline assessments were completed by 239 older people (average age 71, range 50-97), attending 38 courses in four centres. Most were female (80%), 40% were widowed, 25% divorced/separated and 64% lived alone. Demographics did not differ between those completing post-intervention assessments (N = 137) and those who did not. Compared with normative data, participants had significantly lower well-being and greater feelings of loneliness than age-peers. Significant improvements in well-being, self-efficacy, social connections and one measure of loneliness were evident at post-intervention and follow-up assessments. Improvement in well-being at post-intervention was greater in those who were divorced/separated and who were not carers, and at follow-up in females and those living alone. Conclusion The ‘My Generation’ package appeared effective in improving well-being, self-efficacy, social connections and aspects of loneliness in at-risk older people. More research is needed to identify the intervention’s key components and possible between-centre differences in outcomes.

Unravelling the antecedents of loneliness in the workplace

‘I am lonely’, ‘I feel lonely’, ‘I am all alone’, ‘I feel lonely at work’. Each statement conjures up different sentiments about loneliness and speaks to the myriad ways one can arrive at the conclusion that they are lonely. This everyday language gives us insight into the mechanics of what loneliness is, what it is not, how it can manifest, and how being lonely is variously perceived in our social environments. Loneliness indicates that our relational life is unsatisfying in some way and implies a yearning for connection. The perception of loneliness is magnified in social contexts such as the workplace, yet because loneliness is often perceived as a shameful topic that is stigmatised, trivialised, or ignored, it is not something we often hear revealed within organisations. How does loneliness develop in the workplace? This article introduces a process model to help us understand how loneliness at work can manifest. Because the literature on workplace loneliness is far from mature, we use multidisciplinary research on various aspects of loneliness, relationships, and organisations to help develop a conceptual model of loneliness in the context of the workplace. Lastly, the article outlines future research directions for the study of workplace loneliness.

School principal’s perception of loneliness: a career stage perspective

ABSTRACT The current study traced the principal’s own interpretation of loneliness in the workplace throughout various career stages in the principal’s career cycle. The study posed two questions: (1) How do school principals explain the personal and organisational factors that influence their loneliness experience as it relates to different contexts? (2) How do school principals interpret their loneliness experience during work in relation to their career stage? Based on semi-structured interviews with eight elementary and secondary school principals from Israel, we differentiated between two aspects of loneliness as perceived by the interviewees: one is loneliness that is associated with disappointment in the school staff performance and commitment to work. The other is loneliness associated with a sense of over-identification with the school accompanied by sensitivity to criticism. From an analysis of the principals’ accounts, several insights can be provided. Empirical and practical implications are suggested.

INTEREST GROUP SESSION—LONELINESS AND SOCIAL ISOLATION: THE LANGUAGE(S) OF LONELINESS

We offer a novel perspective on the burgeoning literature focused on loneliness later life by examining the language(s) used to describe, define and depict loneliness. We have an extensive body of work describing the prevalence of , ‘vulnerability factors’ and consequences of loneliness in later life. These activities start with pre-defined concepts of what loneliness is and often use scales and questions which may/may not use the term loneliness. How well does the contemporary language of loneliness used in research, policy, practice and the media really capture the depth and complexity of what people are experiencing? Do the terms and words use in our measurement scales and quantitative research resonate with this vocabulary? In qualitative research interviews how do older adults talk (or avoid talking) about loneliness? How does the media talk about loneliness and what images does this convey about later life? We will address these three issues in our seminar. Using data from qualitative interviews undertaken as part of a mixed methods study of temporal variations in loneliness, Thomas uncovers the strategies participants used to talk or avoid talking about loneliness. Victor uses qualitative data from 12,000 adults aged 60+ collected as part of the BBC loneliness experiment to examine the terms used to describe loneliness and to identify both the opposite of loneliness and the positive aspects of loneliness. Sullivan exposes how loneliness is constructed in print and digital media over a 10-year period in the UK and Canada and its role in framing the loneliness problem.

Structural and Functional Approach to Study of Psychological Loneliness

The article discusses the possibility of studying the psychological aspects of loneliness in the context of problems of personality adaptation and the risks of adaptive chokes. Loneliness is the result of a low level of adaptation or the result of disadaptation processes. Personality is considered functionally as a means of adaptation primarily to the social environment. The basic components of the personality structure arealso considered functionally as tools for adaptation. The socio-psychological version of the personality structure is taken as the basis, which includes social roles, selfconcept, and personality orientation in their interrelationship. The experience of loneliness is associated with adaptive dysfunctions of individual components of the personality. The risks that are carried by a social role as a possible factor in the complication of relations or the emergence of acute conflicts with surrounding people and personalities themselves and, as a consequence, the experience of a feeling of loneliness, are considered. Dysfunctions of the self-concept are associated with crises or identity deformation, self-esteem deformation, contradictions, the discrepancybetween external, public self, and inner self. Orientation as the main vector of personality activity is considered as an important factor of adaptation, harmonization of relationships with the social world. Difficulties in this area, difficulties in working out a life programme, its correction, or radical changes under the influence of lifeexperience also carry risks of disadaptation and psychological loneliness. For a certain period of time, the purposeful activity of the individual can be blocked, which is a serious psychological problem and a destructive factor of social alienation and self-alienation. Dysfunctions of one of the components of the personality structure will not create radical problems if they are not observed in other components of the personality structure. The greatest risks of social isolation and loneliness are associated with the destabilisation of the structure of the individual as a whole. This leads to a full-scale disorder of the person with the surrounding world and himself/herself, which guarantees disadaptation and intense experiences of loneliness.
 Keywords: psychological loneliness, adaptation and disadaptation of personality, socio-psychological structure of personality, social roles, self-concept, personality orientation, dysfunctions in personality structure.

Struktura iskustva usamljenosti - mjerene upitnikom A. Rokach

An investigation was carried out on 484 subjects aged 16-90 years. The sample consisted of 261 women and 223 men. The aim of the investigation was to examine the structure of loneliness experience, as well as age and gender differences. A. Rokach’s questionnaire “Experience of Loneliness” was used. That part of the questionnaire (68 items) which assesses the negative aspects of loneliness was analysed with principal factor analysis. Five factors were extracted which were named as: Emotional Distress, Interpersonal Isolation, Exclusion, Social Inadequacy and Physical Manifestations. Higher order factor analysis extracted just one factor - Experience of Loneliness. The theoretical expectation that the Experience of loneliness includes emotional, social, behavioural, cognitive and physical dimensions was confirmed. There were no age differences in Emotional Distress. Younger subjects (19 to 24 years old) have higher results on Interpersonal Isolation, Exclusion and Social Inadequacy, while older subjects (65 to 90 years old) have higher results on the factor of Physical Manifestations. Gender differences are present in all five factors indicating that women are more lonely. The resu Ils are interpreted in relation to developmental theories (Erikson, Levinson). It is indicated that the results could be potentially used especially in clinical work with younger subjects.

Impact of loneliness and depression on mortality: results from the Longitudinal Ageing Study Amsterdam.

Loneliness is highly prevalent among older people, has serious health consequences and is an important predictor of mortality. Loneliness and depression may unfavourably interact with each other over time but data on this topic are scarce. To determine whether loneliness is associated with excess mortality after 19 years of follow-up and whether the joint effect with depression confers further excess mortality. Different aspects of loneliness were measured with the De Jong Gierveld scale and depression with the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale in a cohort of 2878 people aged 55-85 with 19 years of follow-up. Excess mortality hypotheses were tested with Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazard analyses controlling for potential confounders. At follow-up loneliness and depression were associated with excess mortality in older men and women in bivariate analysis but not in multivariate analysis. In multivariate analysis, severe depression was associated with excess mortality in men who were lonely but not in women. Loneliness and depression are important predictors of early death in older adults. Severe depression has a strong association with excess mortality in older men who were lonely, indicating a lethal combination in this group.

A Systematic Review of Loneliness and Smoking: Small Effects, Big Implications

Background: Research supports an association between smoking and negative affect. Loneliness is a negative affective state experienced when a person perceives themselves as socially isolated and is associated with poor health behaviors and increased morbidity and early mortality. Objectives: In this article, we systematically review the literature on loneliness and smoking and suggest potential theoretical and methodological implications. Methods: PubMed and PsycINFO were systematically searched for articles that assessed the statistical association between loneliness and smoking. Articles that met study inclusion criteria were reviewed. Results: Twenty-five studies met inclusion criteria. Ten studies were conducted with nationally representative samples. Twelve studies assessed loneliness using a version of the UCLA Loneliness Scale and nine used a one-item measure of loneliness. Seventeen studies assessed smoking with a binary smoking status variable. Fourteen of the studies were conducted with adults and 11 with adolescents. Half of the reviewed studies reported a statistically significant association between loneliness and smoking. Of the studies with significant results, all but one study found that higher loneliness scores were associated with being a smoker. Conclusions/Importance: Loneliness and smoking are likely associated, however, half of the studies reviewed did not report significant associations. Studies conducted with larger sample sizes, such as those that used nationally representative samples, were more likely to have statistically significant findings. Future studies should focus on using large, longitudinal cohorts, using measures that capture different aspects of loneliness and smoking, and exploring mediators and moderators of the association between loneliness and smoking.

Loneliness among older people as a social problem: the perspectives of medicine, religion and economy

ABSTRACTThis article offers a theoretical framework for studying loneliness among older people from a social problems perspective. The framework combines the constructionist approach to social problems (Spector and Kitsuse) and systems theory (Luhmann). Based on the first approach, we understand the social problem of loneliness among older people to be the result of claims-making activities by different key actors. These activities are guided by underlying moralities, causalities and solutions. With the second approach, we can explain how social problems are framed differently within different social systems. The proposed framework is primarily aimed at researchers studying social (in contrast to bio-medical or psychological) aspects of loneliness among older people. It helps not only to guide research designs in order to address conflicting perspectives, rationalities and interests but also to enable researchers to grasp fully how ‘loneliness among older people’ is attributed (potentially shifting) meanings through communicative acts by influential stakeholders in the ‘social problems industry‘. Combining constructionism and Luhmann's theory also helps to interpret and explain concrete claims-making concerning loneliness as a social problem. The argument in this article is illustrated via three different social systems: medicine, religion and economy. Loneliness among older people appears to be something different from each of these perspectives: as a matter of health and illness, of spirituality, and of incentives and commodities, respectively.