Decrease In Loneliness Research Articles

Does Posting Facebook Status Updates Increase or Decrease Loneliness? An Online Social Networking Experiment

Online social networking is a pervasive but empirically understudied phenomenon. Strong public opinions on its consequences exist but are backed up by little empirical evidence and almost no causally conclusive, experimental research. The current study tested the psychological effects of posting status updates on Facebook using an experimental design. For 1 week, participants in the experimental condition were asked to post more than they usually do, whereas participants in the control condition received no instructions. Participants added a lab “Research Profile” as a Facebook friend allowing for the objective documentation of protocol compliance, participants’ status updates, and friends’ responses. Results revealed (1) that the experimentally induced increase in status updating activity reduced loneliness, (2) that the decrease in loneliness was due to participants feeling more connected to their friends on a daily basis, and (3) that the effect of posting on loneliness was independent of direct social feedback (i.e., responses) by friends.

Is the Internet Use an Effective Method to Cope With Elderly Loneliness and Decrease Loneliness Symptom?

The purpose of this research is to study whether the use of internet could be an effective method for elderly people to cope with the loneliness. In the screening study based on the relationship model, a total of 569 elderly individuals were included. The obtained results showed that higher levels of loneliness in elderly people living alone, more than the elderly using the internet, such as more use of social networks, higher education level concluded that the increase in internet usage and decreased loneliness. In general it could be stated that use of internet has an important place among methods used in dealing with loneliness of mature and adult individuals.

Social Implications of Smartphone Use: Korean College Students' Smartphone Use and Psychological Well-Being

The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between motives of smartphone use, social relation, and psychological well-being. The correlation analysis shows that the motives of smartphone use were positively related to bonding relations but negatively related to bridging relations. The hierarchical multiple regression analysis finds the associations among motives of smartphone use, social relations, perceived social support, and variables of psychological well-being. The results demonstrate that needs for caring for others were negatively related to loneliness and depression and positively related to self-esteem. However, the communication motives are not a significant predictor to determine self-esteem, loneliness, and depression. In addition, bonding and bridging social relations and social support significantly increase self-esteem and decrease loneliness and depression.

Loneliness in Patients with Rheumatic Diseases: The Significance of Invalidation and Lack of Social Support

ABSTRACT Rheumatic diseases affect about 20% of the population, leading to common symptoms such as joint problems, pain, fatigue, and stiffness. Loneliness is prevalent in individuals with rheumatic diseases. This could be due to not receiving social support and being stigmatized and invalidated, which might be most common in fibromyalgia, a rheumatic disease that lacks medical evidence. The aim of this study was to compare loneliness in distinct rheumatic diseases and to examine the association of loneliness with social support and invalidation. Participants were 927 patients with ankylosing spondylitis (n = 152), fibromyalgia (n = 341), osteoarthritis (n = 150), rheumatoid arthritis (n = 171), or systemic diseases (n = 113). They completed online questionnaires including an 11-point Likert scale assessing loneliness, the Illness Invalidation Inventory (3*I; Kool et al., 2010), and the Social Support Survey (SSS; De Boer, Wijker, Speelman, & De Haes, 1996; Sherbourne & Stewart, 1991). Patients with fibromyalgia experienced significantly more loneliness than patients with ankylosing spondylitis and patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Besides being younger, having lower education, and not working, in multiple regression analyses both lack of social support and invalidation were independently correlated with loneliness. This suggests that to decrease loneliness, therapeutic attention should be given to both increasing social support as well as decreasing invalidation in patients with rheumatic diseases, especially in patients with fibromyalgia.

A cognitive intervention to enhance institutionalized older adults’ social support networks and decrease loneliness

Nearly all older adults experience social losses, which can disrupt their social support networks and impair their quality of life. Events such as retirement, an inability to drive, death of a spouse and/or close life-long friends, or moving to an elder care facility may negatively affect the quality of older adults’ social support networks. Low levels of perceived social support are associated with increased depression, impaired immune functioning and reduced life expectancy. Moreover, social interactions can be cognitively stimulating and may help older adults preserve their cognitive abilities. In the present study, institutionalized older adults were exposed to either a cognitive enhancement programme designed to enhance social networks or a control group. Measures of perceived social support and loneliness were administered before and after a 3-month, group-based intervention. There was a significant interaction between group and time. Those who did not participate in the intervention experienced a decrease in perceived social support and an increase in perceived loneliness. Participants in the intervention group stayed the same on the above measures. Helping older adults increase or maintain the quality of their social networks may lead to enhanced cognitive functioning, decreased depression and improved quality of life. Recommendations to help assisted living facilities, nursing homes, retirement communities and senior centres develop social and cognitive interventions are provided.

Study on the relationship between loneliness and social support of sleep quality among the urban elder

目的 了解广州市社区老年人睡眠质量与孤独及社会支持的关系.方法应用匹兹堡睡眠质量指数量表(PSQI)、UCLA孤独量表、社会支持评定量表(SSRS)对131名老年人进行问卷调查.结果 PSQI总分平均分为(6.94±3.81)分,孤独平均分为(39.11±11.49)分,社会支持总分平均分为(35.65±8.05)分.孤独与PSQI总分及因子睡眠时间、睡眠效率、催眠药物的评分正相关;社会支持总分与PSQI总分及因子睡眠质量、入睡时间、睡眠时间、睡眠效率、睡眠障碍的评分负相关.结论孤独和社会支持对老年人的睡眠质量有重要影响,减轻老年人的孤独感和增加社会支持对改善睡眠质量有积极意义。

The Relationship Between Loneliness and Social Interaction in Women Prisoners

The increase in women prisoners is a societal issue and affects not only the woman, but also her family of origin and her children. This study did not support the hypothesis that more frequent visits from friends or family decrease loneliness, but it did support the hypothesis that the presence or absence of friends and the number of friends within the facility make a significant difference in the loneliness experienced by women prisoners. It is within the scope of nursing practice to lessen the burden of loneliness and to improve the physical and emotional health of the person by addressing the issue of loneliness.