Differences In Loneliness Research Articles

Structural Brain Correlates of Loneliness among Older Adults

Ample evidence indicates that loneliness in old age is associated with poor bodily and mental health. However, little is known about structural cerebral correlates of loneliness in healthy older adults. We examined such correlates in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) subsample of 319 older adults aged 61 to 82 years drawn from the Berlin Aging Study II. Using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and structural equation modeling (SEM), latent hierarchical regression analyses were performed to examine associations of (i) loneliness, (ii) a range of covariates, and (iii) loneliness by covariate interactions with latent brain volume estimates of brain structures known to be involved in processing, expressing, and regulating emotions. Results from whole-brain VBM analyses showed that individuals with higher loneliness scores tended to have smaller gray matter volumes in three clusters comprising (i) the left amygdala/anterior hippocampus, (ii) the left posterior parahippocampus and (iii) the left cerebellum. Significant associations and interactions between loneliness and latent factors for the amygdala and the hippocampus were confirmed with a region-of-interest (ROI)-based approach. These findings suggest that individual differences in loneliness among older adults are correlated with individual differences in the volumes of brain regions that are central to cognitive processing and emotional regulation, also after correcting for confounders such as social network size. We discuss possible mechanisms underlying these associations and their implications.

Gender differences in the experience of loneliness among adolescents in Jakarta

Adolescence is a transition period from childhood to adulthood. During this period, adolescents are prone to problems, one of those problems being loneliness. This research aimed to find out gender differences in the experience of loneliness among adolescents in Jakarta. Six hundred sixty-two participants, which consisted of 318 male and 344 female students aged between 15-20 years old, were selected from five schools by using multi-stage random sampling. 6-Item (short) De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scales were used to measure loneliness. Data was collected through school-based research conducted on senior high school students in the Special Capital Region of Jakarta. The results show that there are significant differences in loneliness between male and female adolescents in overall, emotional and social dimensions. Female adolescents had significantly higher scores of loneliness compared to male adolescents, not only overall but also in emotional and social dimensions.

Gratitude and Loneliness: Enhancing Health and Well-Being in Older Adults.

We experimentally investigated gratitude's impact on loneliness and health in older adults. Participants were assigned to a daily gratitude writing exercise (treatment group) or a control group. Self-reported loneliness and health (i.e., subjective well-being, subjective health, health symptoms) were measured daily over a 3-week period. In support of our hypotheses, within-person variability in gratitude predicted differences in loneliness and health. Furthermore, those in the treatment group showed stronger cumulative effects of gratitude on loneliness and health symptoms when aggregated across the 20-day study. Additionally, a series of conditional, multilevel indirect effect models found that loneliness acted as a mechanism for gratitude's differential impact on subjective well-being and health symptoms across conditions. Taken together, this study provides initial evidence that a simple gratitude exercise can strengthen associations among daily gratitude and loneliness and, consequently, improve health, for older adults.

Intergenerational mentoring for young adult males with intellectual disability: Intervention description and outcomes

ABSTRACTBackground: Gaining employment can be challenging for young adults with intellectual disability (ID). This study reports on a mentoring intervention to help counter barriers to employment.Method: A single-group, pre-post design was used. Eighteen young men with mild to moderate ID joined a local Men’s Shed and were assigned a Shed member as their mentor. Pre- and post-measures assessed quality of life, loneliness, personal wellbeing and workplace adjustment. Techniques from the Behaviour Change Taxonomy were used to provide support to both mentee and mentor.Results: There was a significant improvement in the community domain of quality of life. There were no significant differences in loneliness, wellbeing or workplace adjustment. Mentees attended more social events independently, and increased skills and community participation.Conclusion: By providing targeted and graded support to the mentee-mentor dyad, community-based interventions can provide a sense of community and develop workplace skills for young people with ID.

Genetic Contributions to Loneliness and Their Relevance to the Evolutionary Theory of Loneliness

Loneliness is a negative and distressing emotional state that arises from a discrepancy between one’s desired and achieved levels of social connectedness. The evolutionary theory of loneliness (ETL) posits that experiencing loneliness is an inherited adaptation that signals that salutary social relations are endangered or damaged and prompts people to reconnect to significant others. The basic tenets of the ETL has led researchers to examine the genetic underpinnings of loneliness. The current review provides an updated overview of genetic studies on loneliness and discusses the importance of genetic research for the ETL. The most recent studies suggest that the many genes that contribute to a small degree to differences in loneliness partially overlap with genes that contribute to neuroticism, but not with depression. In addition, the genetic studies discussed in this review show that genes are unlikely to have a direct effect on loneliness. Instead, environmental factors determine in a dynamic fashion how genes that contribute to loneliness are expressed. Future research on epigenetic processes, such as DNA methylation, can further elucidate the dynamic interplay between genes and the environment and how this interplay contributes to loneliness.

Gender differences in loneliness, anger, depression, self-management ability and biomarkers of chronic illness in chronically ill mid-life adults in Appalachia

AimsThis study describes gender differences and relationships among loneliness, anger, depression, self-management ability and biomarkers of chronic illness in chronically ill mid-life adults in Appalachia. BackgroundLoneliness predicts poor health, functional decline, and mortality in adults. Though self-management ability is linked to improved health outcomes, a gap existed when examining how loneliness impacts self-management ability (SMA). MethodsThis cross-sectional study recruited 90 patients from a primary care center. Instruments measured loneliness, anger, depression, and SMA. Measures were taken for BMI, blood pressure, and glucose. Descriptive and hierarchical multiple regression was used to test hypotheses. ResultsParticipants were majority female (68%), white (89%), married (52%), employed (66%), and impoverished (70%). They were moderately lonely (M = 41.29, SD 12.13) and men were lonelier than women (p < .01). Men and women did not differ on anger, depressive symptoms, or SMA. Anger (5.64, SD 7.32) and depressive symptoms (M = 5.89, SD 5.54) were low. Loneliness positively correlated with anger (r = 0.415, p < .01) and depression (r = 0.558, p < .01), and inversely related to subscales of SMA (p < .01) [taking initiative (TI), investment behavior (IB), variety (V), multifunctionality (MF), self-efficacy (SE), and positive frame of mind (PM)]. After controlling for age, anger, and depression, loneliness was explanatory for poorer SMA (R squared change = 0.32, F change (1, 67) = 47.67, p < .001). ConclusionsLoneliness impacts SMA and should be included in the care planning or study of chronically ill adults who struggle with self-management.

Loneliness, Social Support, Life Satisfaction, and Internet Addiction among Day Scholars and Hostel Students

For the purpose of pursuing education, students stay in hostel to carry out their desired course. During hostel life, they gain experience and learn various things from their teachers and inmates. In addition, as they are staying away from their family, they go through certain enduring experiences like loneliness, lack of social support, and other issues. The present study examined the relationship between loneliness, social support internet addiction, and life satisfaction among day scholars and hostel students. The sample consisted of 200 college students out of which 100 were day scholars and 100 were hostel students. The students were selected from 3 colleges in Chennai city. The students were administered Internet Addiction Test (IAT) by Dr. Kimberly Young (1996), UCLA Loneliness Scale by Russell, D. (1978), Social Support Questionnaire by Sarason et al., (1987) and Life Satisfaction by Diener, E., Emmons, R. A., Larsen, R. J., &amp; Griffin, S. (1985). Pearson correlation coefficient was used to investigate the relationship between internet addiction, loneliness, social support and life satisfaction. Independent samples t-test was used to examine the difference between day scholars and hostel students. The analysis revealed that internet addiction and loneliness were significantly positively correlated. There was no significant relationship between internet addiction and social support. Internet addiction and life satisfaction were found to be significantly negatively correlated. Loneliness and social support were found to be significantly negatively correlated. Loneliness and life satisfaction were found to be significantly negatively correlated. There was a significant positive correlation between social support and life satisfaction. Also, results indicated that there were no significant differences in internet addiction and life satisfaction among day scholars and hostel students. There were significant differences in loneliness and social support among day scholars and hostel students. Hostel students tended to have higher loneliness and experience lesser social support.

Trends in social inequality in loneliness among adolescents 1991-2014.

Loneliness and social inequality in health are important public health concerns. We examined (i) trends in loneliness among adolescents from 1991 to 2014 in Denmark and (ii) trends in social inequality in loneliness. Study population: 11-15-year olds in random samples of schools in 1991, 1994, 1998, 2006 and 2014, n = 19 096. Loneliness was measured by a single item and social background by parents' occupational social class (OSC). We calculated absolute (%) differences in loneliness between high and low OSC and relative differences by odds ratio for loneliness. Across all surveys, 6.3% reported feeling lonely. The prevalence increased from 4.4% in 1991 to 7.2% in 2014. The prevalence of loneliness in high, middle and low OSC was 5.8, 5.9 and 8.0%. The increase in loneliness was more pronounced in higher than lower OSC, resulting in a decreasing absolute social inequality in loneliness. The statistical interaction between OSC and survey year was significant, P = 0.0176, i.e. the relative social inequality in loneliness also decreased from 1991 to 2014. The prevalence of loneliness increased from 1991 to 2014. The social inequality in loneliness decreased in both absolute and relative terms because of a rising prevalence of loneliness among children from high OSC.

Loneliness and Anxiety About Aging in Adult Day Care Centers and Continuing Care Retirement Communities.

Background and ObjectivesThe present study compares how 2 settings: adult day care centers (ADCCs) and continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs) fare with regard to loneliness and anxiety about aging. Loneliness is a highly prevalent and distressing subjective experience of inadequate social relations, which has negative effects on health and well-being. Anxiety about aging is defined as worries brought up by imagining the negative consequences and losses associated with old age. The study also examines whether anxiety about aging accounts for differences in loneliness between the 2 settings. This study took place in Israel, where ADCCs are funded by the National Insurance Institute of Israel and CCRCs tend to be funded by private income and wealth. Despite notable differences between the settings, a common goal of both is to reduce loneliness among older adults.Research Design and MethodsA cross-sectional design of 4 ADCCs and 4 CCRCs (N = 456).ResultsCompared with CCRC residents, older adults in ADCCs reported higher levels of loneliness (Mean [SD] = 1.46 [0.60], Mean [SD] = 1.78 [0.80], respectively, t [df]= −5.10 [448], p < .001) and higher levels of anxiety about aging (Mean [SD] = 2.96 [0.88], Mean [SD] = 3.27 [0.99], respectively, t [df] = −3.42 [440], p < .001). Anxiety about aging partially accounted for the differences between the 2 settings in levels of loneliness (B = 0.03, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.0037–0.0651).Discussion and ImplicationsAlthough it is not possible to determine causality from this cross-sectional design, it is possible that CCRCs provide a better social outlet for older adults than ADCCs.

RESEARCH OF LONELINESS LEVELS OF FOOTBALLERS IN AMATEUR FOOTBALL CLUBS

The aim of this study is to measure the loneliness levels of footballers in amateur football clubs in Gaziantep and to examine their sub dimensions according to the variables of emotional deprivation and social friend poverty. The universe of the research is composed of 1672 active amateur soccer players in the province of Gaziantep. The sample of the research is composed of 328 soccer players selected by chance. A validity and reliability study were conducted with reference to Loneliness at Work Scale. A total of 328 athletes participated in the survey, 77 females and 251 males. It was accepted that the normality test result Kolmogorov Smirnov (P <0.001) did not show a normal distribution and the normal distribution of skewness kurtosis values between -1.5 and +1.5 was used to measure hypotheses with appropriate statistical methods. The homogeneity of the variances was measured by the Levene Statistic Test. Independent T-Test, OneWay ANOVA and Tukey multiple comparison statistical methods were used for the independent variables that met the hypothesis by testing the sub-dimensions of the scale separately. Kruskal-Wallis test was applied to dependent variables that did not meet homogeneity of variance. The Cronbach alpha value of the validity and reliability of the study is 0,701. At the end of the study, it was determined that there were significant differences in loneliness and sub-dimensions of some variables belonging to participant. In the light of these results, it has been concluded that footballers have loneliness due to their personal life differences and that coaches and managers should have more space for enhancing their family ties and enhancing their sense of belonging among the footballers. Article visualizations:

HUBUNGAN ANTARA REGULASI DIRI DENGAN KESEPIAN PADA MAHASISWA TAHUN PERTAMA DI FAKULTAS KESEHATAN MASYARAKAT DAN FAKULTAS ILMU SOSIAL DAN ILMU POLITIK UNIVERSITAS DIPONEGORO SEMARANG

Individuals in early adult experience transition from high school to college. At that time involves major changes in the physical, cognitive, and psychosocial aspects. During the transition to college, it was found that there was a risk of a lonely phenomenon. This reasearch aims to determine the relationship between self-regulation with loneliness in first year students in the Faculty of Public Health and Faculty of Social and Political Sciences Diponegoro University of Semarang. The population of this reasearch is the first year students in the Faculty of Public Health and Faculty of Social and Political Sciences Diponegoro University numbered 886 students. The sample of research was 248 people obtained with convenience sampling technique. The data were collected using Self Regulation Scale (26 valid items; α = .88) and Loneliness Scale (26 valid items; α = .89), which have been tested on 92 students. Simple regression analysis showed a negative and significant relationship between self-regulation with loneliness shown through rxy = -.54 correlation coefficient with p = .000 (p &lt;.001). The higher the self-regulation, the loneliness felt will be lower, and vice versa. Self regulation provides an effective contribution of 29% on loneliness. Additional analysis in this study used an independent sample t-test, which showed that there was no significant difference in loneliness based on differences in residence, gender, and the origin of the faculty. This research is expected to be a consideration for students and faculty about self regulation and loneliness, as well as supporting references for further researchers.

Gratifications on Social Networking Sites: The Role of Secondary School Students’ Individual Differences in Loneliness

Social networking sites, such as Myspace and Facebook, have become popular online communities with large teenage user populations who engage in social media to interact, play, explore, and learn. Research based on uses and gratifications theory has revealed that among the gratifications on social media most sought specifically by adolescents between 12 and 18 years old are meeting new people, satisfying teenagers’ need to belong, and being entertained. Previous research also points to possible differences in the perception of gratifications among users of different media, depending on their level of loneliness. The current study examines whether associations between loneliness and gratifications obtained by adolescent social media users vary across different levels of loneliness. We conducted a survey among 344 Spanish secondary school students with an online profile on the Spanish friend-networking site Tuenti. Mixture modeling identified three classes of students with different levels of loneliness and distinct relationships between loneliness and gratifications for each class. This study contributes to more specific knowledge of the relationship between use of a friend-networking site by lonely teenagers and gratifications obtained and provides implications for the development of coping strategies for students of this age who suffer from loneliness. Further implications of findings for personalized educational computing and group management in on- and offline classrooms are discussed.

Loneliness and depression among rural empty-nest elderly adults in Liuyang, China: a cross-sectional study

ObjectiveTo compare loneliness, depressive symptoms and major depressive episodes between empty-nest and not-empty-nest older adults in rural areas of Liuyang city, Hunan, China.MethodsA cross-sectional multi-stage random cluster survey was conducted...

Relationship between loneliness and symptoms of anxiety and depression in African American men and women: Evidence for gender as a moderator

We examined for gender differences in loneliness and negative affective conditions, namely, symptoms of anxiety and depression, in 168 African American college students. Gender differences were examined as a predictor of negative affective conditions and as a moderator of the relationship between loneliness and negative affective conditions. Although no significant differences were found in levels of loneliness and negative affective conditions between African American men and women, results of regression analyses indicated that gender differences significantly predicted anxious and depressive symptoms. Moreover, a significant Gender×Loneliness interaction effect was found in predicting both anxious and depressive symptoms. Specifically, higher levels of anxious and depressive symptoms were found among lonely African American women, compared to men. These findings suggest that the negative psychological effects of loneliness may be particularly more damaging for African American women than men. Understanding the unique challenges of African American women, compared to men, as a double minority is discussed.

Factors associated with loneliness among the institutionalised elders in Shanghai, China: the role of social support

Studies have shown that loneliness is increasingly prevalent among the aged, especially those who live in institutions. This study examines the role of social support and differences in loneliness among institutionalised elders, using a face-to-face questionnaire interview in a Shanghai institution. Results show that the prevalence of loneliness among participants was relatively high. Gender, subjective appraisals of relationship with nurses, frequency of being visited by children, frequency of being visited by friends, and subjective appraisals of relationship with roommates were significant predictors of loneliness. The quality of social support was indicated as a significant factor for predicting loneliness rather than its quantity. It is striking that frequency of being visited by children was found to be positively associated with loneliness. This counterintuitive finding suggests that the function of family for those institutionalized elders may be negative under China’s cultural norms, beliefs, and perceptions, which is incongruent with theoretical assumptions in Western countries.

Sleeping with one eye open: loneliness and sleep quality in young adults.

Feelings of loneliness are common among young adults, and are hypothesized to impair the quality of sleep. In the present study, we tested associations between loneliness and sleep quality in a nationally representative sample of young adults. Further, based on the hypothesis that sleep problems in lonely individuals are driven by increased vigilance for threat, we tested whether past exposure to violence exacerbated this association. Data were drawn from the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study, a birth cohort of 2232 twins born in England and Wales in 1994 and 1995. We measured loneliness using items from the UCLA Loneliness Scale, and sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. We controlled for covariates including social isolation, psychopathology, employment status and being a parent of an infant. We examined twin differences to control for unmeasured genetic and family environment factors. Feelings of loneliness were associated with worse overall sleep quality. Loneliness was associated specifically with subjective sleep quality and daytime dysfunction. These associations were robust to controls for covariates. Among monozygotic twins, within-twin pair differences in loneliness were significantly associated with within-pair differences in sleep quality, indicating an association independent of unmeasured familial influences. The association between loneliness and sleep quality was exacerbated among individuals exposed to violence victimization in adolescence or maltreatment in childhood. Loneliness is robustly associated with poorer sleep quality in young people, underscoring the importance of early interventions to mitigate the long-term outcomes of loneliness. Special care should be directed towards individuals who have experienced victimization.

The prevalence and impact of risk factors for ethnic differences in loneliness.

Background: Previous studies have demonstrated that loneliness is more frequently present in citizens of ethnic minority groups than in natives. The current study investigates whether ethnic differences in emotional and social loneliness between Moroccan, Turkish, Surinamese and Dutch adults living in the Netherlands are due to ethnic differences in the presence and/or impact of an array of possible risk factors, such as partnership, health and socioeconomic status. Methods: The data were collected in 2012 as a part of a general health questionnaire of the Public Health Services in the four major cities of the Netherlands, containing 20.047 Dutch, 1.043 Moroccan, 1.197 Turkish and 1.900 Surinamese respondents. Results: Structural equation models showed that ethnic differences in emotional and social loneliness can be ascribed to ethnic differences in the prevalence and impact of several risk factors. Main findings were that all three ethnic minority groups reported feeling less healthy and more discriminated against than the Dutch group, which was related to increased loneliness. Perceived financial difficulties and people in the neighbourhood not getting along had more impact on feelings of loneliness for the Turkish group than loneliness for the other ethnic groups. Furthermore, members of the Turkish group were found more at risk to feel anxious or depressed, which was in turn related to increased loneliness. Conclusions: Policy makers are encouraged to develop multifaceted prevention strategies concerning those risk factors that are most changeable, thereby focusing per risk factor on those ethnic groups for which it is an important contribution to loneliness.

AFRICAN AMERICANS REPORT LESS LONELINESS THAN WHITE ADULTS IN OLD AGE

Loneliness increases with age and is associated with a two-fold increase in dementia. While loneliness in older White adults has been studied, little is known about loneliness in older African Americans. Older African Americans may show lower rates of loneliness due to greater interpersonal contact within social networks. Here we tested the hypothesis that African Americans would report lower levels of loneliness than demographically-matched older White participants, and that this race difference would interact with cognitive function. One thousand one hundred and eighty participants without dementia (mean age=74.85, mean education=14.46, male/female=265/915, mean MMSE=27.95) from the Rush Memory and Aging Project (MAP) and Minority Aging Research Study (MARS) completed a battery of clinical measures and a series of questions assessing loneliness. In the sample, 590 older nondemented African Americans (mean age=74.81, mean education=14.48, male/female=140/450, mean MMSE=27.51) were demographically matched with 590 older nondemented White participants (mean age=74.88, mean education=14.43, male/female=125/465, mean MMSE=28.38) according to age, education, and sex using propensity score matching procedures. Multiple regression analyses adjusting for the effects of age, education, and sex revealed older African Americans reported less loneliness than White adults (estimate=-0.1336, SE=0.0361, p <0.001). This effect remained significant even after further adjusting for the effects of cognitive function and socioeconomic status (estimate=-0.2158, SE=0.0387, p <0.001). In additional models, loneliness was associated with lower cognitive function (estimate=-0.0542, SE=0.0247, p=0.028); however, there was no evidence observed for a race by loneliness interaction. Older African Americans endorsed lower levels of loneliness than demographically matched older White adults, even after adjusting further for socioeconomic status and cognitive function. Loneliness was associated with lower cognitive function; however, this did not differ by race. More research is needed to determine the underlying mechanisms contributing to race differences in loneliness in old age.

Age differences in loneliness from late adolescence to oldest old age.

Contrary to common stereotypes, loneliness is not restricted to old age but can occur at any life stage. In this study, we used data from a large, nationally representative German study (N = 16,132) to describe and explain age differences in loneliness from late adolescence to oldest old age. The age distribution of loneliness followed a complex nonlinear trajectory, with elevated loneliness levels among young adults and among the oldest old. The late-life increase in loneliness could be explained by lower income levels, higher prevalence of functional limitations, and higher proportion of singles in this age group. Consistent with an age-normative perspective, the association of income, relationship status, household size, and work status with loneliness differed between different age groups. In contrast, indicators of the quantity of social relationships (social engagement, number of friends, contact frequency) were universally associated with loneliness regardless of age. Overall, these findings show that sources of loneliness in older adults are well understood. Future research should focus on understanding the specific sources of loneliness in middle-aged adults. (PsycINFO Database Record

Loneliness and Depression in Self-Care Students in Mashhad Northeastern Iran

Background: Who takes care of the children after school? is a question in many researches. Children may feel lonely and depressed if they open the house door and find no body in the house. Objectives: The study examines loneliness and depression in students who regularly care for themselves after school (latchkey students) and compared with students who enjoy the parent’s company Patients and Methods: This study comprised 270 students, aged between 7 to 13 years in Mashhad, selected by convenience and cluster random-assignment sampling, using depression self-rating questionnaire and loneliness self-rating scale. Results: Using a causal-comparative research method, independent t-test results showed significant differences in loneliness (-4.32, P ≤ 0.05) and depression (-3.02, P ≤ 0.05) between latchkey and non-latchkey students. Using the Pearson correlation test, significant correlation between depression and loneliness was observed among latchkey students (r = 0.59, P ≤ 0.05). However, no significant difference between loneliness and depression was observed (r = 0.02. P ≥ 0.05) in non-latchkey students. Multiple regression analysis also showed that depression variance can be determined by gender 22% and loneliness 34% (boys and girls). Conclusions: The findings of this study, specifically the significant difference between latchkey and non-latchkey children, regarding feelings of loneliness and depression, carries clear message for parents. It can be concluded that mothers who spend most of their time working out of the house and deprive their children of their presence at home may cause some form of mental distress like loneliness and depression in youngsters. Moreover, gender differences affect the degree of these psychological disorders.