Lonely People Research Articles

HUMAN ACTIVITY RECOGNITION BASED ON SMARTPHONE SENSOR DATA USING CNN

Abstract. Human activity recognitions have been widely used nowadays by end users thanks to extensive usage of smartphones. Smartphones, by self-containing low-cost sensing technology, can track our daily activities for serving healthcare, sport, interactive AR/VR games and so on. However, smartphone technology is evolving and the techniques of using the data that smartphones go through are also improving. In this study, we used built-in sensing technologies (accelerometer and gyroscope) available in nearly every smartphone to detect the most common 5 daily activities of human by taking the data of these sensors and extract the features for a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model. We prepare a dataset and use TensorFlow to train the collected data from the sensors then filtered it to be processed. We also discuss the differences in CNN model accuracy with different optimizers. To demonstrate the model, we developed an android application that successfully predict an activity. We believe that after improving this application, it can be used for especially lonely old people to immediately warn authorities in case of any daily incidents.

Perceived Social Support Protects Lonely People Against COVID-19 Anxiety: A Three-Wave Longitudinal Study in China.

The isolation necessary to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can give rise to anxiety, especially for lonely people who often feel upset without others’ company. Although isolated from others, people can still receive support from others, which might lower their COVID-19 anxiety. To examine the relationship between loneliness, perceived social support, and anxiety, we measured 222 Chinese participants’ (54.50% female, Mage = 31.53, SD = 8.17) trait loneliness, chronic anxiety before the outbreak, COVID-19 anxiety at the peak and decline stages of COVID-19, and their perceived social support across the three time points. The results showed that people’s perceived social support dramatically increased from the pre-pandemic to the peak COVID-19 stage, and remained stable during the decline of COVID-19 stage. In contrast, COVID-19 anxiety decreased from the peak to the decline stage. Further, perceived social support consistently moderated the relationship between loneliness with both chronic anxiety and COVID-19 anxiety. The current study provides initial evidence that perceived social support provides protection for lonely people in daily life as well as during unexpected disasters, which will contribute to finding ways to alleviate lonely people’s anxiety during this global health crisis.

Examining transitions in loneliness for people without and with moderate and severe disabilities

Purpose To investigate how disability affects the levels of loneliness reported by people living in Germany. In particular, we are interested in analysing the transitions into and out of loneliness but incorporating a dynamic approach of disability (i.e., disability trajectories). Method Drawing data from the German Socio-Economic Panel for the years 2013 and 2017 and using a three-item version of the UCLA Loneliness Scale, we construct a balance panel of individuals and estimate linear regression models on loneliness, and probit models to predict the likelihood to become lonely or exit from loneliness. Results We find a positive association between disability and loneliness (especially for those people who are severely limited). The frequency of contacts with family, friends, etc., the number of close friends and the participation in volunteering, sports, cultural and religious events reduce loneliness. Furthermore, we find that those individuals making the transition into a moderate/severe disability and also those recovering totally from a severe disability are more likely to become lonely in 2017. Conclusions From a public health policy perspective, it is necessary to undertake the design and implementation of instrumental, emotional and social support for people with disabilities. A higher engagement in social activities (e.g., social gatherings, cultural and leisure activities) and the elimination of barriers (e.g., structural and environmental) may become key elements to preventing loneliness. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION Loneliness has become an important social problem in most countries with a significant impact on individuals’ health status (mental and physical). Loneliness strongly affects individuals who experience important levels of discrimination and social exclusion (e.g., people with disabilities). Transitions of disabilities and loneliness must be taken into account to investigate the relative position of people with disabilities (especially those with severe disabilities). People with severe disabilities report the highest levels of loneliness, especially if this disability status remains over time. Rehabilitation professionals must promote social relations and support among people with disabilities and help them exit from permanent loneliness.

COVID-19 risk perception in the Czech population

Background: An outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has become unprecedented health and socioeconomic threat, which is faced by all countries around the world. The SARS-CoV-2 hit the Czech Republic at the beginning of March 2020. A spread of the disease has been decelerated by quick adopting of the strict and strongly limiting government measures since March, 7. In this study, we present the first results of public risk perception study of COVID-19.Methods: The web questionnaire survey was announced in the nationwide media and conducted during April. The data covered health risk perception with a focus on physical and psychological aspects, current socioeconomic situation and adoption to the lockdown. The survey was going on through the period of the outbreak to find out the risk perception development. The average values of the 5-point Likert scale were tested for differences by Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests on the significance level 5% and analyzed using the SW STATA v.15.Results: From a sample of 9,168 Czech respondents aged 40 years in average (range 15-87 years), the present study shows that women (p<0.001) and elderly lonely people (p<0.001) perceived COVID-19 health risk significantly worse than others. Respondents who lost their jobs during pandemic (2.6%) or whose income decreased (15.3%) were psychically dealing with pandemic worse (p<0.001). Most of the people assessed the measures as adequate (70.4%) and believed in their effectiveness (69.4%). Among commanded restrictions, the social isolation bothered population the most.Conclusion: This study contributes to understanding the risk perception as a public response to COVID-19 pandemic. Since it is considered, that coronavirus occurs in waves, the knowledge of public emotional concerns and trust can play an essential role in their adoption for restrictions in future.

The association between loneliness and common mental disorders in adults with borderline intellectual impairment

BackgroundLoneliness is linked to a number of adverse health outcomes in the general population. There is a lack of evidence on the prevalence and impact of loneliness in people with borderline intellectual impairment. MethodsData from the 2014 Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey, a national survey of England, was analysed using Weights-adjusted regression analyses to compare the prevalence of loneliness and the association between loneliness and socio-demographic and clinical variables in people with borderline intellectual impairment and the general population. ResultsData from 6877 participants were included. Ten percent (n = 671) of the sample had borderline intellectual impairment and their prevalence of loneliness was 24.5% compared to 18.4% in the general population. This difference was explained by exposure to social disadvantages. Associations were found in both groups between loneliness and being single, unemployed, low income, lower social support, feeling unsafe and discrimination in the past year. Loneliness was associated with lower wellbeing and higher rates of common mental disorders, suicidal thoughts and chronic physical disorders in both groups. Intellectual functioning moderated the relationship between loneliness and income (OR 1.82; 95%CI 1.06 to 3.11) and suicidal thoughts in the last week (OR 0.13; 95% CI 0.02 to 0.93). LimitationsIQ was measured using the National Adult Reading Test (NART), which is only valid for English speakers and loneliness was measured using a single item. ConclusionLoneliness is more prevalent in people with borderline intellectual impairment. Interventions targeting social disadvantages (e.g. low income) may lead reduce loneliness and vulnerability to mental health problems.

Place of Residence and Marital Status as Variables Differentiating a Sense of Self-Efficacy in the Elderly-A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Survey.

Background: Studies on the self-efficacy of the elderly are still being conducted to a very limited extent. Nevertheless, they can provide relevant information for specialists to use in many disciplines of science, as well as for practitioners, especially gerontologists, geriatricians, psychologists and other people associated with prophylaxis and health promotion. The aim of the study is to assess the impact of the place of residence and marital status on the self-efficacy in the elderly. Methods: A diagnostic survey method was used for the study and within the method, the authors’ sociodemographic data questionnaire and the generalized self-efficacy scale (GSES) were applied. The study was carried out in a group of 171 females and 130 males under nursing care in the home environment or in nursing-home care in Poland. Results: The average level of generalized sense of self-efficacy in the research cohort was M = 26.69, SD = 8.49. A relatively high percentage of the group (48.9%) showed a sense of self-efficacy at a high level. The level of a sense of self-efficacy was low in 38.2% of the cohort, while its average intensity in the remaining ones constituted 12.9% of the total. A statistically significant impact of a place of residence (Z = −2.940; p = 0.003) and marital status (H = 12.000; p = 0.007) on the sense of efficacy in the research cohort was proven in favor of those from the rural environment and the respondents having spouses. Conclusions: On the scale of the studied group, the results of a sense of self-efficacy are optimistic, as older people with high levels predominated. However, the results of the cohort whose self-efficacy is insufficient to cope with their old age should be considered carefully, especially in the case of lonely people living in the urban environment and NHC (nursing-home care) residents.

Impact of Loneliness on Brain Health and Quality of Life Among Adults Living With HIV in Canada.

People aging with HIV are at risk for loneliness, with stigmatization and economic marginalization added to the health challenges arising from chronic infection. This study provides evidence for the extent, contributors, and consequences of loneliness in people living with HIV, focusing on brain health and quality of life. Cross-sectional data from 856 middle-aged and older adults living with HIV recruited from 5 urban specialty clinics in Canada were drawn from the inaugural visit of the Positive Brain Health Now cohort study. Participants completed an extensive assessment of biopsychosocial variables. The prevalence, severity, and quality of life impact of self-reported loneliness were described. Clinical and environmental factors hypothesized as contributing to loneliness, and the consequences of loneliness on health and function were identified using logistic, ordinal, and linear regression. Eighteen percent reported being "quite often" and 46% "sometimes" lonely. Those with more loneliness were younger, less mobile, suffered more financial hardship, and were more likely to use opioids. HIV symptoms, pain, fatigue, low motivation, stigma, and unemployment were related to loneliness. Loneliness increased the odds of cognitive impairment, low mood, stress, and poor physical health. Those who were "quite often" lonely were over 4 times more likely to report poor or very poor quality of life than those who were "almost never" lonely. Loneliness is common in middle-aged and older people living with HIV in Canada. Many of the associated factors are modifiable, offering novel targets for improving brain health, general health, and quality of life in HIV.

Spaces of Becoming: Toward a Better Understanding of How Modern Work Environments Make us Who We Are

In this symposium, we bring together scholars from various disciplinary backgrounds and explore the experiences of a range of individuals embedded in “less traditional” organizational contexts. Such environments include a training program for aspiring entrepreneurs, a makerspace, a “lonely” workplace, and an innovation hub located within a larger firm. We ultimately consider how these various environments impact, and in turn how they are impacted by, their members. This focus allows us to reflect on the physical, social, as well as on the psychological structures that underpin today's organizing, surface the lived experiences of various groups of modern workers, and ultimately shed light on the mechanisms by which various types of environments influence their inhabitants, and vice versa. Ghosts of Rejections Past: How Experiences of Rejection Influence Individuals’ Possible Selves Presenter: Erin Frey; U. of Virginia Darden School of Business Presenter: Eliana Crosina; Babson College Presenter: Andrew C. Corbett; Babson College Presenter: Danna Greenberg; Babson College Makers: Authentic Fabricators or Fabricating Authenticity? Presenter: Howard Aldrich; U. of North Carolina All the Lonely People: A Dynamic Systems Perspective on Workplace Loneliness Presenter: Caroline A Bartel; U. of Texas at Austin Presenter: Norian Caporale-Berkowitz; U. of Texas at Austin Physical Environment as a Source of Creative Collaboration Presenter: Ileana Stigliani; Imperial College Business School

One Month into the Reinforcement of Social Distancing due to the COVID-19 Outbreak: Subjective Health, Health Behaviors, and Loneliness among People with Chronic Medical Conditions.

We sought to examine how the near-lockdown measures, announced by the Israeli government in an effort to contain the COVID-19 outbreak, impacted the self-rated health (SRH), health behaviors, and loneliness of people with chronic illnesses. An online cross-sectional survey was carried out about one month (20–22 April 2020) after the Israeli government reinforced the severe social distancing regulations, among a convenience sample of 315 participants (60% women) with chronic conditions (27% metabolic, 17% cardiovascular, 21% cancer/autoimmune, 18% orthopedic/pain, 12% mental-health). Results suggested that about half of the participants reported a decline in physical or mental SRH, and as many as two-thirds reported feeling lonely. A significant deterioration in health behaviors was reported, including a decrease in vegetable consumption (p = 0.008) and physical activity (p < 0.001), an increase in time spent on social media (p < 0.001), and a perception among about half of the participants that they were eating more than before. Ordinal regression suggested that a decline in general SRH was linked with female gender (p = 0.016), lack of higher education (p = 0.015), crowded housing conditions (p = 0.001), longer illness duration (p = 0.010), and loneliness (p = 0.008). Findings highlight the important role of loneliness in SRH during the COVID-19 lockdown period. Future studies are warranted to clarify the long-term effects of social-distancing and loneliness on people with chronic illnesses.

Lonely heart? Warm it up with love: the effect of loneliness on singles’ and non-singles’ conspicuous consumption

PurposeThis study aims to examine how loneliness, romantic relationship status (single/non-single) and romantic attachment factors (sociosexual orientation index (SOI), satisfaction with current relationship) interactively affect conspicuous consumption.Design/methodology/approachFive quasi-experimental studies were conducted with different measures of conspicuous consumption across a variety of samples (N = 1189).FindingsStudy 1 shows that loneliness increased singles’ but not non-singles’ conspicuous consumption. Study 2A further shows the mediating role of the mating motive amongst singles. Study 2B compared conspicuous and inconspicuous consumption and showed no interaction effect between loneliness and romantic relationship status in the domain of inconspicuous consumption. Studies 3 and 4 tested whether the effects of loneliness on non-singles’ conspicuous consumption were moderated by SOI and satisfaction with current relationship, respectively. Specifically, lonely non-singles with high SOI or low satisfaction with current relationship sought conspicuous consumption, but those with low SOI or high satisfaction with the current relationship avoided conspicuous consumption.Research limitations/implicationsThis study did not specifically consider different roots of loneliness (lack of romantic love, friendship or family attachment) between singles and non-singles, which future research should explore.Practical implicationsThe findings have implications for both marketers and policymakers regarding marketing campaigns for conspicuous products, support programmes satisfying the specific social attachment needs of different lonely people, etc.Originality/valueThis study identifies a specific social attachment desire of the lonely, namely, romantic motive, by which loneliness influences singles’ and non-singles’ conspicuous consumption in different ways. The findings suggest the value of distinguishing types of loneliness.

Assessing the impact of Social Networking Site use on older people's loneliness and social isolation. A randomized controlled trial: The Aging in a Networked Society-Social Experiment Study (ANS-SE)

IntroductionAn ageing society poses unprecedented challenges to societies. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), including Social Networking Sites (SNSs), may contribute to contrast loneliness and social isolation in old age. Despite of the potentialities of SNSs, there is only a handful of studies assessing the causal relationship of SNS use and older people's well-being. This paper aims to provide further evidence on the design of randomised controlled trials exploring the causal impact of SNS use on loneliness and social isolation in old age. Methods and analysisThe Aging in a Networked Society-Social Experiment Study (ANS-SE) is a randomised controlled trial conducted on people aged 75 and over residing in a town located in the Milan area (Italy) aiming to assess the impact of SNS use on loneliness and social isolation (i.e. the primary outcomes of this study). The study is constituted of two stages, i.e. the baseline and the follow up. The experiment is structured into one treatment group and two control groups; the interventions are the attendance to a course on SNS use (T1) and lifestyle education and brain functioning (C1). The inactive control group (C) is constituted of a waiting list. We will perform bivariate and regression analysis. Ethics and disseminationThe study has been approved by the Ethic Committee of the University of Milano Bicocca (prot. 431/2019) and was registered at Clinical Trials.gov (NCT04242628). Written consent was obtained from all respondents. Results from the study will be discussed with the local community and stakeholders, presented in national and international conferences and published in leading peer-review journals. The consent forms, the anonymised dataset, and the relevant statistical codes will be deposited with the Italian Unidata archive, also in charge of releasing the data to the public, upon a short embargo period.

The Happiness Route: finding alternatives to the problem-based approach in social work for vulnerable groups

ABSTRACT The Happiness Route is a positive psychology intervention (PPI) for lonely people with health problems and low socio-economic status with the aim to improve their well-being. To be able to pursue an intrinsically motivated activity, participants received a budget of €500. A randomized controlled trial showed that the intervention was just as effective as the problem-based control condition, but participants were more satisfied with the Happiness Route. An interview study indicated that individuals change in different ways, showing that one size does not fit all. Lessons learned during the implementation are shared, such as the importance of the project leader, the role of the intermediaries to reach the target group and the role of autonomy-support in the training of counsellors. We conclude that a PPI can be used as a complement to the traditional focus on problems and can bring more balance into the care for the most vulnerable people.

Projecting loneliness into the past and future: implications for self-esteem and affect

Loneliness reflects a threat to people’s need to belong in close relationships, and is associated with lower self-esteem and emotional distress. The current 2-week daily diary study examined memory and prospection, or future oriented thinking, as potential mediators of these psychological responses to loneliness. Results suggest that daily loneliness biased people’s memories of inclusion that occurred yesterday and predictions of inclusion that will occur tomorrow and in the general future. People remembered more exclusion in the past and expected more exclusion in the future on days they felt lonely, independently of whether they actually were or would be excluded. Relative to memories, predictions of future exclusion appeared to be more biased by current loneliness and less accurate. In turn, biases involving predictions of future exclusion mediated effects of loneliness on daily self-esteem and positive affect, but not negative affect, suggesting that experiences of loneliness are associated with lower psychological well-being (i.e., lower self-esteem and reduced positive affect) partly because people tend to project those experiences into the future. Biases involving memories of past inclusion did not mediate the effects of daily loneliness on these outcomes. Both memories and forecasts of inclusion mediated the effects of trait loneliness on self-esteem and positive affect but not negative affect, suggesting that chronically lonely people may experience lower self-esteem and fewer positive emotions, in part, because of their tendencies to predict and remember social exclusion. Implications of these findings for understanding psychological responses to belongingness threats are discussed.

Loneliness in life stories by people with disabilities

This study investigates loneliness in life stories by people with disabilities. By approaching loneliness from a relational perspective, this study attempts to illustrate how loneliness and disability are intertwined in the life course. The research question was as follows: How do people with disabilities understand loneliness in their life stories? Life story data ‘Life of Disabled Persons in Finland 2013–2014’ was analysed with a narrative life course approach. Loneliness was narrated in accordance with normative life course expectations. People with disabilities narrated loneliness as unbelonging in childhood, disjointed youth and disaffiliation to normative institutions in adulthood. This study suggests that relation between loneliness and disability concern the conditions of inclusion that is the conditions of living and telling. Points of Interest Loneliness involves both unwanted emotions and social isolation. In many societies, both loneliness and disability bear a stigma. This so-called double stigma affects the lives of people with disabilities. This study explores loneliness and disability in life stories by people with disabilities in Finland from a life course perspective. Although scholars have widely studied loneliness in Finland, they have not studied loneliness in people with disabilities in any great depth. Loneliness in life stories by people with disabilities was narrated in relation to a sense of bodily difference and occurred as a disconnection from a socially ‘standard’ life course. Loneliness was located within three main phases: childhood, youth and adulthood. Negative attitudes towards disability feed social isolation and emotional loneliness. Further research on disability and loneliness throughout the life course as well as more discussion about the conditions of inclusion and the emotional patterns of social relations are needed.

The long and winding road to happiness: A randomized controlled trial and cost-effectiveness analysis of a positive psychology intervention for lonely people with health problems and a low socio-economic status

BackgroundOur objective was to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the positive psychology intervention ‘Happiness Route’ compared to an active control condition in a vulnerable population with an accumulation of health and psychosocial problems.MethodsWe conducted a randomized, single-blind, actively-controlled, parallel group study in seven municipalities in the Netherlands. To be eligible, participants had to experience loneliness, health problems and low socio-economic status. Each group received several home visits by a counsellor (two in the control condition, two to six in the experimental condition). In the Happiness Route, a happiness-based approach was used, whereas the control condition used a traditional problem-based approach. The primary outcome was well-being, measured with the Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF).ResultsFifty-eight participants were randomized to the Happiness Route, 50 to the control condition. Participants were severely lonely, had on average three health problems and less than 5% had paid work. The total MHC-SF score, emotional and social well-being, depression and loneliness improved significantly over the nine-month period in both conditions (p < .05), but there were no significant changes between the conditions across time. Languishing decreased significantly from 33% at baseline to 16% at follow-up among the Happiness Route participants but did not change significantly in the control condition. No significant improvement over time was found in psychological well-being, resilience, purpose in life, health-related quality of life and social participation. Cost-effectiveness analysis showed that expected saved costs per QALY lost was €219,948 for the Happiness Route, relative to the control condition. The probability was 83% that the Happiness Route was cost saving and 54% that the Happiness Route was cost-effective at a willingness to accept a threshold of €100,000.ConclusionsMental health status of both groups improved considerably. However, we could not demonstrate that the Happiness Route yielded better health outcomes compared to the control condition. Nevertheless, the results of the cost-effectiveness analysis suggested that the Happiness Route is an acceptable intervention from a health-economic point of view. Our results should be viewed in light of the fact that we could not include the planned number of participants.Trial registrationNetherlands Trial Register: NTR3377. Registered 2 Apr 2012.

Experiencing loneliness by young adults

Until recently, loneliness was mainly attributed to older, isolated people. Today, this problem is clearly escalating among young people, it is more and more often heard that our civilization gives birth to lonely people. The development of new technologies that particularly disturb the functioning of the young generation is conducive to this phenomenon. The aim of the research, the results of which are presented in this study, was to show the phenomenon of loneliness in the light of the experience of academic youth. The analysis shows that young people signifi cantly experience loneliness and most often associate it with a sense of emptiness, lack of a loved one, or they feel it despite the presence of others.

Loneliness Assuaged: Eye-Tracking an Audience Watching Barrage Videos.

Researchers usually theorize media exposure based on assumptions of legacy media. However, a new interactive video viewing format, in this case barrage video where viewers' comments are overlaid over visual content, challenges past perspectives. This study proposes an activation and match satisfaction model to study viewing behaviors of lonely people and to challenge previous claims. It presents a protocol to examine the mechanism of how loners use barrage videos by combining eye tracking and self-report measures. Eye tracking documents the audience's conscious and subconscious watching behaviors in real time and allows for inference of the amount of allocated cognitive resources in response to rational and emotional content. The self-report gauges the amount of satisfaction obtained. Overall, results from the measures supported an activation and match satisfaction model regarding loners and their barrage video viewing behaviors. Implications are discussed.

Lonely places or lonely people? Investigating the relationship between loneliness and place of residence

BackgroundLoneliness in later life is largely presented as a problem of the individual focusing upon antecedents such as demographic or health factors. Research examining the role of the broader living environments is much rarer. We examined the relationship between loneliness and three dimensions of the lived environment: geographical region, deprivation, and area classification (urban or rural).MethodsOur sample consisted of 4663 core members (44% males) aged 50+ (wave 7 mean age 72.8, S.D. = 7.1) present both in waves 3 (2006) and 7 (2014) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA). Loneliness was measured using two approaches, individual and area-based, and both waves included these questions. Individual-based (self-reported) loneliness was assessed using the three item University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) scale (ranging from 3 = not lonely to 9 = lonely) with a score of 6+ defining loneliness. We also used a novel question which asked participants to evaluate how often they felt lonely in their area of residence (area-based; ranging from 1 = often to 7 = never, using cut off 4+ to define loneliness). The lived environment was classified in three different ways: the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD), Government Office Regions (GOR), and area classification (urban or rural). Covariates with established relationship with loneliness including demographic factors, social engagement and health, were included in the analyses.ResultsIn wave 7, the prevalence of individual-based loneliness was 18% and area-based was 25%. There was limited congruence between measures: 68% participants reported no individual- or area-based loneliness and 9% reported loneliness for both measures. After adjusting for individual co-variates only one significant relationship was observed between loneliness and area -based characteristics. A significant association was observed between area-based loneliness and deprivation score, with higher levels of loneliness in more deprived areas (OR = 1.4 for highest quintile of deprivation).ConclusionsOur results indicate that loneliness in older adults is higher in the most deprived areas independent of individual-level factors. In order to develop appropriate interventions further research is required to investigate how area-level factors combine with individual-level loneliness vulnerability measures to generate increased levels of loneliness in deprived areas.

Loneliness and its Association with Health Behaviors in People with a Lived Experience of a Serious Mental Illness.

To explore the association between loneliness and efficacy to engage in health behaviors that are known to reduce the risk of early mortality in people with serious mental illness (SMI). This secondary data analysis was based on a cross-sectional study of 113 participants with SMI residing in New Hampshire. Ordinary Least Squares regressions were used to examine bivariate relationships between variables of interest. Participants had a primary mental health diagnosis of major depressive disorder (37.2%), schizophrenia spectrum disorder (28.3%), bipolar disorder (29.2%), or posttraumatic stress disorder (5.3%). High levels of loneliness were associated with low levels of self-efficacy to manage chronic diseases (p= 0.0001), as well as low levels of self-efficacy to manage psychological well-being (R2= .31; F= 9.49, p= 0.0001; RMSE= 1.66). Loneliness may serve as a barrier to healthy behaviors, and thus, contribute to early mortality among people with SMI. The growing body of literature that demonstrates the importance of addressing loneliness in people with SMI should stimulate policymakers and researchers to target loneliness as a mechanism to address early mortality in people with SMI.

Be close or stay away: the interactive effect of loneliness and information frameworks on consumer's anthropomorphic product preference

PurposeThis article investigated the relationship between loneliness and anthropomorphic products.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted three studies to examine their hypotheses.FindingsThe authors confirmed that highly lonely people would like to seek for social relationship. What's more, they may try to compensate by creating a sense of connection with nonhuman products so they will prefer anthropomorphic products. Further, the authors demonstrated that information framework can moderate this effect. Highly lonely consumers would increase their preference to anthropomorphic product under promotion-focus information, whereas they would decrease their preference to anthropomorphic product under prevention-focus information. These effects do not exist in lowly lonely consumers. At the same time, the authors demonstrate that the effect is mediated by perceived social connection.Originality/valueThis article contributes to loneliness literature in the consumer behavior field and proves the moderation effect of the information framework, which can deepen our understanding of the relationship between loneliness and anthropomorphic products.