Loneliness In Adolescence Research Articles

The role of loneliness in quality of life among children

Loneliness in children and adolescents is explained as an emotionally obtrusive experience arising from sadness and anxiety coming out of quantitative or qualitative deficiencies in social relationships of the child. Loneliness which is expression of general well-being and gratification obtained from life of individual as a whole effect the life quality of a child. In this research a cross-sectional and correlational study out of quantitative research methods was designed and conceptual model constituted in the direction of aim of research was examined by structural equation modeling. According to result of study,loneliness predict life quality negatively. This situation is quite important because social workers, psychological counselors,teachers and administrators would determine students’ feelings of loneliness and would develop and implement programs for these children to establish deeper and more stable relationships with their friends and families.Keywords: Loneliness, life quality, structural equation model.

The role of loneliness in quality of life among children

Loneliness in children and adolescents is explained as an emotionally obtrusive experience arising from sadness and anxiety coming out of quantitative or qualitative deficiencies in social relationships of the child. Loneliness which is expression of general well-being and gratification obtained from life of individual as a whole effect the life quality of a child. In this research a cross-sectional and correlational study out of quantitative research methods was designed and conceptual model constituted in the direction of aim of research was examined by structural equation modeling. According to result of study,loneliness predict life quality negatively. This situation is quite important because social workers, psychological counselors,teachers and administrators would determine students’ feelings of loneliness and would develop and implement programs for these children to establish deeper and more stable relationships with their friends and families.Keywords: Loneliness, life quality, structural equation model.

Loneliness and Social Support in Adolescent Boys with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in a Special Education Setting

Social difficulties have been suggested to exacerbate the risk of loneliness. The social difficulties in social relations often reported for adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) could be a risk for increased loneliness in adolescents with ADHD. However, current studies of the risk of loneliness in persons with ADHD are limited and their results are mixed. Especially the adolescent age group is poorly investigated and has not been studied as a separate group. In this study we investigate the experience of loneliness and social support in adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in a special educational setting. Twenty-five adolescent boys with clinically diagnosed ADHD filled out self-report measures of loneliness, difficulties in making friends, and social support. The boys with ADHD were compared with 199 adolescent boys from regular schools. No difference in the degree of loneliness was found even if more adolescents with ADHD reported difficulties in making friends. These difficulties were related to loneliness in the control group, but not in the ADHD group. Social support from classmates and peers reduced the degree of loneliness in the ADHD group. Adolescent boys with ADHD in a special educational setting do not seem to be at a higher risk of loneliness in adolescence.

Social Networking, Perceived Loneliness and Psychosocial Well-Being in Adolescents

In this era of information technology when internet and smart devices are everywhere and demand of connectivity for socialization is at its peak, it’s quite interesting that adolescents are the significant user of these social media applications and devices. The purpose behind this extensive use of social media is may be to share their personal experience , thoughts and work with others or may be cope their feeling of being alone or for their psychological wellbeing. This paper examined this particular phenomenon of social networking, perceived loneliness and psychosocial well-being in adolescents. This is hypothesized that increased social networking use is likely to predict the perceived loneliness and psycho-social well-being in adolescents. The participants included 150 adolescents between 13 to 19 years of age, both boys and girls who were accessed from various schools and colleges of Lahore. The data collected through a self-administered questionnaire. The data was analyzed through SPSS version 21.00.

Developmental Change in Loneliness and Attitudes Toward Aloneness in Adolescence.

Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to experiencing feelings of loneliness. Changes in different social contexts and the inability to cope with these changes can result in different types of loneliness. According to the multidimensional view on loneliness, loneliness can be experienced in relationships with peers and parents and can be placed in a broader perspective by taking into account attitudes toward aloneness (i.e., positive and negative). However, we do not yet know how loneliness and attitudes toward aloneness develop across adolescence. These developmental trends were examined in two samples of Flemish adolescents consisting of 834 adolescents (61.9% girls, M age = 14.84; Sample 1), and 968 adolescents (58.6% girls, M age = 14.82; Sample 2), respectively. Adolescents filled out the Loneliness and Aloneness Scale for Children and Adolescents (LACA) during regular school hours on three (Sample 1) and four (Sample 2) measurement occasions with a 1-year interval. Latent growth curve modeling (LGCM) was applied. In line with theoretical notions, adolescents' parent-related loneliness and positive attitude toward aloneness were expected to increase, and adolescents' peer-related loneliness and negative attitude toward aloneness were expected to decrease. Clear evidence was found for the hypotheses regarding attitudes toward aloneness. The results regarding peer-related loneliness were inconsistent across samples and parent-related loneliness decreased, which was in contrast with theoretical expectations. In general, the two types of loneliness and attitudes toward aloneness changed in different directions during adolescence, suggesting the added value of a multidimensional view on loneliness.

Intimate and Relational Loneliness in Adolescence

Research on peer-related loneliness in adolescence has paid insufficient attention to the distinction between intimate loneliness (i.e., in a dyadic relationship with a friend) and relational loneliness (i.e., in the broader peer group). This study examined the correlations among a broad set of loneliness scales. A sample of adolescents from Belgium (n = 282; 60% female) completed 8 subscales of 6 established loneliness measures. Results revealed high correlations among these measures. At the same time, confirmatory factor analysis revealed the two expected factors, reflecting intimate and relational loneliness. Furthermore, it was found that boys experienced on average more intimate loneliness than girls, and girls experienced on average more relational loneliness than boys. As different types of loneliness are related to problems in different domains, and adolescents may experience one type of loneliness but not the other, it is essential to know which loneliness measure taps into which type of loneliness. The present study not only provides evidence for the distinction between intimate and relational loneliness, but also shows which type is covered by which of six commonly used loneliness measures. Based on these findings, researchers can now make a more deliberate selection of scales for future research, and can better interpret and integrate findings from previous studies that used different loneliness measures.

Loneliness in Children and Adolescents With Chronic Physical Conditions: A Meta-Analysis.

This meta-analysis examines loneliness in children and adolescents with chronic physical conditions as compared with their peers. Multilevel meta-analyses were performed on 43 studies (69 samples), published between 1987 and 2015. A total of 2,518 individuals with chronic physical conditions and 1,463 control peers were included in the analyses. Children and adolescents with chronic conditions are, on average, somewhat lonelier than their peers without such conditions. Moreover, the link between chronic conditions and loneliness varied according to the recruitment procedure used for participant selection. Stronger links were found for studies that recruited from patient organizations as compared with clinical registers. Findings support the link between loneliness and chronic conditions. To take into account the heterogeneity within patient groups, we advocate an alternative approach that cuts across diagnostic boundaries and focuses on illness-related variables such as illness duration and visibility of the condition.

The Relationship among Loneliness, Stress, and Smartphone Addiction of Adolescents in the Era of Digitalization

The Relationship among Loneliness, Stress, and Smartphone Addiction of Adolescents in the Era of Digitalization

Using the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale With Early Adolescents: Factor Structure, Reliability, Stability, and External Validity.

The present investigation is the first examination of the factor structures, reliability, external validity, longitudinal invariance, and stability of the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale (DJGLS), as used with early adolescents. It is based on a two-wave, large, representative sample of Polish primary school pupils. The results demonstrate that the model most reflective of the factor structure of the DJGLS is the bifactor model, which assumes the occurrence of one, highly reliable, general factor (overall sense of loneliness) and two, relatively irrelevant, subfactors. Essential unidimensionality (the general factor accounting for three fourth of the common variance) suggest that the interpretation of the subfactors over and above the general factor is inappropriate. The longitudinal confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the bifactor structure of the DJGLS is invariant over time. Correlations with self-rated loneliness, sociometric acceptance/rejection, social self-efficacy, identification with class group, family structure, and gender provide support for the validity of the DJGLS. This implies that it could be used as a measure of loneliness in adolescence, which does not involve references to the school context, making it possible to conduct studies that go beyond school period and compare the intensity of the feeling of loneliness in that group with other age groups.

The mediating effect of positive coping style between Machiavellianism and loneliness in adolescents

Objective To investigate the relationship among Machiavellianism, loneliness and coping style in adolescents. Methods 850 junior middle school students were recruited and assessed with Kiddie Machiavellianism Scale, Self-esteem Scale, and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (for students). Mediating effect was analyzed by multiple regression analysis. Results ① The scores of Machiavellianism, loneliness, positive coping and negative coping were (37.35±7.52), (30.21±10.72), (21.07±6.12) and (9.44±3.84) respectively. ② Machiavellianism was positively correlated with negative coping style (r=0.192, P<0.01) and loneliness (r=0.263, P<0.01), as well as negatively correlated with positive coping style (r=-0.244, P<0.01). ③ Positive coping style partially mediated the effect of Machiavellianism on loneliness, and the mediating role accounted for 37.72% for the whole effect. Conclusion The higher the Machiavellianism is, the more serious the loneliness is.Positive coping style partially mediates the relations between Machiavellianism and loneliness. Key words: Coping style; Machiavellianism personality; Loneliness

Coping with Loneliness Through Materialism: Strategies Matter for Adolescent Development of Unethical Behaviors

Engaging in risky consumption behaviors (cigarettes, alcohol, etc.) is an acute societal problem that can have severe consequences for adolescents, and businesses in particular have been accused of making such consumption particularly appealing and accessible. However, the causes of risky behaviors are not well understood and research on the causes has been mixed. In this research, we investigate the effects of loneliness on adolescents’ adoption of risky behaviors. We test the proposition that adolescent loneliness affects the adoption of risky behaviors, but that this effect depends on the strategies that adolescents adopt to cope with their loneliness. In a large-scale study (n = 409) of adolescents (ages 13-18), we show support for a sequential mediation model in which active and passive coping strategies both mediate the effect of loneliness on risky behaviors, but with opposite effects. Active coping strategies reduce the adoption of risky behaviors, whereas passive coping strategies increase the adoption of risky behaviors. In addition, we show that active and passive coping strategies can be executed through consumption practices. Active coping strategies are positively associated with the sharing of possessions, whereas passive coping strategies are positively associated with product acquisition. We shed new light on both the bright and dark sides of materialism and risky behaviors, and provide practical implications for research on loneliness and business ethics.

Quality of Relationship with Parents and Emotional Autonomy as Predictors of Self Concept and Loneliness in Adolescents with Learning Disabilities: The Moderating Role of the Relationship with Teachers

The present study aims to investigate the impact of family-level variables (emotional autonomy and the quality of the parents-adolescent relationship) on socio-emotional adjustment (loneliness and self-esteem) in adolescents with learning disabilities (LDs) and the role of the quality of the teacher-adolescent relationship in moderating the effects of these impacts. The participants are 293 typically developing adolescents (TD group) and 50 adolescents with learning disabilities (LD group), aged between 13 and 20. The following measures were administered: the Emotional Autonomy Scale (EAS), the Loneliness and Aloneness Scale for Children and Adolescents (LACA), the Assessment of Interpersonal Relations (AIR), and the Multidimensional Self Concept Scale (MSCS). The data showed that adolescents with LDs display significantly higher levels of peer-related loneliness, and lower levels of self-concept and perceived quality of relationships with parents and teachers. No significant differences emerged between the groups in emotional autonomy and in parent-related loneliness. Path analysis indicated that, in adolescents with LDs, emotional autonomy was more closely related to self-concept than in typically developing adolescents. A positive teacher-adolescent relationship could have a moderating effect on the relationships between the dimension considered only in the LD group. The findings have important implications for the implementation of intervention programs focused on social and emotional competences in young people with LDs.

Multiple Mediation of Emotion Regulation Strategies in the Relationship between Loneliness and Positivity in Adolescents

The current study aims to investigate the parallel multiple mediation role of emotion regulation strategies in the relationship between adolescents’ loneliness and their positivity. Participants consisted of a total of 300 high school students (F= 146, 48.7%; M= 154, 51.3%) who attended to a high schools in Adiyaman during 2014-2015 academic years. The participating students were 14-19 year-old with a mean age of 15.51 (SD= 1.09). Data were collected through the Short-Form of UCLA Loneliness Scale, Emotion Regulation Scale for Adolescents, Positivity Scale, and the Personal Information Form. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation coefficient were used in the analysis of research data. The mediation effect of model tested in the research was examined for statistical significance with an approach based on Ordinary Least Squares Regression and Bootstrap Method. The research findings showed that the mediation role of internal-functional emotion regulation, internal-dysfunctional emotion regulation, and external-functional emotion regulation in the relationship between adolescents’ loneliness and positivity was statistically significant. The mediation role of external-dysfunctional emotion regulation, on the other hand, was not found to be statistically significant. Findings were discussed within the relevant literature, and suggestions for researchers were put forward.

Trait and State Levels of Loneliness in Early and Late Adolescents: Examining the Differential Reactivity Hypothesis

According to the differential reactivity hypothesis, lonely individuals respond differently to their environment compared to nonlonely individuals, which may sustain their loneliness levels. However, this interesting hypothesis has not yet been explored in daily life: Do lonely individuals feel lonely all the time, or do they feel more or less lonely in specific social contexts? The main aim of the present study was to test the differential reactivity hypothesis in daily life by examining in three samples whether trait levels of loneliness affected the levels of state loneliness in different social contexts. We used baseline questionnaires to measure trait loneliness and the Experience Sampling Method to collect data on state loneliness, in early adolescents (N = 269, Mage = 14.49, 59% female) and late adolescents (N = 223, Mage = 19.60, 91% female) from the Netherlands and late adolescents from the United States (N = 126, Mage = 19.20, 51% female). Results provided evidence for the differential reactivity hypothesis in the total sample, as high lonely adolescents experienced higher levels of state loneliness in situations in which they were alone than low lonely adolescents, but also benefited more from being with intimate company than low lonely adolescents. In sum, the present study provided evidence for the differential reactivity hypothesis and showed that the experience of loneliness in daily life was remarkably similar across age and culture. Our findings provide important insights into the daily experiences of trait lonely people, which may provide starting points for interventions.

Loneliness and its association with psychological and somatic health problems among Czech, Russian and U.S. adolescents.

BackgroundLoneliness is common in adolescence and has been linked to various negative outcomes. Until now, however, there has been little cross-country research on this phenomenon. The aim of the present study was to examine which factors are associated with adolescent loneliness in three countries that differ historically and culturally-the Czech Republic, Russia and the United States, and to determine whether adolescent loneliness is associated with poorer psychological and somatic health.MethodsData from a school survey, the Social and Health Assessment (SAHA), were used to examine these relations among 2205 Czech, 1995 Russian, and 2050 U.S. male and female adolescents aged 13 to 15 years old. Logistic regression analysis was performed to examine if specific demographic, parenting, personal or school-based factors were linked to feeling lonely and whether lonely adolescents were more likely to report psychological (depression and anxiety) or somatic symptoms (e.g. headaches, pain).ResultsInconsistent parenting, shyness, and peer victimisation were associated with higher odds for loneliness in at least 4 of the 6 country- and sex-wise subgroups (i.e. Czech, Russian, U.S. boys and girls). Parental warmth was a protective factor against feeling lonely among Czech and U.S. girls. Adolescents who were lonely had higher odds for reporting headaches, anxiety and depressive symptoms across all subgroups. Loneliness was associated with other somatic symptoms in at least half of the adolescent subgroups.ConclusionLoneliness is associated with worse adolescent health across countries. The finding that variables from different domains are important for loneliness highlights the necessity of interventions in different settings in order to reduce loneliness and its detrimental effects on adolescent health.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12888-016-0829-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Loneliness and Ethnic Composition of the School Class: A Nationally Random Sample of Adolescents.

Loneliness is a public health concern that increases the risk for several health, behavioral and academic problems among adolescents. Some studies have suggested that adolescents with an ethnic minority background have a higher risk for loneliness than adolescents from the majority population. The increasing numbers of migrant youth around the world mean growing numbers of heterogeneous school environments in many countries. Even though adolescents spend a substantial amount of time at school, there is currently very little non-U.S. research that has examined the importance of the ethnic composition of school classes for loneliness in adolescence. The present research aimed to address this gap by exploring the association between loneliness and three dimensions of the ethnic composition in the school class: (1) membership of ethnic majority in the school class, (2) the size of own ethnic group in the school class, and (3) the ethnic diversity of the school class. We used data from the Danish 2014 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey: a nationally representative sample of 4383 (51.2% girls) 11-15-year-olds. Multilevel logistic regression analyses revealed that adolescents who did not belong to the ethnic majority in the school class had increased odds for loneliness compared to adolescents that belonged to the ethnic majority. Furthermore, having more same-ethnic classmates lowered the odds for loneliness. We did not find any statistically significant association between the ethnic diversity of the school classes and loneliness. The study adds novel and important findings to how ethnicity in a school class context, as opposed to ethnicity per se, influences adolescents' loneliness.

It Hurts To Be Lonely! Loneliness and Positive Mental Wellbeing in Australian Rural and Urban Adolescents

This study examined associations between loneliness, a construct associated with serious adverse mental health outcomes, and positive mental wellbeing. Validated measures of loneliness (represented by friendship-related loneliness, isolation, positive attitude to solitude, and negative attitude to solitude) and positive mental wellbeing were administered to 1,143 adolescents from urban and rural schools. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed satisfactory model fit for both measures. A structural equation model confirmed significant positive associations between positive mental wellbeing and friendship-related loneliness and positive attitude to solitude; a significant negative association was found for isolation. Regression analyses provided support for significant differences in these associations according to gender, age, and geographical location (although only marginally). The implications of these findings during adolescence are reviewed.

Relation Among Depression, Loneliness and Self-Efficacy of Adolescents of Working and Non-Working Mothers in Bangladeshi Sample

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the relation among depression, loneliness and self-efficacy of adolescents of working and non-working mothers whether mother’s occupation has any effects on adolescent’s depression, loneliness and self-efficacy. Assess whether depression, loneliness and self-efficacy of adolescents differ by gender or not. The participants of the relevant study are 100 adolescents of working mothers where 50 are male and 50 are female and 100 adolescents of non-working mothers where 50 are male and 50 are female between the age group of 15 to 18 years selected purposively by convenience sampling technique. To collect the data researcher used Bangla Version of the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale by Russell and Dan. The Depression Scale suggested by Rahman and Uddin, and adopted Bengali Version by Ilyas et al. of Sherer’s General Self-Efficacy Scale. Descriptive and correlation statistical techniques are employed to depict the quantitative data. Results shows that children of working mother are more depressed and lonely and less self-efficient than the children of non-working mother.

Serial Multiple Mediation of General Belongingness and Life Satisfaction in the Relationship Between Attachment and Loneliness in Adolescents

Attachment is defined as the emotional bond a person builds with someone significant in their lives (Ainsworth, 1969, p. 2; Becker-Weidman & Shell, 2010, p. 1; Bridges, 2003, p. 177). During infancy and childhood, bonds are established with parents (or caregivers) who are looked to for protection, comfort, and help. These bonds are sustained throughout the adolescence and adulthood, but are commonly completed through new bonds with people of the opposite sex (Bowlby, 2012, p. 213). One of these bonds shows up in peer attachment. According to Hazan and Shaver (1994, p. 8), if peers perform the same priority functions as one's parents did during infancy and childhood, and if peers satisfy the individual's same needs for support and safety as their parents did, then after a while, the bond of attachment is expected to be transferred from parents to peers. Ainsworth (1969, p. 2; Bowlby, 2012a, p. 135), on the other hand, emphasized that the attachment builds later, whether to parents or peers, and tends to be sustained; this attachment is not a term that implies a temporary relationship or emotional bond. Namely, an attachment figure and the need for a secure personal base are not limited to children. This need is crucial for adolescents and adults (Bowlby, 2012a, p. 134-135). In this respect, Ainsworth (1969, p. 2) stated that attachment may occur at any age and does not refer to immaturity or helplessness. Similarly, Bowlby (1979, p. 129; 2012, p. 166; 2012b, p. 107) emphasized that any formed attachment tends to sustain, and the attachment is a life-long phenomenon lasting from the cradle to the grave. Thus, attachment begun in infancy was determined to last until young adulthood in a longitudinal study by Waters, Hamilton, and Weinfield (2000). In Fraley's (2002) meta-analysis of the results of longitudinal studies on whether attachment lasts from infancy to adulthood, attachment was found to last until adulthood at a stable medium-level.Bowlby (2012b, p. 14) emphasized that mother-child attachment brings along very powerful affects or emotions like happiness and sadness. Bailham and Harper (2004, p. 49) stated that the interactions between children and their primary caregiver in the first two years of life provide the building blocks for children's relationships. The quality of this relationship in early childhood significantly influences a child's physical, emotional, behavioral, cognitive, and social development. According to Shaver and Mikulincer (2007, p. 652), children being protected and supported in an attachment relationship helps them function better in non-attachment domains, such as exploration, creative thinking, being empathic towards others, and having prosocial behaviors. Bowlby (2012, p. 158-213) emphasized that the capacity to build relationships with others is considered a basic characteristic of effective personality functions and mental health, and that attachment relationships serve a key role for individual survival. Today, there is sound and impressive evidence that the attachment style an individual develops during infancy, childhood, and adulthood is seriously influenced by the parents' (or caregivers') behavior patterns towards the individual (Bowlby, 2012, p. 162). Ainsworth et al.'s (1978) Strange Situation procedure is an example of this (as cited in Bowlby, 2012, p. 218). During this process, children were observed while briefly separated and reunited with their caregivers. In their research, Ainsworth et al.'s (1978) defined three styles of attachment: secure, anxious-resistant, and avoidant. Main and Solomon (as cited in Shorey, 2009, p. 65) later contributed the fourth style: disorganized (Bowlby, 2012, p. 218-219; Shorey, 2009, p. 65). The first is the secure style of attachment. Children develop secure attachments who find themselves in a relationship with their parents that adequately provide sensitive, loving, harmonious, consistent, proper, and accepting care (Howe, 2005, p. …

Problem solving, loneliness, depression levels and associated factors in high school adolescents.

Objectives:To determine problem solving, loneliness, depression levels and associated factors in high school adolescents.Methods:This cross-sectional study was conducted in a city west of Turkey (Bursa) in a public high school and the population was 774 and the sampling was 394 students. Students to be included in the study were selected using the multiple sampling method. A personal Information Form with 23 questions, Problem Solving Inventory (PSI), Loneliness Scale (UCLA), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were used as data collection tools in the study. Basic statistical analyses, t-test, Kruskall Wallis-H, One Way Anova and Pearson Correlation test were used to evaluate the data. Necessary permissions were obtained from the relevant institution, students, parents and the ethical committee.Results:The study found significant differences between “problem solving level” and family type, health assessment, life quality and mothers’, fathers’ siblings’ closeness level; between “loneliness level” and gender, family income, health assessment, life quality and mothers’, fathers’, siblings’ closeness level; between “depression level” and life quality, family income, fathers’ closeness level.Conclusion:Unfavorable socio-economic and cultural conditions can have an effect on the problem solving, loneliness and depression levels of adolescents. Providing structured education to adolescents at risk under school mental health nursing practices is recommended.