Nature Of Loneliness Research Articles

Understanding Presence and Nature of Loneliness in Adolescents in Kolkata: An Exploratory Study

Understanding Presence and Nature of Loneliness in Adolescents in Kolkata: An Exploratory Study

A crisis of community: how an epidemic of loneliness is contributing to social disconnection in churches

ABSTRACT Whilst loneliness is sufficiently proven to be a widespread, chronic issue in modern society, very little is known about how this modern epidemic is affecting local church communities of the United Kingdom. Hence, the purpose of this article is to establish the extent of this problem and offer responses which inform and support church leaders. This project is located within the discipline of practical theology, which utilises a methodology of critical correlation, drawing on the sources of theology and social science. Samples of existing data revealed that churchgoers often experience more chronic symptoms of loneliness than those who don’t attend church. The implications for this are found to disrupt the social cohesion of a community, which hinders the functionality of a local church. An exploration into potential solutions rendered three responses which practically address the issue of loneliness within local churches, namely meaningful connection, solitude and transcendence. These solutions, which are grounded in theology and guided by social science enable people to break the chronic nature of loneliness and find their way back to connection. Moreover, they are practically evident in the life of Christ and as such, offer compelling insight for local church pastors.

Teaching in a Lonely World: Educating Students About the Nature of Loneliness and Promoting Social Connection in the Classroom

Introduction: Loneliness is an epidemic in the modern world, putting millions of people at risk of serious mental and physical health problems. Statement of the Problem: Despite its relevance to many domains within psychology, the topic of loneliness receives little to no coverage in most psychology textbooks. Also, many students struggle with loneliness and may benefit from teachers prioritizing social connection in their classrooms. Literature Review: I briefly review the research on loneliness. I also provide a quick overview of the research on students’ sense of connection and its relationship to academic motivation and performance. Teaching Implications: I discuss ways to incorporate the topic of loneliness into psychology courses and explain how teachers can promote social connection in their classrooms. Conclusion: Psychology teachers should consider educating students about the topic of loneliness (as it relates to the courses they teach) and designing their courses with students’ fundamental social needs in mind.

Exploring the Nature of Loneliness among Older People in Rural Ghana

This study sought to explore the experiences of loneliness among older people in rural Emmena - Ghana. Semi-structured interviews were conducted among 10 older people living at rural Emmena. Some reasons for loneliness were rural-urban migration among adult children, death of friends and family members and retirement. It emerged that the Ghanaian government should implement policies and develop Emmena just as it is in the cities to reduce loneliness. This study adds to the literature concerning how religious ideals influence loneliness among rural older people.

HOW LONELY AND ISOLATED ARE OLDER PEOPLE WITH DEMENTIA AND THEIR CARERS: A DYADIC ANALYSIS

Studies of loneliness and isolation have rarely explored is how these experiences are reported within couples or the wider households. The IDEAL study has collected details of loneliness, as measured by the de Jong Gierveld (DJG) scale (range 0-6) and a single-item self-report measure, and isolation, using the six-item Lubben social network scale (range 0-30) from both people with dementia and carers. Loneliness is classified into three groups: not lonely (score 0-2), moderately lonely (3-4) and severely lonely (5+) and isolation into two: not isolated (score of 13+) or isolated (12 or less). Of the 1547 people with dementia and 1283 carers interviewed at baseline we have 1089 dyads who provided complete data on loneliness and 1204 for social isolation. Loneliness ratings are congruent between 43.1% of dyads and for 67.8% for isolation highlighting the subjective evaluative nature of loneliness as compared with more objectively measured isolation.

All the lonely people, where do they all belong? An interpretive synthesis of loneliness and social support in older lesbian, gay and bisexual communities

Purpose Loneliness is a phenomenon which affects people globally and constitutes a key social issue of our time. Yet few studies have considered the nature of loneliness and social support for older lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people; this is of particular concern as they are among the social groups said to be at greater risk. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach Peer-reviewed literature was identified through a search of Scopus, PsycINFO and PubMed. A total of 2,277 papers were retrieved including qualitative and quantitative studies which were quality assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme. Findings In total, 11 papers were included in the review and findings were synthesised using thematic analysis. The studies were conducted in five countries worldwide with a combined sample size of 53,332 participants, of whom 4,288 were drawn from among LGB communities. The characteristics and circumstances associated with loneliness including living arrangements, housing tenure, minority stress and geographical proximity. Research limitations/implications The review suggests that among older LGB people, living alone, not being partnered and being childfree may increase the risk of loneliness. This cohort of older people may experience greater difficulties in building relationships of trust and openness. They may also have relied on sources of identity-based social support that are in steep decline. Future research should include implementation studies to evaluate effective strategies in reducing loneliness among older LGB people. Practical implications Reaching older LGB people who are vulnerable due to physical mobility or rural isolation and loneliness because of bereavement or being a carer is a concern. A range of interventions including individual (befriending), group-based (for social contact) in addition to potential benefits from the Internet of Things should be evaluated. Discussions with the VCS suggest that take up of existing provision is 85:15 GB men vs LB women. Social implications Formal social support structures which were provided by voluntary sector agencies have been disproportionately affected by recent austerity measures. Originality/value The authors sought to interrogate the tension between findings of lower levels of social support and discourses of resilient care offered by families of choice.

An Englishman in New York: reflections on loneliness

The recent increase in attention being paid to the experience of loneliness (Booth, 2000; Franklin & Tranter, 2008; Hawkley & Cacioppo, 2010; Ord, 2018; Smyth & Goddard, 2018), and a serendipitous alighting on a trove of old journals and letters from my past, has given me a chance to reflect on loneliness and what it means. The result is this reflective and semi-autobiographical essay that offers personal insights into the nature of loneliness. Some thoughts are offered with regard to the dilemma it creates for therapy.

Invisible Barriers: The Loneliness of School Principals at Turkish Elementary Schools

School principals fulfil unique and crucial roles, drawing on their respective experience to react to an increasing number of challenges. They must carry out their roles as school leaders within a context highly charged with emotion. The loneliness of principals at schools urgently requires investigation. Limited details can be found in current academic literature concerning the issue of how principals deal with the issue of loneliness at school. Therefore, the aim of this study is to gain insight into the nature of loneliness among school principals. The study employed a qualitative research design incorporating a phenomenological approach. The participants of the study consisted of seven elementary school principals. The data was collected via face-to-face interviews, and related observations were carried out over the duration of two months during the two semesters of the 2015-2016 academic year. The data was then analysed across three steps, namely an exploration of the general meaning/significance of the data, an encoding of the data, and a subsequent identification of the principal themes involved. As a result of this analysis, three main themes were identified: psychological insight, the organisational climate, and professional effort. Psychological insight is the notion that all participants agreed on and emphasised when asked to offer a definition of loneliness at schools. Participants also agreed on the fact that the organisational climate at Turkish schools represented the most significant reason for principals’ loneliness at work. The school principals that participated in the study stated that they invested (additional) professional efforts (in their work) to overcome this invisible barrier. The results were discussed in the light of existing literature, and suggestions were presented within the context of the final discussion. Keywords: barriers; loneliness at work; school principals; Turkish elementary schools

Coping with Loneliness: Methods Young People Often Prefer1

Loneliness is one of the most common distressing experiences that humans encounter and it is defined as “exceedingly unpleasant and driving experience connected with inadequate discharge of the need for human intimacy”. Although common to all people, it is accepted that the nature of loneliness is a subjective experience that varies from person to person, occurring under many conditions with a multitude of causes, results and consequences. The aim of this study is to understand how common loneliness is among university students and to reveal which methods they prefer in order to cope with loneliness. With this aim, the UCLA Loneliness Scale and Coping with Loneliness Scale developed by Rokach (1989) was implemented on 429 university students. The Coping with Loneliness Scale consists of six factors including creating a social support network, distancing, acceptance and transformation, self- development and gaining awareness, ignoring, taking shelter in religion and belief, and increasing the number of activities. Results show that students prefer methods such as acceptance and transformation, self-development, gaining awareness, and increasing the number of activities. Moreover, in the research, it has been found that there is a relationship between the loneliness and avoidance and negligence positively, while it is negatively with increasing activity and creating a social support network. Among the methods for dealing with the loneliness which are used by man and woman university students, it has been found that there is a meaningful difference in favour of the men in only the avoidance and negligence. The results have been considered with literature findings. DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2014.v4n6p111

Unobtrusive in-home detection of time spent out-of-home with applications to loneliness and physical activity.

Loneliness is a common condition in elderly associated with severe health consequences including increased mortality, decreased cognitive function, and poor quality of life. Identifying and assisting lonely individuals is therefore increasingly important-especially in the home setting-as the very nature of loneliness often makes it difficult to detect by traditional methods. One critical component in assessing loneliness unobtrusively is to measure time spent out-of-home, as loneliness often presents with decreased physical activity, decreased motor functioning, and a decline in activities of daily living, all of which may cause decrease in the amount of time spent outside the home. Using passive and unobtrusive in-home sensing technologies, we have developed a methodology for detecting time spent out-of-home based on logistic regression. Our approach was both sensitive (0.939) and specific (0.975) in detecting time out-of-home across over 41,000 epochs of data collected from four subjects monitored for at least 30 days each in their own homes. In addition to linking time spent out-of-home to loneliness, (r = -0.44, p = 0.011) as measured by the UCLA Loneliness Index, we demonstrate its usefulness in other applications such as uncovering general behavioral patterns of elderly and exploring the link between time spent out-of-home and physical activity ( r = 0.415, p = 0.031), as measured by the Berkman Social Disengagement Index.

'I Don't have the Best Life': A Qualitative Exploration of Adolescent Loneliness

Objectives: Loneliness is considered a significant contributor to adolescent suicidality and mental illness. This study explored the nature of loneliness, aloneness, and friendships as described by early-mid aged adolescents. Methods: In total, 33 (13 male and 20 female) adolescents (aged 10-15) from three primary and two secondary schools located in low, medium, and high socioeconomic areas in Perth, Western Australia were interviewed. Inductive analysis of verbatim transcripts incorporated constant comparative coding, thus forming conceptual categories, relationships, and theory. Results: Loneliness was identified as a multifactorial experience centering on two main constructs: 1) connectedness with friends, and 2) perception of aloneness. Qualitative insights support the concept of adolescents 'positioned' on continuums within these two constructs; 1) friendship- with connected and disconnected anchors, and 2) perception of aloneness - with positive and negative anchors. Conclusions: This study highlighted that loneliness is multidimensional and is influenced both by the existence (or not) of meaningful friendships as well as by how adolescents frame and experience being alone. Being alone can have both positive and negative associations for adolescents, and this appears to be influenced by the setting and experienced frequency of being alone. Aloneness can be buffered by friendship networks, and experienced more negatively when friendships and social connectedness are lacking. This epitomizes vulnerabilities associated with unstable friendships. Assisting adolescents to both develop secure friendships and positive attitudes towards aloneness has an important role to play in reducing adolescent loneliness as well as decreasing the risk of associated negative outcomes. These study results provide direction for practitioners in developing targeted approaches to prevent and reduce loneliness; this includes carefully considering policy and practices that could reduce (or unintentionally induce) loneliness. As the school is a setting in which adolescents are especially vulnerable to feelings of loneliness, school-based strategies could be particularly useful and wide-reaching.

САМОТНІСТЬ У ПІДЛІТКОВОМУ ВІЦІ ЯК СОЦІАЛЬНО-ПСИХОЛОГІЧНА ПРОБЛЕМА

The analysis of the research ?ndings of the contemporary Russian and Ukrainian authors shows that there is no consensus in interpreting the nature of loneliness, its origin, speci?c aspects of manifestation in the publications of foreign and native scholars. This allows to outline the problem ?eld of the investigation of loneliness as a social and psychological phenomenon. A teenager acquires social experience in the course of establishing various social relations. The development of individualization, weakening of relationships with the primary group, intensi?cation of the social mobility within a society and the general instability provoke the growth of the subjective loneliness. The number of teenagers suffering from subjective loneliness grows in the contemporary society. This feeling, as a rule, leads to deviations in behavior and brings about such dangerous consequences as depression, abuse of drugs and alcohol, gambling addiction and even suicide attempts. Thus, loneliness results in serious problems. Parental neglect and lack of parental support seem to be the main reasons which stimulate the feelings of loneliness in teenagers. Positive feedback in the families where teenagers experience the lack of parental support is very weak and inadequate, which cause the stagnation of the subsequent socialization of teenagers.

Conceptual relations between loneliness and culture

To clarify ways in which loneliness and culture are connected conceptually. Loneliness may be distinguished from being alone or social isolation by a common property of loneliness across cultures - that is, an undesired absence of reciprocal empathic understanding. Cultural meanings shape the experience of loneliness in that they create expectations of the nature and the extent of closeness in relationships as well as social connectedness. Conversely, the extent and nature of loneliness in a culture may be described as a property of that very culture, allowing one to speak of 'a culture of loneliness'. Accordingly, a culture of loneliness is found in both individualist and communal cultures, but of different kinds. A third conceptual relation may be described as a cultural loneliness, whereby someone is lonely while being in a foreign culture that leaves one feeling not understood and not able to reciprocate understanding about cultural meanings. Loneliness shares common features across cultures, yet culture shapes it and is shaped by it.

Older People's Experiences of Loneliness in the UK: Does Gender Matter?

The extent and nature of loneliness in later life does not show a consistent relationship with gender. Our study investigates whether there are differences in the nature and extent of loneliness amongst older men and women in contemporary Britain.Loneliness was measured using a self-report four-point scale in a nationally representative survey of people aged 65+ living in the community.Survey response rate was 77 per cent and the sample of 999 approximates to that of the general population. Approximately half of our sample 53 per cent were women. Compared with males in the sample women were significantly more likely to be widowed, live alone and have direct contact with friends and relatives. Preliminary analysis identified statistically significant differences between men and women in and self-reported loneliness (and changes over the previous decade). Ordered logistic regression, indicated that gender was no longer independently associated with loneliness once the confounding influences of marital status, age and living arrangement were excluded.The overall self-reported prevalence of severe loneliness shows little difference between men and women, challenging the stereotype that loneliness is a specifically female experience.

Australian children's understanding of loneliness

The purpose of the present paper was to explore children's conceptualisation of loneliness and to examine the link between children's reports of loneliness, being alone, and their conceptualisation of loneliness. Children (N = 61) in middle childhood (9 - 11 years) responded to a question about their experience of loneliness and completed the Loneliness and Social Dissatisfaction scale. Results showed that the majority of children explained loneliness by referring to both social deficits and distressing emotions. New to this area of research were children's references to self-attributions (e.g., having no courage to talk about their situation). As hypothesised, few children made references to being alone when describing loneliness, and there was no difference in children's reports of loneliness depending on whether or not children referred to being alone. Surprisingly, children's reports of loneliness did not differ depending on their ability to conceptualise it. The subjective nature of loneliness and the importance of peer relationships is discussed.

Loneliness: A Concept Relevant to the Care of Dying Persons

Loneliness, whether conceptualized as a basic "fact" of human existence or as a painful, subjective experience in response to changes or deficiencies in the quality or quantity of a person's social relationships, has been recognized as an experience feared or felt by human beings since antiquity. As health care professionals, nurses have observed and responded to loneliness as an actual or potential problem amenable to nursing intervention. Being a subjective experience and one which may or may not be connected to the more objective condition of social isolation or aloneness, loneliness has puzzled scholars and researchers across disciplines. Although the nature of loneliness as a relational deficit is beginning to be explicated, particularly through the efforts of social psychologists, there are still major questions to be answered with regard to antecedents, manifestations, and interventions. Dying persons may represent a particularly vulnerable group, especially those dying in an acute care/cure-oriented setting. Since the limited knowledge about the nature of loneliness has been acquired primarily through studying college students or young adults, the question of whether or not their experience is comparable to that of other groups remains to be answered. Nurses continue to make clinical judgments about the loneliness of their patients. They basically are guided by a knowledge of affiliative functioning, and their interventions reflect a goal of optimal, social functioning for individuals experiencing or at-risk for loneliness.

On the nature of loneliness

On the nature of loneliness