Understanding Of Loneliness Research Articles

Understanding loneliness and social relationships in autism: The reflections of autistic adults

The prevalence of loneliness is reported higher for autistic children, adolescents, and adults when compared to non-autistic peers. However, how autistic adults understand loneliness is still unclear. The present study aimed to explore how autistic adults understand the concept of loneliness combining focus groups and individual interviews to engage autistic adults in a shared exploration of the concept of loneliness. Information from 7 females and 18 males (age 18–71 years) was included. Data were analysed using a phenomenological-based thematic analysis. Through the analysis four themes were identified in the reflections of the autistic adults: Experience of Loneliness, Being Autistic, Discrepancies in Social Relationships, and Ease of Interaction. The immediate understanding of loneliness in autistic adults was found to be quite similar to that of persons without autism. However, being autistic was a central frame of reference for the autistic adults in describing the wishes and needs as well as the actual experience of social relationships. Being autistic in a primarily neurotypical society may be seen as a risk factor due to the discrepancies often experienced by autistic individuals in social relationships. Raising autism acceptance in general and supporting the understanding of self and others in autistic individuals is important to prevent the social discrepancies associated with the experience of loneliness.

Loneliness and meaning in life are reflected in the intrinsic network architecture of the brain.

Social relationships imbue life with meaning, whereas loneliness diminishes one's sense of meaning in life. Yet the extent of interdependence between these psychological constructs remains poorly understood. We took a multivariate network approach to examine resting-state fMRI functional connectivity’s association with loneliness and meaning in a large cohort of adults (N = 942). Loneliness and meaning in life were negatively correlated with one another. In their relationship with individually parcelled whole-brain measures of functional connectivity, a significant and reliable pattern was observed. Greater loneliness was associated with dense, and less modular, connections between default, frontoparietal, attention and perceptual networks. A greater sense of life meaning was associated with increased, and more modular, connectivity between default and limbic networks. Low loneliness was associated with more modular brain connectivity, and lower life meaning was associated with higher between-network connectivity. These findings advance our understanding of loneliness and life meaning as distinct, yet interdependent, features of sociality. The results highlight a potential role of the default network as a central hub, providing a putative neural mechanism for shifting between feelings of isolation and purpose.

Loneliness and the letter: Co-developing cross-generational letter writing with higher education students and older people

Writing Back is an intergenerational letter-writing project that has been matching University of Leeds students as pen pals with older Yorkshire residents since 2014. Working in collaboration with a principal investigator based in the university's School of English, students and older participants have been facilitating conversation about loneliness, home and belonging via their exchange of cross-generational correspondence and their engagement with archival images of the county. This article reflects upon the successes and limitations of using co-productive letter writing and visual methodologies in qualitative loneliness research. In carrying out a narrative analysis of Writing Back's correspondence, it demonstrates how letter writing can be used as an effective methodological tool to generate new understanding of loneliness in multiple age demographics.

Advancing our understanding of loneliness and mental health problems in young people

The relationship between loneliness and health has become an important focus of scientific investigation and public policy. The launch of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)-funded Loneliness and Social Isolation in Mental Health research network this month will bring together researchers across a range of disciplines to collaborate in finding ways to reduce the burden of mental ill health by addressing loneliness and social isolation among young people, as well as marginalised groups across the life course. This Comment sets out the key research questions that need to be addressed to advance our understanding of what is described as an urgent public health priority.

Loneliness in Treatment-Seeking Substance-Dependent Populations: Validation of the Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults–Short Version

Objectives: Loneliness is a distressing emotional experience that is likely to be prevalent among people accessing treatment for substance dependence problems. The first aim of the current study was to report on the validity of the Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults–Short Version (SELSA-S), a multidimensional measure of loneliness, for use in substance-dependent treatment populations. In order to further the understanding of loneliness among this population, loneliness was examined in relation to demographic, physical, and mental health variables. Methods: Participants were attending Australian residential substance dependence treatment services provided by two nongovernmental organizations (The Salvation Army and We Help Ourselves). Participants completed cross-sectional surveys (N = 316) consisting of measures of demographics, substance use, loneliness, and physical and mental health. Results: Confirmatory factor analysis revealed high factor loadings and a moderate degree of concurrent and discriminant validity and internal consistency for the SELSA-S; however, model fit indices did not meet prespecified cutoff criteria. Loneliness was deemed to be a serious problem for 69% of respondents, and 79% reported feeling lonely at least once per month. Conclusions: Findings of this study suggest the need for further research into the validity of the SELSA-S for use with substance-dependent populations. In addition, it may be beneficial to test a range of loneliness measures in order to determine whether other measures of loneliness may be more favorable for use across this population.

Towards an understanding of loneliness among Australian men: Gender cultures, embodied expression and the social bases of belonging

Recent quantitative investigations consistently single out considerable gender variations in the experience of loneliness in Australia, and in particular how men are especially prone to protracted and serious episodes of loneliness. In 2017 the Director of Lifeline implicated loneliness as a significant factor in suicide among Australian men – currently three times the rate of suicide among women. Compared to women men also struggle to talk about loneliness or seek help from a range of informal and professional sources. We know very little about men’s experience of loneliness or why they are so susceptible to it currently and research is urgently needed in order to design specific interventions for them. To date, psychology has dominated the theoretical research on loneliness but in this article we argue that sociology has a key role to play in broadening out the theoretical terrain of this understanding so as to create culturally informed interventions. Most researchers agree that loneliness occurs when belongingess needs remain unmet, yet it is also acknowledged that such needs are culturally specific and changing. We need to understand how loneliness and gender cultures configure for men; how they are located in different ethnic, class and age cohort cultures as well as the changing social/economic/spatial/public/institutional bases for belonging across Australia. Theoretical enquiry must encompass the broader social structural narratives (Bauman, Giddens and Sennett) and link these to the changing nature of belonging in everyday life – across the public sphere, the domestic sphere, work, in kinship systems, housing and settlement patterns, associational life, in embodied relationships and online.

СУБ'ЄКТИВНІ СМИСЛИ ПЕРЕЖИВАННЯ САМОТНОСТІ ЛЮДЕЙ, ЩО ЖИВУТЬ ІЗ ВІЛ

The paper analyzes the experience of people’s, infected by HIV, loneliness as an existential category and as a part of all their spectrum of feelings and experiences. The central existential problem for people with HIV-positive status is social and interpersonal isolation, which brings to loneliness. There are no publications that highlight the loneliness of people, who lives with HIV, through the prism of an existential approach. The article also considers the problem of stigmatization, self-stigmatization and isolation of HIV-infected individuals. The situation is aggravated by the fact that terminally ill people not only experience negative emotions, but also realize their own guilt for infecting their illness, feel shame because of the negative social status of the "sinful" disease. People with HIV are a special subculture in our society; they often consider themselves as outcasts. Thanks to this research, the subjective meanings that have people with HIV put into the concept of loneliness are revealed. The author did her own semantic differential, which was helped in finding differences in the experience and understanding of loneliness by hypochondriacal people who are afraid of infecting HIV, as well as persons with a positive HIV status. The results of two groups were statistically handled by using factor analysis. As a result the components of the loneliness category for the control (hypochondriac) and experimental (people infected by HIV) groups were picked out. Eventually, hypochondriacal people actualize loneliness through the following factors: "anxiety-depression", "hopelessness" and "vulnerability". In turn, people with HIV-positive status, see loneliness through: "despair", "disgust" (directed both at oneself and at the outside world), and "rejection". The results can be explained by the fact that persons with HIV infection have already felt the consequences of social isolation and loneliness, therefore they describe themselves as outcasts, despair and disgust both to themselves and to others. While people who only afraid of contracting HIV predict this can lead to anxiety, hopelessness and vulnerability. However, the selected components are rather situational than a priori, so the picture may change somewhat upon repeated investigation.

The Cultural Context of Loneliness: Risk Factors in Active Duty Soldiers

Loneliness has been shown to predict mental health problems and suicide in active duty soldiers. In the present study, we examined distal (e.g., demographic & socioeconomic characteristics) to proximal factors (e.g., platoon relations, relationship quality) that were associated with loneliness in active duty soldiers in the U.S. Army. Results revealed a set of factors that were associated with loneliness in active duty soldiers, including age, frequency of contact with friends and family by phone, childhood trauma, self-reported overall emotional health, intra-platoon harassment, perceived stress, perceived platoon cohesion and support, organizational citizenship behavior, relationship satisfaction with friends, and relationship satisfaction with platoon members. The association between loneliness and both perceived stress and relationship satisfaction with platoon members reached a moderate effect size in the multivariate models. Although some of predictors overlap with those identified in studies of civilians, most were unique to soldiers. Implications are discussed for understanding loneliness in an organization like the military and for the early identification of and intervention with active duty soldiers who may be at risk for mental and behavioral problems.

Understanding and alleviating loneliness in later life: perspectives of older people

Purpose There is extensive empirical literature that has sought to establish the prevalence of, and risk factors for, loneliness and social isolation in later life. Traditional empirical gerontological approaches have characterised loneliness as a linear experience that is both pathological and easily relieved with external intervention. The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential of qualitative interview data to reveal the possible complexities in understanding loneliness, including conceptual considerations for the dynamic and multi-dimensional aspects of loneliness. Design/methodology/approach The authors draw on two different studies where the purpose was to qualitatively examine the meaning of loneliness in the lives of older people and how they understood loneliness in the context of their daily life (n=37). Findings Interviews with “lonely” older people revealed that loneliness is a complex and dynamic experience. The authors also identified a range of internal and external factors that contribute to vulnerability for loneliness as well as resources to alleviate it. Originality/value The dynamic and multi-dimensional characteristics of loneliness in older people may help explain why community-based interventions to diminish it may be so challenging.

Loneliness Among People With Spinal Cord Injury: Exploring the Psychometric Properties of the 3-Item Loneliness Scale

ObjectivesTo (1) examine a measure of loneliness and its correlates in people with spinal cord injury (SCI) to enhance our understanding of loneliness, which has received limited scientific study in the context of SCI; and (2) conduct preliminary analyses of the reliability and validity of the measure, including an evaluation of the unique impact of loneliness on psychological health. DesignCross-sectional. SettingSpinal Cord Injury Model Systems. ParticipantsPeople with SCI (N=175) participating in Spinal Cord Injury Model Systems follow-up interviews at 1 study site between April 2014 and June 2015. InterventionsNot applicable. Main Outcome MeasureThe 3-item Loneliness Scale. ResultsExamination of individual items showed that approximately 40% of the sample reported that they felt they lacked companionship, felt left out, and felt isolated from others either some of the time or often. Mean scores in our sample were elevated compared with published data on middle-aged and older adults. Results provided evidence of internal consistency, comparable to that reported in the literature, and preliminary evidence of convergent and divergent validity. Loneliness was related to psychological health even after controlling for measures of demographics, disability, and social integration, suggesting that loneliness captures more than just social isolation or social integration in people with SCI. ConclusionsLoneliness, which may be more common among people with SCI, is related to poorer psychological health. Given the serious physical and psychological health consequences of loneliness documented in the general literature, it is imperative that the experience of loneliness among people with SCI be given serious and systematic attention in the literature as well as in clinical practice.

Loneliness in Children and Adolescents With and Without Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Although there have been developments in understanding loneliness in children and adolescents, there is still very limited understanding of the construct in children and adolescents diagnosed with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The Perth A-Loneness scale (PALs), which comprises 24 items measuring four dimensions of loneliness in young people, was administered to 84 children and adolescents who had been clinically diagnosed as meeting criteria for ADHD. Eighty four individually age and gender matched non ADHD Community Comparisons with no diagnosed neurological deficits also completed the PALs. Competing measurement models were evaluated using confirmatory factor analysis and a first-order model represented by four correlated factors (Friendship Loneliness, Isolation, Negative Attitude to Solitude, and Positive Attitude to Solitude) was superior: CMIN/DF ratio (1.644), CFI (0.90), and RMSEA = 0.056 (90 % CI: 0.05, 0.07). A multivariate analysis of variance revealed no significant multivariate interactions or main effects of Group (ADHD/Non ADHD) or Sex (Male/Female). Overlap of 90 to 98 % between the ADHD and non ADHD samples in their 95 % Confidence Intervals for each of the four loneliness scores along with very small Effect Sizes further strengthened the finding of a non-significant main effect.

Early-Life Circumstances and Later-Life Loneliness in Ireland

This article examines the impact of early- and later-life circumstances on loneliness among people aged 65+ in Ireland. Data are from the first wave of the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling adults aged 50+. The participants (N = 2,645) aged 65+ were included in the analysis. Because of the large number of never married persons in the older Irish population, we first used a multinomial logistic model to examine which childhood circumstances are associated with current marital status. We then estimated multiple regression models for loneliness, in stages conforming to the life course, to examine the extent to which early events are mediated by later events. Poor childhood socioeconomic status (for men and women) and parental substance abuse (for men) have direct effects on loneliness at older ages. The results indicate the significance of the childhood environment for understanding loneliness in later life. Future research should examine possible pathways not currently measured that may be responsible for the association of early environment and later-life loneliness and explore the links between childhood and other measures of well-being in old age. The relationship of childhood socioeconomic deprivation and parental substance abuse with adult well-being should be an important consideration in social policy planning.

Young children’s perception and understanding of loneliness

Young children’s perception and understanding of loneliness

Loneliness and Ethnic Minority Elders in Great Britain: An Exploratory Study

Loneliness, which describes the deficit between an individuals' expectation of the quality and/or quantity of social relationships and the actuality, is associated with poor quality of life, negative health outcomes and, in some cases, increased use of statutory services. Within Great Britain few studies have examined the prevalence of loneliness amongst older people from ethnic minorities. In this exploratory study we consider the prevalence of loneliness amongst older people, those aged 65 years and over, from the key minority groups growing old in Britain (Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, African Caribbean, and Chinese) and draw explicit comparisons for these groups with the prevalence of loneliness reported for the general population and with older people in their countries of origin. We use two data sources: the Ethnicity and Loneliness Survey, a study of 300 minority elders aged 65+ living in the community, provides our prevalence estimates and secondary analysis of a study of 169 South Asian elders (aged 65+) undertaken in Birmingham to validate our prevalence rates for the Indian and Bangladeshi populations. We identified very high rates of reported loneliness, ranging from 24% to 50% amongst for those elders originating from China, Africa, the Caribbean, Pakistan and Bangladesh whilst those from India approximated to the norms of 8-10% for Britain. These results suggest that it is feasible to research loneliness amongst minority communities in Britain; that the levels of loneliness are, with the exception of the Indian population, very much higher than for the general population but are broadly comparable with rates of loneliness reported for older people in their countries of origin. There is a rich research agenda to be developed in extending our understanding of loneliness in later life amongst the increasingly culturally and ethnically diverse older population of Great Britain.

Loneliness and Emotional Intelligence

ABSTRACT The possible associations of loneliness with Emotional Intelligence (EI), 2 of its correlates (life satisfaction and a sense of meaning), and several background variables were tested on a sample of 134 young adults attending college in northern Israel. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis provided support for the model, suggesting that the presence of meaning, EI, and size and availability of an individual's social network are the strongest correlates of loneliness. EI therefore emerges as a potentially important factor in our understanding of loneliness, and the model provides a framework for future studies. The results are discussed vis-à-vis existing findings in the literature and possible directions for approaching loneliness as a theoretical concept and a social phenomenon.

Perception and negative effect of loneliness in a Chicago Chinese population of older adults

This qualitative study aims to investigate the cultural understandings of loneliness, identify the contexts of loneliness, and to examine its effect on the health and well-being of U.S. Chinese older adults. Despite loneliness is one of the main indicators of well-being, little attention has been paid to understanding loneliness among immigrant older adults. This study utilizes both survey questionnaires and semi-structured focus group methods to investigate the feelings of loneliness among U.S. Chinese older adults. Based on interviews with 78 community-dwelling Chinese older adults in Chicago Chinatown, this community-based participatory research study (CBPR) shows loneliness is common among U.S. Chinese older adults. It was frequently identified through emotional isolation and social isolation. Social, psychological and physical health factors could contribute to the experience of loneliness. In addition, the health of older adults with loneliness may be associated with worsening overall health, elder mistreatment, health behavior changes and increased healthcare utilizations. This study has implications for healthcare professionals, social services agencies and policy makers. Our findings point to the needs for healthcare professionals to be more alert of the association of loneliness and adverse health outcomes. Communities and social services agencies should collectively take a lead in reducing social isolation, improving intergenerational relationships, and increasing social networks and companionship for this group of vulnerable older adults.

Human relationships: an exploration of loneliness and touch

The aim of this article is to provide a cursory review of some of the literature relating to loneliness, existentialism and touch. With reference to the critical incident analysis (see Box 1), a reflection on the learning that has been achieved both intrapersonally and interpersonally will also be provided. A consideration of how exactly this experience of structured reflection may be used to enhance and develop practice will also be explored. The review will analyze the key concepts of loneliness, existentialism, the therapeutic relationship and touch within the realms of nursing practice, specifically in relation to death and dying. This article seeks to highlight the importance of having an understanding of loneliness in nursing, particularly when caring for patients who are dying.

Older Norwegians’ understanding of loneliness

This interpretive study explored older people's understanding of loneliness and what they considered appropriate and effective ways of dealing with it. Thirty elderly people were interviewed in-depth; 12 described themselves as “lonely” and 18 as “not lonely.” We found a striking difference in the way “lonely” and “not lonely” people talked about loneliness. The “not lonely” participants described loneliness as painful, caused by the person's negative way of behaving and a state they should pull themselves out of. The “lonely” participants also described loneliness as painful, and gave more detailed descriptions of loneliness as disconnection from others, from their former home and from today's society. The “lonely” participants were more reserved and subdued in trying to explain loneliness, attributing it partly to themselves, but mostly to the lack of social contact with important others. Some felt able to handle their loneliness, while others felt unable to cope. This study underlines the importance of subjective experiences in trying to understand a phenomenon like loneliness and of developing support for lonely older people unable to cope on their own.

Relationship of Peer Relationships, Perceived Parental Rearing Attitudes, Self-reported Attachment Security, to Loneliness in Upper Elementary School-age Children

The purpose of this study was to identify the relationship of peer relationships, self-reported attachment security, perceived parental rearing attitudes, and loneliness in upper elementary school-age children. The data were collected from 207 students in grades 5 or 6, and descriptive statistics, t-test, Pearson correlation coefficients and Stepwise multiple regression were used with the SPSS/PC 12.0 program to analyze the data. There was a significant difference in loneliness between the upper 25% and lower 25% groups of peer relationships, perceived parental rearing attitudes, and self-reported attachment security. Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed affection-hostility in parental rearing attitudes, validation and conflict in peer relationships, and attachment security explained 39.6% of the total variance in loneliness. These results may contribute to a better understanding of loneliness in upper elementary school-age children. The results of the present study indicate a need to develop nursing interventions to prevent and manage children's loneliness.

The prevalence of and risk factors for loneliness among older people in China

ABSTRACTCompared with the many studies in western countries, research on the prevalence of and risk factors for loneliness amongst older people in China is sparse. This paper reviews the current cross-national literature on loneliness and, using data from two national surveys undertaken in 1992 and 2000, assesses the prevalence of loneliness amongst older people in China and explores the factors that raise their vulnerability to the negative feeling. The reported prevalence of loneliness was 15.6 per cent in 1992 and 29.6 per cent in 2000. We suggest that part of the differential is accounted for by the differences in the methodologies of the two surveys and in the questions used to assess loneliness. The evidence from both surveys suggests that loneliness was relatively prevalent among those aged 65 or more years, females and those living in rural areas, and that these variations had greater amplitude in 2000. As in western countries, increased age, being widowed or divorced, and poor self-rated health were significantly associated with old-age loneliness in China at the two dates. Two factors positively related to loneliness were found that are specific to the Chinese context, however: living in a rural (as opposed to urban) area, and thinking that one's children are not filial. To develop our understanding of loneliness among older people in China and other non-western countries, it will be necessary to construct more rigorous and comparable measurements of loneliness and to undertake longitudinal studies of social relationships.