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PubMed2001

Loneliness and social dissatisfaction in Turkish adolescents.

The present study is an investigation of the relationships of sociometric status, gender, and academic achievement to loneliness levels of Turkish adolescents. Participants were 370 secondary school students (186 girls and 184 boys). Data on loneliness and social dissatisfaction levels of students were collected with the Turkish version of S. R. Asher and V. A. Wheeler's (1985) Loneliness and Social Dissatisfaction Scale. Sociometric data were gathered by using a rating scale and a positive nomination measure devised by S. R. Asher and K. A. Dodge (1986) in which participants were classified into one of four groups (popular, rejected, neglected, and controversial). The scores obtained from these measures were treated by a method similar to that of J. D. Coie, K. A. Dodge, and H. Coppotelli's (1982) standard score approach. Results revealed that sociometric status was significantly related to loneliness and social dissatisfaction as a function of peer relations. Members of the rejected group reported significantly higher levels of loneliness and social dissatisfaction than did members of the controversial, popular, and neglected groups. The controversial group was also significantly different from the popular group in loneliness level. No significant gender differences were found. Results also revealed a significant negative relationship between achievement scores and loneliness, indicating that as the level of loneliness increased, academic achievement decreased.

Achievement↗

PubMed2006

Assessing the loneliness of older people with cerebral palsy.

PURPOSE: To use the University of California Los Angeles Loneliness Scale Version 3 to (a) explore and compare the levels of loneliness experienced between two groups of older adults (aged 40 years and over) with cerebral palsy, a group who use natural speech to communicate and a group who use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and (b) to test the reliability of the UCLA Loneliness Scale (Version 3) when used with the older adults with cerebral palsy who use a variety of communication modes. METHOD: The UCLA Loneliness Scale (Version 3) was administered twice to two groups of older participants with cerebral palsy. Group 1 consisted of 11 participants who used natural speech and Group 2 consisted of nine participants who used augmentative and alternative communication systems. The scores from the second assessment were used to calculate test retest reliability. RESULTS: The mean loneliness scores for the two groups indicated that older people with cerebral palsy experience more loneliness than older adults without disability. There was no significant difference between the scores of Groups 1 and 2. The UCLA Loneliness Scale (Version 3) is a reliable tool for use with people who communicate using a variety of communication modes. CONCLUSIONS: The UCLA Loneliness Scale (Version 3) items are pertinent to participants' perceived satisfaction with the quantity and quality of their relationships with others. Policy makers, service providers and the general community have a responsibility to ensure that older people with cerebral palsy are given the support they need to achieve satisfactory relationships and thus facilitate a good quality of life as they age.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Loneliness and depression in independent living retirement communities: risk and resilience factors.

Socio-emotional selectivity theory posits that as individuals age, they desire less social stimulation and novelty, and tend to select close, reliable relationships to meet their emotional needs. Residence in congregate facilities affords social exposure, yet does not guarantee access to close relationships, so that loneliness may be a result. Further, the gerontology literature has suggested that loneliness in late life may be a risk factor for serious mental health concerns such as depression. This article examined data on loneliness and depressive symptoms from older adults aged 60-98, residing in two age-segregated independent living facilities. Overlap between those scoring in the depressed range on the Geriatric Depression Scale and those scoring more than one standard deviation above the mean on the UCLA Loneliness Scale was less than 50%, although zero-order correlation of the two continuous scores was moderately high. Potential risk and resilience factors were regressed on the continuous scores of the two scales in separate hierarchical multiple regression analyses. Depression was predicted by being older, number of chronic health conditions, grieving a recent loss, fewer neighbor visitors, less participation in organized social activities and less church attendance. Grieving a recent loss, receiving fewer visits from friends, and having a less extensive social network predicted loneliness. In addition, loneliness scores explained about 8% of the unique variance in depression scores, suggesting it is an independent risk factor for depressive symptoms. Loneliness scores were seen to be more widely dispersed in these respondents, with less variance explained by the available predictors. Suggestions are made for addressing loneliness in older adults as a means of preventing more serious mental health consequences.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A meta-analytic study of predictors for loneliness during adolescence.

BACKGROUND: Extensive research has been completed to investigate loneliness in adolescents over the past several decades; identification of key predictors for loneliness was needed using meta-analytic techniques. OBJECTIVES: To identify predictors for loneliness in adolescents through a comprehensive review of the literature and to use quantitative meta-analysis to determine the magnitude of the relationships between each predictor and loneliness. METHODS: The literature reviewed included 242 studies published or unpublished between 1980 and 2004, of which 95 met the inclusion criteria. Eleven key predictors for loneliness were identified in the 95 studies. A meta-analysis was conducted on each of the 11 predictors in relation to loneliness. RESULTS: Four predictors (gender, depression, shyness, and self-esteem) had large effect sizes, four predictors (social support, social anxiety, maternal expressiveness, and paternal expressiveness) had large medium to medium effect sizes, two predictors (stress and self-disclosure) had low effect sizes, and one predictor (age) had a very low effect size. DISCUSSION: Theories of loneliness served as a framework for interpreting the findings of the meta-analysis. The most powerful predictors can be used in intervention studies aimed at reducing loneliness in adolescents.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1986

An examination of the relation of individual difference variables to loneliness.

This study investigated the relation of five individual difference variables (extroversion, depression, self-esteem, neuroticism, and attitude toward others) to loneliness. The relative contributions of two different models that might explain these relations were examined. One model suggests that individual difference variables are related to loneliness through the mediation of social network variables; that is, individual difference variables may reduce people's motivation and/or ability to build and maintain social relationships, which in turn leads to loneliness. The second model, the cognitive bias model, states that both the individual difference variables and loneliness are influenced by the same intrapersonal, cognitive processes. Some people are prone to negative affect and tend to evaluate themselves and their relationships negatively. The relations of self-esteem, neuroticism, and depression to loneliness were hypothesized to reflect the cognitive bias model, while extroversion and attitudes toward others were hypothesized to be related to loneliness through the mediation of social network variables. Eighty-two female and 42 male adults completed measures of loneliness and the five individual difference variables, as well as an instrument assessing their social networks. The results indicated partial support for both models for each of the individual difference variables. Together, the two models did a good job of explaining the correlations of the individual difference variables and loneliness. The implications of these findings, as well as their relation to previous research, are discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed1996

Loneliness and social support in infertile couples.

OBJECTIVE: To determine differences between infertile wives' and husbands' levels of loneliness and perception of social support and to determine if there is a relationship between loneliness and social support. DESIGN: Comparative descriptive. SETTING: University infertility clinic and RESOLVE, an infertility support group. PARTICIPANTS: Convenience sample of 62 couples diagnosed as experiencing either primary or secondary infertility. OUTCOME MEASURES: Loneliness was measured using the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale; social support was measured using the Interpersonal Relationship Inventory with subscales of Social Support, Reciprocity, and Conflict. RESULTS: Wives were significantly more lonely than husbands (t = 2.053, p = 0.04). There was no significant group difference on the social support total score or three subscale scores. Loneliness was inversely related to social support and reciprocity both for wives (r = -0.62, p = 0.001, and r = -0.50, p = 0.002, respectively) and husbands (r = -0.74, p = 0.001, and r = -0.56, p = 0.001, respectively); loneliness correlated with conflict for wives only (r = 0.48, p = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Although wives and husbands differed in loneliness, they were similar in perceived social support. Greater social support and reciprocity lessened feelings of loneliness for both groups. Wives who perceived increased conflict in their social relationships were more lonely.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

The oldest old, ADL, social network, and loneliness.

This study examined the influence of activities of daily living (ADL) and frequency of social contacts on the loneliness and social relationships in a sample of very elderly individuals. Associations between functional ability, social contacts, and emotional loneliness and social loneliness were also assessed. The sample was composed of 221 participants, age 80 to 105 years, residing in the greater Bergen area in Norway. Results demonstrated that dependence on the environment in ADL is related to low levels of emotional loneliness, whereas only dependence in activities of toileting and transferring corresponded with low levels of social loneliness. High frequency of social contacts with family, friends, or neighbors was negatively related to both emotional and social loneliness. Results show that frequency of such contacts appeared to buffer the effect of continence on emotional loneliness and the effect of toileting and transferring on social loneliness.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1989

Loneliness of chronically ill adults and their spouses.

This comparative descriptive study was designed to determine if there was a significant difference in loneliness between 80 chronically ill adults and their spouses [N = 160] and to determine whether a significant relationship existed between loneliness and selected characteristics in the two groups. Chronically ill adults were purposively selected from several sources and represented a variety of illnesses. Loneliness of both groups was assessed using a single dichotomous item from the Oars Multidimensional Functional Assessment Questionnaire (1975). Data on selected characteristics were collected through four instruments: subscales from the Oars, Disability Classification Index, Social Role Rating Scale, and Life Satisfaction Index-Z Scale. Wilcoxon 2-Sample Test revealed no significant difference in loneliness between groups. For both groups, women were more lonely than men and this difference was significant for the ill group (p less than .001). The highest correlation between loneliness and sociodemographic characteristics was need for financial assistance for ill respondents and inability to afford luxuries for spouses; between lonely and disease-related characteristics, it was the number of chronic illnesses for ill and disability of the ill partner for spouses; between lonely and sociological characteristics, it was decrease in the homemaker role for ill and decrease in the leisure role for spouses. For both groups, loneliness was significantly related to lower life satisfaction and unrelated to mental health. Findings indicate that chronically ill adults and spouses are similar in frequency of self-reported loneliness. Differences in characteristics associated with loneliness found between the two groups suggest a need for different approaches in nursing interventions for ill adults and spouses.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Loneliness in Black elderly.

Loneliness was investigated in three groups of Black elderly people. Groups consisted of Married, Widowed, and Never Married. The deJong-Giervald Loneliness Scale was used to measure loneliness on the none subscales that make up the instrument. These subscales measured the extent: of feelings of deprivation concerning a partner (L1); of feelings of emptiness or lack of companionship (L2); of feelings of abandonment (L3); of rationalization of personal loneliness (L4); of self-pity (L5); to which loneliness is perceived as permanent (L6); to which is perceived as temporary (L7); to which it is perceived that loneliness can be solved by one's own activities (L8); of resignation to loneliness (L9). Significant differences between scores were found in only two subscales. These were numbers L4 and L6. On each of these subscales, Widowed and Other Married groups, which were mostly composed of women, had the lowest mean scores. This reflects the likelihood that these groups use rationalization to cope with the negative effects of loneliness, and this is sex-specific. Findings also reflect that unmarried Black elderly, especially females, may feel hopeless about being lonely. Recommendations made for further studies include using larger and more heterogeneous samples as well as different ethnic groups.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1990

[Loneliness among the frail elderly and possibilities for intervention by primary care caregivers. Report of an inventory study in 2 Amsterdam neighborhoods].

In Amsterdam in 1987 an inventory was drawn up of factors that practitioners (n = 39) and volunteers (n = 22) associated with loneliness among the elderly. Three groups of non-institutionalized old elderly (80 years and older) served as respondents (total n = 100). Some of the factors that the helpers mentioned, such as reported health problems, not having children and dissatisfaction with housing conditions are actually found to be related to loneliness. Other factors such as gender, marital status and the presence of children, relatives and friends in the neighbourhood had no association with loneliness. Although not all the factors mentioned were related to loneliness, when practitioners assumed an older person to be lonely, their assessment was rather correct. Practitioners and volunteers claimed to use a broad scale of interventions where loneliness was concerned. Their help varied from practical to psycho-geriatric care. Clients often did not recognize such help as being directed at their loneliness. We refer to this as 'latent' help. The effectiveness of interventions for loneliness can be enhanced by more openness in the helping situation. Moreover the success of interventions seemed to be thwarted by reluctance on the part of helpers to be more critical about their own behaviour. Improvement of social contacts is not the only way to help the alleviation of feelings of loneliness among the oldest old. Emphasizing the merits of nonsocial activities can be an additional way to help.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The relationship of self-disclosure, interpersonal dependency, and life changes to loneliness in young adults.

Using a sample of 209 volunteer students between the ages of 18 and 25 from an urban university, the relationships between self-disclosure, interpersonal dependency, life changes, and loneliness were studied. Respondents completed the Jourard 40-Item Self-Disclosure Questionnaire, the Interpersonal Dependency Inventory, the Recent Life Change Questionnaire, and the revised UCLA Loneliness Scale. Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients and multiple regression analysis were used to test the hypotheses. Hypotheses were supported predicting an inverse relationship between self-disclosure and loneliness (p less than .005) and a positive relationship between interpersonal dependency and loneliness (p less than .005). However, a positive relationship between life changes and loneliness was not supported. Data also supported the hypothesis that self-disclosure, interpersonal dependency, and life changes would account for greater variance in loneliness than any single variable alone (F(3,204 = 14.433), p less than .01). From a stepwise multiple regression analysis, self-disclosure and interpersonal dependency together accounted for 17.4 percent of the variance in loneliness. Implications for nursing practice are discussed with particular emphasis on potential strategies for preventing loneliness.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1990

Dimensions of loneliness.

Experiences of loneliness have been studied in 2795 Swedish inhabitants aged 15-80. Three different kinds of feelings of loneliness have been identified: intensity/quantity of loneliness, inner loneliness and positive loneliness. Contrary to common belief, the analysis shows that the intensity/quantity of loneliness is higher among young subjects whereas the degree of inner loneliness is slightly higher among older subjects. Both developmental experiences during childhood/adolescence and social conditions at present are correlated with the experience of loneliness in old people.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

Loneliness, dysphoria, dietary restraint, and eating behavior.

The study was designed to examine Herman and Polivy's restrained eating theory (Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 84, 666-672, 1975) using two different methods: situational-experimental and dispositional-correlational. Fifty-eight female college students were administered the revised UCLA Loneliness Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory (Short Form), and the Restraint scale. Subsequently, the students were subjected to either a neutral, sad, or loneliness mood induction and then ate cookies under the pretext of participating in a taste test. Consistent with expectation, dieters tended to consume more food in the loneliness than neutral mood condition, whereas nondieters displayed the opposite pattern. A comparable pattern was found in the relation between the revised UCLA Loneliness Scale and food consumption with respect to Restraint; the amount of food consumed increased as a function of loneliness for high restrained eaters, whereas the amount of food consumed decreased as a function of loneliness for low restrained eaters. There were no appreciable effects of the sad mood induction, nor prediction by dispositional depression, regarding the amount of food consumed as a function of dietary restraint. The findings were discussed with respect to the motivational role that loneliness may play in inhibiting and disinhibiting food consumption.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Personality, peer relations, and self-confidence as predictors of happiness and loneliness.

This study is set out to examine to what extent peer relations, self-confidence, and school performance correlated with self-rated happiness (OHI) and loneliness (UCLA LS) in adolescents. Personality traits (EPQ), self-confidence (PEI), friendship and school grades were all significantly oppositely correlated with happiness and loneliness. Regressional analysis revealed that extraversion and neuroticism were direct predictors of happiness and self-confidence, while psychoticism and extraversion were direct predictors of loneliness. The effect of sex on happiness and loneliness was moderated by friendship and neuroticism, and by neuroticism and psychoticism, respectively. Extraversion was also a significant predictor of general confidence and social interactions which directly influenced loneliness whilst psychoticism was a direct predictor of loneliness. Self-rated school performance was the only direct predictor of happiness whereas general confidence and social interactions were related to adolescents' self-reported loneliness.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Loneliness, fear, and quality of life among elderly in Sweden: a gender perspective.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The aim of this work was to study feelings of loneliness and fear among elderly people (75+) in a gender perspective, and to explore their causes. METHODS: A cross-sectional study (postal questionnaire) with a randomised and age-stratified sample (n = 4277) was used to study the variables of interest. Because the variables were compared between men and women, weighted values for means, standard deviations, and ratios were used. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify the causes of loneliness and fear. RESULTS: Findings showed that loneliness and fear were both more frequently reported by women than men. Loneliness was significantly associated with gender, marital status, living in special accommodation, fear, and need of help with activities of daily living (IADL). Fear was significantly associated with gender, number of children, having someone to trust, loneliness, and being in need of help with IADL. Those who reported loneliness and/or fear had significantly lower health-related quality of life than those who did not. Many of the elderly feared violence/crime, but only a few had been exposed to violence/crime. CONCLUSIONS: Loneliness and fear are common among elderly people. Both variables seem to be related to each other and were both found to be "threats" to a good life in old age. However, to minimize these "threats" and perhaps improve these people's quality of life, action can be taken in the care for elderly people such as involving the social network and reducing the need of help with IADL.

Aged↗

PubMed1990

Loneliness in veterans with AIDS and its relationship to the development of infections.

The purposes of this study were to examine loneliness in men with AIDS over a 6-month period and relate the extent of loneliness to the development of infections. Psychoneuroimmunology theory suggests that emotional distress alters immune response. It was believed that loneliness would increase vulnerability to infection. A convenience sample of 31 veterans participated in the study. Although there were no significant changes in loneliness over the 6-month period for the total sample, gay men had a significant increase (P greater than .03) in loneliness related to romantic sexual attachment. Despite an average of 3.4 infections over the 6-month period, there was no relationship between development of infection and loneliness. Factor analysis was performed for the demographic and study variables. The three factors identified from the study variables were loneliness, social support, and vitality.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMed2006

Loneliness in older persons: a theoretical model and empirical findings.

BACKGROUND: This study examines predictors of loneliness among low-income older adults through a framework named MODEL (Model of Depression and Loneliness), which we developed to address the need for a comprehensive and intervention-oriented theory of loneliness in old age. The framework is rooted in a cognitive-behavioral theory that conceptualizes behaviors as resulting from an interaction of cognitive processes and environmental events. METHODS: 161 residents of five independent-living buildings for low-income older adults in Maryland were interviewed individually. The assessments were based on the theoretical framework, MODEL, which describes the influences that environmental resources, health, and psychological factors have on loneliness and depression. RESULTS: MODEL explained a large percentage of the variance of both loneliness and depressed affect. Of all the barriers examined in the present study, our findings suggest that psychosocial factors/barriers have the strongest influence in the etiology of loneliness. CONCLUSION: In this population of low-income older persons, the importance of new contacts, mobility, and financial resources in predicting loneliness suggests that preventive social services should target these factors in developing opportunities for socialization.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2006

Loneliness as a specific risk factor for depressive symptoms: cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses.

The extent to which loneliness is a unique risk factor for depressive symptoms was determined in 2 population-based studies of middle-aged to older adults, and the possible causal influences between loneliness and depressive symptoms were examined longitudinally in the 2nd study. In Study 1, a nationally representative sample of persons aged 54 and older completed a telephone interview as part of a study of health and aging. Higher levels of loneliness were associated with more depressive symptoms, net of the effects of age, gender, ethnicity, education, income, marital status, social support, and perceived stress. In Study 2, detailed measures of loneliness, social support, perceived stress, hostility, and demographic characteristics were collected over a 3-year period from a population-based sample of adults ages 50-67 years from Cook County, Illinois. Loneliness was again associated with more depressive symptoms, net of demographic covariates, marital status, social support, hostility, and perceived stress. Latent variable growth models revealed reciprocal influences over time between loneliness and depressive symptomatology. These data suggest that loneliness and depressive symptomatology can act in a synergistic effect to diminish well-being in middle-aged and older adults.

Aged↗