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PubMed1991

Loneliness and psychological distress.

Research on relationships between loneliness and psychological symptoms has generally shown significant positive associations across a wide spectrum of psychopathologies. However, such results may be artificial, to some extent, given the high intercorrelations of typical psychopathology measures. In the current study, we examined associations between psychological symptoms, assessed by the Symptom Check List-90 (SCL-90; Derogatis, Lipman, & Covi, 1973) and loneliness, as measured by the UCLA-R Loneliness Scale (Russell, Peplau, & Cutrona, 1980), in college students. Using partial correlations to control for the confounding influence of generalized distress, relationships between loneliness and individual dimensions of distress were examined. Results indicate a significant association between loneliness and interpersonal sensitivity (low self-esteem) and depression. Other dimensions of distress were not significantly related to loneliness. In addition, no sex differences in patterns of association were observed. Results support the notion that self-blame and self-devaluation are strong correlates of loneliness.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1997

Loneliness and the effects of life changes.

In this study, factor analysis was used to examine whether men and women experience loneliness differently and how marital status affects the experience of loneliness (especially if the marriage is terminated). The experiences of chronic and situational or event-related loneliness are also compared. Finally, the study is also an investigation of the social stigma that causes people to refuse to admit their loneliness. As a result of this stigma, when questioned for research purposes, individuals usually report a recall past loneliness rather than a current or ongoing experience. In the present study, the difference between loneliness recalled and loneliness experienced at the time of questioning is investigated.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The process of loneliness for female adolescents: a feminist perspective.

Although it has not been established that females are lonelier than males, adolescents are particularly vulnerable to loneliness. A feminist, grounded-theory study was conducted to explore the everyday loneliness experiences of 10 white, middle-class females living in an urban/suburban area in New Brunswick, Canada. Creating Connections, the core variable, emerged as the social process involved as the young women learned to deal with loneliness. The complexity of the phenomenon is evident in the fact that various combinations of disconnecting factors and intervening factors were found to influence the dimensions of loneliness (i.e., intensity and duration). The interaction of these factors and various strategies used to manage loneliness--creating connections, emoting, and creating actions--completed the nonlinear process. A significant, yet paradoxical, finding was that the relationships that were helpful in the resolution of loneliness could also be responsible for its creation and maintenance.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2003

Loneliness, health and depression in older males.

Loneliness and social isolation, particularly in the older adult, have been shown to influence psychosocial well-being. Loneliness has been related to chronic illness and self-rated health in older adults, and researchers suggest there is an important relationship between loneliness and psychological well-being in older adults particularly in the area of depression. This study investigated relationships between loneliness, health, and depression in 217 older men (> 65 years). Participants completed self-report measures of loneliness, social support, depression, and physical health. Regression analysis showed that a diagnosis of illness or disability was unrelated to depression, however self-reported health was associated with depression, with those reporting poorer health experiencing greater depression. Social support variables were unrelated to depression. The most significant relationship to depression was that of loneliness, with lonelier men reporting higher scores on the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Although research suggests that depression is often a response to declining health and functional impairment in the older adult, the present findings suggest that social isolation may also influence the experience of depression. Age-related losses such as loss of professional identity, physical mobility and the inevitable loss of family and friends can affect a person's ability to maintain relationships and independence, which in turn may lead to a higher incidence of depressive symptoms.

Aged↗

PubMed1999

Changes in and factors related to loneliness in older men. The Zutphen Elderly Study.

AIM: To investigate (i) whether loneliness increases in old age, and if so, whether it relates to ageing itself, to time trends or to cohort effects and (ii) the relationship between changes in institutionalization, partner status and health and loneliness. METHODS: 939 men born between 1900 and 1920 completed the De Jong-Gierveld Loneliness Scale, and answered questions about their partner status, health and institutionalization in 1985, 1990 and 1995. RESULTS: For the oldest group (born between 1900 and 1910) loneliness scores increased, but not for the younger groups. The increase in loneliness was attributable to ageing. No birth cohort or time effects were found. Loneliness was related to changes in institutionalization, partner status and subjective health but not to limitations in activities of daily living or cognitive function. CONCLUSIONS: the increased loneliness experienced by very old men is influenced by loss of a partner, moving into a care home or not feeling healthy.

Aged↗

PubMed2005

Loneliness as a predictor of quality of life among older caregivers.

AIM: This paper reports a study investigating quality of life in relation to loneliness, caregiving, social network, gender, age and economic status among caregiving men and women in a population-based sample aged 75 years or older. BACKGROUND: Because of demographic changes, in the future more care for older people will be given by informal caregivers who are themselves older. Being old and caring for another older person may affect various aspects of life, such as physical and emotional health and decreased time for respite, which may affect social life and quality of life. METHOD: A postal questionnaire including the Short Form Health Survey was used. The sample consisted of 4278 people, aged 75 years and over, living in Sweden. Of these, 783 (18%) were caregivers. FINDINGS: Caregivers had a larger social network and reported feelings of loneliness less often than non-caregivers. Forty per cent of caregivers helped every day. There were gender differences in experiences of loneliness during the last year, with the frequency of intense feelings of loneliness being higher among women. Loneliness and a small or non-existent network were significantly associated with low quality of life among caregivers, as well as in the total sample. The results showed significant association between loneliness, weak social network and low mental quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: The fact that loneliness was the most important factor predicting low quality of life among caregivers, as well as older people in general, indicates that it is crucial in the care of older people. From a nursing perspective, the findings indicate the advantage of helping older people to keep up and develop their social networks. Nursing care should involve steps to maintain the social network before an older person becomes too weak, since decreased health status makes social contacts more difficult.

Aged↗

PubMed2006

The experiences of loneliness, depression, and social support of Turkish patients with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis and their caregivers.

AIM: The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between loneliness, depression and social support of Turkish patients with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis and their caregivers. BACKGROUND: By altering the lifestyle of the patient and family or caregiver, chronic illness and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis can create loneliness and depression. Perceived social support may facilitate coping with illness. DESIGN: Descriptive correlational design was used. METHODS: Data were collected by using the UCLA loneliness scale, the Beck's depression scale and the perceived social support from family and friends scales and demographic data form. RESULTS: A total of 130 subjects including 65 patients with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis and 65 caregivers took part in this study. The mean ages of the patients and caregivers were similar (44.69 +/- 17.22 and 43.90 +/- 8.52 years respectively). Scores of loneliness and depression were below cut-off scores in both groups. However, scores of the loneliness of patients were higher than that of the caregivers. Perceived social support from family and friend were above cut-off scores in both groups and it was different for patients and caregivers. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that Turkish patients with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis and their caregivers did not experience loneliness and depression. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Results of the study suggest that the nurses need to be aware of patients' and caregivers' psychological reactions to continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis, which may be expressed in feelings of loneliness and depression, and employ social support resources for patients with peritoneal dialysis and caregivers to cope with their illness and to adapt lifestyle changes.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The loneliness level of patients with gynecological cancer.

The purpose of this descriptive study was to determine the loneliness levels and the variables that have an effect on the loneliness of women with a gynecological cancer diagnosis. The main questions that the study addressed were as follows: (1) What is the loneliness level of patients with gynecological cancer? and (2) What kind of relationships are there between general demographic characteristics of patients with gynecological cancer and their loneliness? This descriptive study was conducted at Ege University, Faculty of Medicine, Application and Investigation Hospital, Maternity and Women Diseases Gynecology Clinic, from July to December 2002. Maternity and Women Diseases Clinic Oncology Service treated 161 patients during this time period. While all patients hospitalized between the specified dates constituted the universe of the investigation; the actual sample was 94 patients. As data collection tools, a questionnaire form, which aimed at identifying sociodemographic characteristics of patients and the features related to their diseases relevant to the literature and the UCLA-loneliness scale were used. The general loneliness mean score of women with gynecological cancer was 35.85 +/- 9.302. Women's mean scores of loneliness were affected by whether psychologic support was needed, genital organ diseases were treated, or a family member had a gynecological operation, and by the income situation. The disease of cancer, which creates the most fear and anxiety in the community, has adverse psychologic effects on both the patient and the family. In societies where men dominate, as is the case in our society, women's place in the society has been reduced to their reproductive capacity, and thus, the health of their genital organs is very important.

Demography↗

PubMed2002

Loneliness, lack of emotional support, lack of companionship, and the likelihood of having a heart condition in an elderly sample.

Social isolation has been linked to a variety of adverse health outcomes, including cardiovascular disease. Researchers have attributed this association to the feelings of loneliness that accompany social isolation, but they have rarely assessed loneliness directly. In a sample of 180 older adults, feelings of loneliness and two kinds of social deficits that underlie loneliness--limited emotional support and limited companionship--were examined in relation to the likelihood of having a coronary condition. Potential physiological, behavioral, and affective mediators were examined as well. Greater loneliness was found to be associated with an increased probability of having a coronary condition, as were low levels of both emotional support and companionship. Mediators of these links were not identified, however, in this sample. These results underscore the value of examining the specific social deficits that underlie loneliness in investigations of the relation between loneliness and cardiovascular health in later life.

Affect↗

PubMed2002

Comparing measures of childhood loneliness: internal consistency and confirmatory factor analysis.

Compared 6 self-rating measures of loneliness and associated phenomena, designed for use with elementary-school children. Three samples of children in Grades 5 and 6 (total N = 758) completed various combinations of these instruments. In terms of internal consistency, the Children's Loneliness Scale (CLS) and the peer-related loneliness subscale of the Loneliness and Aloneness Scale for Children and Adolescents (LACA) were most reliable. Substantial support was obtained for the convergent validity of the measures. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on 2 samples and exploratory factor analysis on a third sample indicated that the 13 scales and derivative subscales of the 6 measures tapped 4 different but interrelated latent constructs: peer-related loneliness, family-related loneliness (in some cases restricted to parent-related loneliness), negative attitude toward being alone, and positive attitude toward being alone. Recommendations are offered for conditions under which each scale may be useful. Limitations of this study are discussed and suggestions for future research are offered.

Child↗

PubMed2004

Old age and loneliness: cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses in the Tampere Longitudinal Study on Aging.

The purpose of this study was to examine whether older age is associated with increasing loneliness in people aged 60 and over. Data came from TamELSA, a population-based prospective longitudinal study in Tampere, Finland. The follow-up time was 20 years. Loneliness was measured by a single question--"Do you feel lonely?"--with the possible answers often, sometimes, or never. Cross-sectional analysis showed that the percentage of subjects feeling lonely increased toward older age groups, but in a multivariate analysis, only household composition and social participation were independently associated with loneliness. Longitudinal analysis showed that loneliness increased with higher age. Over a 10-year period, loneliness increased most in those who, at baseline, were married and living alone with their spouse. In conclusion, only a minority of older people continuously suffer from loneliness. Loneliness does increase with age, not because of age per se, but because of increasing disability and decreasing social integration.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2004

Changes in levels of social isolation and loneliness among older people in a rural area: a twenty-year longitudinal study.

The Bangor Longitudinal Study of Ageing (BLSA), conducted in rural Wales from 1979 to 1999, followed a cohort of survivors from more than 500 people over 20 years. Using both quantitative and qualitative data from the study, the factors associated with increases and decreases in loneliness and social isolation were identified. The study was based on a population sample and survivors were followed up every 4 years. From 1983 to 1987, 30 people aged 75 and over in 1979 were studied intensively. The customary measure of loneliness was used, as well as an aggregate measure devised by the research team. Social isolation was similarly measured, using an aggregate measure. Respondents were assessed as demonstrating low, moderate, or high levels of loneliness or isolation. Subsequently, statistical models of loneliness and social isolation were developed. Some respondents were assessed as not experiencing social isolation or loneliness during the study. Others showed changes in levels. In this article, the data are explored, seeking factors associated with changes in social isolation and loneliness. Outcome measures of these two variables of interest are compared with items from the aggregate measures and other identifiable intervening variables. The article discusses which change variables contribute most to levels of isolation and loneliness and result in different combinations of these two outcomes. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

Aged↗

PubMed1978

Notes on loneliness.

Loneliness in this article is discussed in order to make it more discernable. Psychoanalytic literature has been surveyed relevant to loneliness and related issues. Noted is the importance of individualism in America, citing Thoreau as a model for individualism. Edgar Allan Poe's story "The Man of the Crowd" is discussed to illustrate desperate loneliness. The topic of loneliness connects to issues of empathy, loneliness in treatment, the countertransference response to loneliness, the study of self experience, and the problems created by the use of the term identity. The historical perspective indicates how we are time bound to the vocabulary, theories, ideas and myths of our era, to which, in our loneliness, we cling.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Loneliness in low-vision older women.

The purpose of this analysis was to identify predictors of loneliness in women 75 years of age and older with low vision. The sample of 56 women was derived from a larger study of low-vision adults. Women's loneliness, optimism, social support, living arrangement, vision, and perceived health were examined using the revised University of California, Los Angeles, Loneliness Scale, the Life Orientation Test, the Social Support Questionnaire, and a demographic questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, multiple regressions, and t-tests. Optimism and social support satisfaction were found to predict degree of loneliness in the sample. Women who were less optimistic and less satisfied with their social support system experienced higher levels of loneliness. Duration of visual impairment was associated with duration of loneliness. The findings provide nurses with information for identifying low-vision older women who are at risk for loneliness.

Aged↗

PubMed2004

Morality as a predictor of loneliness: a cross-cultural study.

Loneliness is currently regarded as one of the most common and prevalent problems experienced by adolescents, and it is also observed as a painful, unpleasant and negative experience. South African adolescents also have to face and cope with this predicament daily. The main objective of this study was to establish the perception of adolescents of different cultures regarding loneliness and morality and to investigate the relationship between them. It was also determined which of the independent variables, namely morality, gender, age, mother tongue and ethnicity, contributed significantly to the prediction of loneliness. A total of 714 adolescents from three different secondary schools in the greater Bloemfontein area between the ages of 13 and 17 were selected. Adolescents were used because they are increasingly being confronted with moral issues and because loneliness occurs more commonly during adolescence. The focus was on three ethnic groups, namely Coloured, black and white. Three different questionnaires, namely the Le Roux Loneliness Scale, the Morally Debatable Behaviours Scale and a biographical questionnaire were completed to obtain the necessary data. A significant inverse correlation between loneliness and morality was determined, while morality was identified as the best predictor of loneliness.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

[The relationships between the elderly loneliness and its factors of personal attributes, perceived health status and social support].

The purpose of this study were to investigate the level of loneliness in elderly people and to explore relationships between loneliness and personal attributes, perceived health status and social support. Purposive sampling was used to recruit clients over 65 years of age from an outpatient department of the Municipal hospital and a senior citizen center in Kaohsiung city, and totaled 120 elderly people had participated in this study. Data were collected by a structured questionnaire which included the UCLA Loneliness Scale, Perceived Health Status Scale, and Social Support Scale. The results revealed the following: 1. The mean score was 38.4 (SD 9.6); level of loneliness in elderly people was moderate, and people who were male, uneducated, unsatisfied with living circumstance, unsatisfied with economic situation, and not attending social groups were more likely to have higher scores of loneliness. 2. There was a significantly negative correlation between perceived health status, mental health, health satisfaction, social support, supportive satisfaction and loneliness. 3. The results of multiple regression found that family interactions, attending social groups and supportive satisfaction were the significant predicting variables of loneliness, and "supportive satisfaction" was the most powerful predictor. Results generated from this study may act as references for mental health care for elderly people.

Aged↗

PubMed2006

[Mobile-phone e-mail use, social networks, and loneliness among Japanese high school students].

PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were to assess the loneliness of Japanese high school students who own and use a mobile phone, to clarify the relationships between students' loneliness and their social network and frequency of use of e-mail feature, and to demonstrate relationships with a student's social network and recognition of the benefits and drawbacks of mobile phone use. METHOD: The participants were 227 students from two classes in each grade of a high school in the Kanto region of Japan. Participants answered a questionnaire covering the UCLA Loneliness Scale as well as questions pertaining to the circumstances of use of their mobile phones, their social networks (e.g., number of friends), and their perceptions of the benefits and drawbacks of mobile phone use. The questionnaires of students owning a mobile phone were analyzed. Total scores for the UCLA Loneliness Scale were calculated, and factor analysis was performed for the benefits and drawbacks. RESULT: A total of 220 questionnaires were returned, for which 94.1 percent of respondents owned a mobile phone. The percentages of male and female respondents were 58% and 42%. Chronbach's alpha for the UCLA Loneliness Scale (total score) was 0.87, a result similar to previous studies with high school and university students. Factor analysis revealed five factors associated with the benefits and drawbacks of mobile phone use. Multiple-regression analysis showed that 42.9% of the variance in "frequency of e-mail use" was explained by grade level, frequency of mobile phone use, and two of the five factors from the benefits and drawbacks ("difficulty of communication," and "possible sleep loss due to nighttime e-mailing"). Stepwise multiple-regression analysis revealed that 24.4% of the variance in UCLA Loneliness Score was explained by gender, the frequency of e-mail use, the number of friends and the presence/absence of a girlfriend or boyfriend. CONCLUSION: Presence of an active social network and frequent e-mailing by mobile phone reduced students' loneliness. The frequency depended on their recognition of the benefits and drawbacks of mobile phone use and by the frequency of mobile phone use. This study established that students appreciate the usefulness of their mobile phone as an immediate communication tool, and are aware of its limitations. Although they experience frustration and lack of sleep (because of nighttime use), students use mobile phones to deepen their friendships.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1992

Assessment of loneliness at school among children with mild mental retardation.

This study was designed to determine whether children with mild mental retardation understand the concept of loneliness, whether their feelings of loneliness at school can be reliably assessed, and whether there are differences in loneliness between children with and without mental retardation. Results from a sample of 62 students with mild mental retardation and 62 students without retardation, ages 8 through 13, indicated that (a) high percentages of both groups understood what loneliness means, (b) a loneliness questionnaire yielded satisfactory internal reliability with both groups, and (c) boys but not girls with mental retardation reported significantly more loneliness than did children without mental retardation. Suggestions were made for future research on loneliness in school settings.

Adolescent↗