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Results for “Loneliness”

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PubMed2002

Loneliness as expressed by schizophrenic patients in the early remission phase.

We examine the clinical and psychotherapeutic significance of the "emotion of depression," particularly "loneliness," focusing on the postpsychotic depression in one phase of the early remission phase and prolonged early remission phase according to the so-called "remission process theory" of schizophrenia (Nakai). We first present details of two cases representative among 30 patients who discussed "loneliness" with their chief therapist. Then, in the Discussion, we classify the expressions of "loneliness" into four modes, taking "loneliness as isolation open to the other." In this phase, the patient strongly seeks a "deeply significant other" as a "partner for even a little protection against loneliness," and the therapist often assumes this role. This role is extremely important to the patient's passage through the early remission phase. We stress that the presence of this "partner for even a little protection against loneliness" is of great significance for the problems of subsequent progress or stagnation in the remission process, and the issue of ongoing deterioration as well.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

[Suicide probability: an assessment terms of reasons for living, hopelessness and loneliness].

PURPOSE: The purpose of the current study is to specify the reasons that hold people clinging to life; to investigate their suicide probability, and to describe the relationship of these variables with other variables such as hopelessness and loneliness, taking age, education and other socioeconomic variables into consideration. METHOD: The subjects were 683, randomly chosen adolescents and adults between the ages of 15-65, residing in Ankara and Izmir. The assessment instruments were Reasons for Living Inventory, Suicide Probability Scale, UCLA Loneliness Scale, and Beck Hopelessness Scale. The data were analyzed using the SPSS for Windows 10.00. RESULTS: The analyses revealed that the group aged between 15-25 years reported fewer reasons for living, higher suicide probability, more hopelessness and loneliness, compared to older ages. Moreover, women reported more reasons for living, along with less loneliness and hopelessness. The regression analyses pointed out that age, education level, hopelessness, loneliness and reasons for living are predictive variables for suicide probability. CONCLUSION: As it was previously reported the current study also revealed that age is an important variable to be taken into consideration when suicide probability is being determined. In addition, was also found to be an important variable, at least for this Country. In parallel with the results of the studies in the relevant literature, reasons for living, hopelessness, and loneliness were found to be significant predictors of suicide probability.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1986

Loneliness among adolescent college students at a midwestern university.

The extent of loneliness of late adolescents in a midwestern university was studied in relation to selected variables and in comparison to other groups. It was found that women were lonelier than men, and that there was a relationship between loneliness and ease of making friends and loneliness and happiness during the past year. A difference also was found in loneliness scores among those with self-perceptions of loneliness. These adolescents were the sixth most lonely group out of thirteen previously studied groups.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1983

Adolescent loneliness.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the phenomenon of loneliness in delinquent adolescents with regard to types of delinquency offenses committed, demographic characteristics, and personality characteristics in the areas of interpersonal needs for inclusion, control, and affection. The types of delinquency offenses were categorized as burglary, runaway, drugs, assault, and incorrigible. The demographic variables examined were age, sex, race, family rank or birth order, family structure in terms of parental presence, family income level, religion, and geographic locale. A sample of 98 adolescents was obtained from juvenile detention facilities in three metropolitan areas in the United States. Subjects ranged in age from 12 to 18. Subjects were asked to complete the Loneliness Questionnaire as a self-reported measure of loneliness. Subjects also provided information about themselves relative to demographic characteristics and completed the FIRO-B Questionnaire, which measured interpersonal needs for inclusion, control, and affection. The results revealed no significant differences with regard to any of the demographic variables when the effect of each was considered alone. However, there was a significant effect on loneliness by income when considered jointly with other demographic variables. Adolescents from the middle income group expressed more loneliness than those from the upper and lower income groups. No significant differences were observed with regard to personality characteristics related to interpersonal needs for inclusion and affection, but delinquent adolescents with medium to high needs for control indicated significantly more feelings of loneliness than delinquent adolescents with low needs for control.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1993

Correlates of loneliness among midwestern adolescents.

The extent of loneliness among midwestern adolescents was investigated in relation to depression, self-esteem, family strengths, parent-adolescent communication, age, and gender. The study sample consisted of 156 adolescents, ranging in age from 11 to 18 years, who were attending public schools in four midwestern communities. It was found that the subjects had high loneliness scores, and that older adolescents were lonelier than younger adolescents. There was a significant relationship between loneliness and depression. Loneliness was negatively related to self-esteem, family strengths, and mother-adolescent communication. The implications of these results for delineating the underlying dimensions of loneliness in adolescents are discussed.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Associations between loneliness, depressive symptoms and perceived togetherness in older people.

This study explores the associations of loneliness with depressive symptoms in a five-year follow-up and describes how the six dimensions of perceived togetherness explain loneliness and depressive symptoms at baseline. The data were collected on 207 residents of Jyväskylä, central Finland, who at baseline in 1990 were aged 80; and 133 residents who at follow-up in 1995 were aged 85. Loneliness was assessed using a questionnaire item with four preset response options, perceived togetherness using the Social Provisions Scale, and depressive symptoms using the CES-D scale. A recursive structural equation model showed that in women but not in men, depressive symptoms predicted more experiences of loneliness. Those who were lonely were more depressed (CES-D score 16 or over) and experienced less togetherness than those who were not. Loneliness was explained by reliable alliance, social integration and attachment; and depressive symptoms were explained by guidance, reassurance of worth, reliable alliance and attachment. A common feature in both loneliness and depressive symptoms was a lower level of perceived emotional togetherness in social interaction.

Aged↗

PubMed1997

Loneliness and sexual risk behavior in gay men.

This study examined loneliness in a sample of gay men and its association with unprotected anal intercourse, social support, instability of self-esteem, intimacy, and coping. A sample of 470 urban gay men completed a self-administered questionnaire. Participants scored high on Loneliness in comparison to other samples. Measures of Intimacy, Social Support, Instability of Self-esteem, monogamous relationship status, and use of Avoidance Coping predicted 58.5% of the variance in Loneliness scores. Both social and psychological variables appear to be important for understanding loneliness in this population. Men who had unprotected anal intercourse with nonprimary partners during the previous six months scored higher on Loneliness than other participants, but those who did so with primary partners scored the lowest. Episodes of unprotected anal intercourse with nonprimary partners might have been Avoidance strategies to help participants cope with loneliness or or other negative affect.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

[The relationships among loneliness, social support, and family function in elderly Korean].

PURPOSE: To examine the relationships among loneliness, social support, and family function in elderly Korean. METHOD: The sample for this study were 290 elderly Korean who were at least 60 years of age. Data were collected by interview using the translated Korean versions of the Revised University of California Los Angels Loneliness Scale(RULS), Family APGAR, and Social Support Questionnaire 6. RESULT: Subjects were moderately lonely and had moderately functional families. Means for social support were 1.42 for network size and 4.09 for satisfaction. Subjects who lived with their spouses had a larger number of network members than who did not live with spouses. However, living with spouses was not associated with social support satisfaction. The level of loneliness was related negatively to the level of social support network, social support satisfaction and family function in this study. Social support satisfaction and Family function were the significant predictor of loneliness. CONCLUSION: The number of social supporter and satisfaction and family function should be considered in nursing intervention to decrease the level of loneliness in older adults. Further studies and efforts will be needed to reduce the level of loneliness in older adults.

English Abstract↗

PubMed2002

The Existential Loneliness Questionnaire: background, development, and preliminary findings.

We described the background and the development of a new measure of existential loneliness, the Existential Loneliness Questionnaire (ELQ). Specifically, we analyzed the items of the preliminary version of the ELQ (ELQ-P) using methods based on item response theory (the Rasch model) and examined the convergent and discriminative validity of the ELQ in a sample of 47 HIV-infected women. Item analysis produced an ELQ version consisting of 22 items that were internally consistent and performed well in measuring an underlying construct conceptualized as existential loneliness. In addition, the ELQ discriminated well between symptomatic and asymptomatic HIV-infected women. The ELQ correlated strongly with measures of depression, loneliness not identified as existential and purpose-in-life and moderately strongly with a measure of hopelessness. Holding constant depression scores, the correlation between the ELQ and loneliness not identified as existential was significantly attenuated. Limitations of the study include the small sample size, which precluded an analysis of the dimensional structure of the ELQ.

Adult↗

PubMed1985

Stress, loneliness, and changes in herpesvirus latency.

This study used a prospective design to examine the influence of examination stress and loneliness on herpesvirus latency as measured by changes in antibody levels to three herpesviruses, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), Herpes simplex type I (HSV-1), and cytomegalovirus (CMV). Three blood samples were obtained from 49 first-year medical students, with the first sample drawn 1 month before final examinations, the second on the first day of final examinations, and the third during the first week after their return from summer vacation. A median split on the UCLA Loneliness Scale divided subjects into high- and low-scoring loneliness groups. There were significant changes in the antibody titers to all three herpesviruses across the sample points, with the lowest levels found in the third (low stress) sample. High-loneliness subjects had significantly higher EBV antibody titers than low-loneliness subjects. These data suggest that stress-related immunosuppression can significantly modulate herpesvirus latency.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

Loneliness and social support of mothers of chronically ill children.

To address the problem of loneliness and social support in mothers of chronically ill children, we interviewed 90 mothers, among them 33 whose children suffered from a chronic life-threatening disease and 57 whose children had a chronic illness. In addition, we conducted home interviews with a control group of 92 mothers of healthy children. In responding to questions on the revised UCLA Loneliness Scale and the Norbeck Social Support Questionnaire, the mothers of children with either chronic life-threatening or chronic illness revealed higher loneliness than the mothers of healthy children. Larger social networks and perceived greater support was reported by mothers whose children had a chronic life-threatening disease. In this group, no significant relationship was found between the variables of loneliness and social support; whereas, in the group with chronically ill children, and in the controls, a significant inverse relationship between the two variables was noted. Mothers of children with chronic life-threatening diseases may become subject to higher existential loneliness.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed2003

Loneliness and depression in spousal caregivers of those with Alzheimer's disease versus non-caregiving spouses.

Loneliness as a factor in the development of depression in Alzheimer's disease (AD) spousal caregivers has been given little attention. In this sample, 49 AD caregiving spouses reported significantly higher levels of loneliness and depression than did 52 non-caregiving spouses. AD caregiving wives reported greater loss of self and significantly higher levels of loneliness and depression than did AD caregiving husbands. Loneliness was the only predictive variable for AD caregiver depression, explaining 49% of the total variance. To meet the mental health needs of AD caregiving spouses, loneliness must be addressed along with the development of nursing interventions.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMed1982

Loneliness and social skill deficits.

The relationship between social skill deficits and the psychological state of loneliness was examined in two studies. Study 1 compared conversational behaviors of high-lonely and low-lonely college students during brief heterosexual interactions. Results indicated that the two loneliness groups differed significantly in their use of a specific class of conversational behaviors termed partner attention, with high-lonely as compared to low-lonely subjects giving less attention to their partners. Study 2 examined the casual relationship between social skill and loneliness by directly manipulating the use of partner attention in a group of high-lonely males. For that group, increased use of partner attention during dyadic interactions resulted in significantly greater change in loneliness and related variables relative to interaction only and no-contact control groups. The utility of conceptualizing loneliness as a social skills problem is discussed.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

Loneliness and nursing home admission among rural older adults.

In this study, the authors tested the relation between loneliness and subsequent admission to a nursing home over a 4-year time period in a sample of approximately 3,000 rural older Iowans. Higher levels of loneliness were found to increase the likelihood of nursing home admission and to decrease the time until nursing home admission. The influence of extremely high loneliness on nursing home admission remained statistically significant after controlling for other variables, such as age, education, income, mental status, physical health, morale, and social contact, that were also predictive of nursing home admission. Several mechanisms are proposed to explain the link between extreme loneliness and nursing home admission. These include loneliness as a precipitant of declines in mental and physical health and nursing home placement as a strategy to gain social contact with others. Implications for preventative interventions are discussed.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed2000

Psychosocial concomitants of loneliness among students of Cape Verde and Portugal.

This research is an examination of the relationship between loneliness and a number of psychosocial variables (e.g., affective state, cultural issues, gender, age) among adolescents and young adults from Cape Verde and Portugal. Two studies are presented. The participants in the first study were 285 adolescents from Cape Verde and 202 from Portugal, and in the second study there were 134 college students from Cape Verde and 112 from Portugal. The following instruments were administered to all the participants in both studies: The Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale (D. Russell, L. Peplau, & C. Cutrona, 1980), the Neuroticism Scale (J. Barros, 1999), the Optimism Scale (J. Barros, 1998), the Social Anxiety subscale (A. Fenigstein, M. Scheier, & A. Buss, 1975), and the Satisfaction With Life Scale (E. Diener, R. Emmons, R. Larsen, & S. Griffin, 1985). No ethnic or gender differences were found for loneliness between the two groups. For both groups, the most prominent predictors of loneliness were neuroticism and dissatisfaction with life. However, as expected, the adolescent group recorded higher scores for loneliness than did the college students.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Predictors of loneliness among students and nuns in Angola and Portugal.

The authors conducted 2 studies to examine the relationship between loneliness and psychosocial variables among people from Angola and Portugal. In the 1st study, the participants were 129 college students from Angola and 122 from Portugal, and in the 2nd study participants were 105 nuns from Angola and 74 from Portugal. The following instruments were administered to all participants in both studies: the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale (D. Russell, L. Peplau, & C. Cutrona, 1980), the Neuroticism Scale (J. Barros, 1999), the Optimism Scale (J. Barros, 1998), and the Satisfaction With Life Scale (E. Diener, R. Emmons, R. Larsen, & S. Griffin, 1985). Ethnic differences were found in loneliness. The Angolan participants recorded higher scores for loneliness than did the Portuguese participants. For both samples the most prominent predictors of loneliness were neuroticism and dissatisfaction with life.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

Social strategies and loneliness.

Although substantial research has been done on loneliness, in only a few studies has the extent of its association with the cognitive and attributional strategies people apply in social situations been investigated. Two studies were carried out among Finnish students to examine this association. In Study 1, 70 men and 202 women filled in the Cartoon-Attribution-Strategy Test (CAST) and Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale (RSE), then 1 year later, the revised UCLA Loneliness Scale. In Study 2, 25 men and 35 women filled in the CAST and the RSE, then 4 months later, the UCLA Loneliness Scale. In both studies, a pessimistic avoidance strategy was associated with subsequent feelings of loneliness, even after controls for the level of self-esteem. Both an optimistic planning strategy and a self-serving attributional bias were negatively associated with feelings of loneliness among men but not among women.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Psychological distress, loneliness and disability in old age.

With the growth in the number of older people, an increase of mental health problems might be expected. Reducing the amount of suffering and dependence due to poor mental health in old age is a priority requiring a good understanding of the determinants of psychological distress. The objectives were: (a) to measure the prevalence of psychological distress and loneliness in old men and women, living in the community, (b) to clarify the association between psychological distress, health and other explanatory variables and (c) to determine relationship between loneliness and psychological distress. We performed a cross-sectional study of 999 people aged 65+. The variables studied were psychological distress (GHQ-12) and self-reported loneliness. The prevalence of psychological distress was 20%. Illness and disability are related to psychological distress in old age; the feeling of loneliness is the single most important predictor of psychological distress, and not knowing neighbours increases the probability of depression. Attempts to improve detection and management of psychological distress in sick older people, in those who appear isolated and express loneliness should be evaluated.

Age Factors↗