Childhood loneliness as a predictor of adolescent depressive symptoms: an 8-year longitudinal study

Childhood loneliness is characterised by children’s perceived dissatisfaction with aspects of their social relationships. This 8-year prospective study investigates whether loneliness in childhood predicts depressive symptoms in adolescence, controlling for early childhood indicators of emotional problems and a sociometric measure of peer social preference. 296 children were tested in the infant years of primary school (T1 5 years of age), in the upper primary school (T2 9 years of age) and in secondary school (T3 13 years of age). At T1, children completed the loneliness assessment and sociometric interview. Their teachers completed externalisation and internalisation rating scales for each child. At T2, children completed a loneliness assessment, a measure of depressive symptoms, and the sociometric interview. At T3, children completed the depressive symptom assessment. An SEM analysis showed that depressive symptoms in early adolescence (age 13) were predicted by reports of depressive symptoms at age 8, which were themselves predicted by internalisation in the infant school (5 years). The interactive effect of loneliness at 5 and 9, indicative of prolonged loneliness in childhood, also predicted depressive symptoms at age 13. Parent and peer-related loneliness at age 5 and 9, peer acceptance variables, and duration of parent loneliness did not predict depression. Our results suggest that enduring peer-related loneliness during childhood constitutes an interpersonal stressor that predisposes children to adolescent depressive symptoms. Possible mediators are discussed

Predictors of and changes in older adult loneliness in New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

Objectives: Despite increasing numbers of longitudinal studies addressing loneliness in recent years, the ways in which variables influence changes in loneliness over time are not well understood. The aim of this study is to explore how levels of reported loneliness change over time in a sample of older adult New Zealanders. Method: This study utilises longitudinal data collected for the Health, Work and Retirement Study (HWR) study. Data were collected in 2010, 2012, and 2014 via postal survey. All analyses were conducted with respondents who participated in at least two of the three data waves (N= 2,839). Participants were aged 48 to 85 in 2010. Results: Males were more likely to be lonely, as were those with higher depression scores. High SES, social support, Māori ethnicity, older age and good health were related to lower loneliness levels. Multi-level modelling was used to examine the relationship of predictors to loneliness and changes in loneliness over time. There was a slight reduction in loneliness over time on average, however this decrease was less pronounced for those with higher levels of depression and higher social support. Individuals with activity limitations increased in loneliness over time. An increase in depression over time was related to higher loneliness scores, whereas increases in SES and social support resulted in lower levels of loneliness. Conclusions: Findings are discussed in relation to a model of the development and maintenance of loneliness in older adults. Implications for addressing loneliness in this group will be highlighted

Does owning a pet protect older people against loneliness?

This article has been made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund.Pet ownership is thought to make a positive contribution to health, health behaviours and the general well-being of older people. More specifically pet ownership is often proposed as a solution to the problem of loneliness in later life and specific 'pet based' interventions have been developed to combat loneliness. However the evidence to support this relationship is slim and it is assumed that pet ownership is a protection against loneliness rather than a response to loneliness. The aim of this paper is to examine the association between pet ownership and loneliness by exploring if pet ownership is a response to, or protection against, loneliness using Waves 0-5 from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA)

Loneliness: A Concept Analysis

TOPIC. Loneliness is a universal human experience recognized since the dawn of time, yet it is unique for every individual. Loneliness can lead to both depression and low self‐esteem. PURPOSE. This article explicates the concept of loneliness through the examination of its conceptual definition and uses, defining attributes, related concepts, and empirical referents. SOURCES OF INFORMATION. Literature review using hand search and database were used as sources of information. CONCLUSION. Because loneliness is commonly encountered in nursing situations, the information provided will serve as a framework for assessment, planning, intervention, and evaluation of clients

Assessing Loneliness and Other Types of Emotional Distress among Practicing Physicians

Introduction. Loneliness has been linked to clinician burnout and other types of emotional distress. Research assessing the prevalence of loneliness among physicians is growing. Little is known, however, about how loneliness relates to other types of emotional distress among practicing physicians. The objectives of the study were to determine the prevalence of loneliness, and to explore the relationship between loneliness, burnout, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation among active member physicians of the Medical Society of Sedgwick County (MSSC). Methods. The study involved a convenience sample of 197 practicing physicians who were active members of the MSSC. The 3-item University of California, Los Angeles Loneliness Scale, the Abbreviated Maslach Burnout Inventory, and 2-item Primary Care Evaluation of Mental Disorders Patient Health Questionnaire were used to measure prevalence of loneliness, manifestations of burnout, and symptoms of depression, respectively. Results. Using an email survey, 442 practicing physicians received an invitation to participate; 197 (44%) completed the survey. The prevalence of loneliness was 43%. Loneliness prevalence was associated positively with age (p = 0.017) and more likely in those who reported manifestations of burnout (p < 0.01) or screened positive for depression (p < 0.01). Depression (OR = 2.24; 95% CI, 0.97-5.19) and emotional exhaustion (OR = 1.05; 95% CI, 0.39-2.84) were significantly associated with loneliness, including when adjusted for participants’ sex, age, and duty hours. Conclusion. Loneliness is prevalent among active member physicians of the Medical Society of Sedgwick County. Given that loneliness is associated with burnout and other emotional distress, there is an important need to understand its implications better

Prospective associations between loneliness and emotional intelligence

Loneliness has been linked cross-sectionally to emotional skill deficits (e.g., Zysberg, 2012), but missing from the literature is a longitudinal examination of these relationships. The present study fills that gap by examining the prospective relationships between loneliness and emotional functioning in young adolescents in England. One hundred and ninety-six adolescents aged 11-13 years (90 females) took part in the study and completed the youth version of the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT-YV) and the peer-related subscale of the Loneliness and Aloneness Scale for Children and Adolescents (LACA) at two time points, which were 10 months apart. Prospective associations were obtained for male and female adolescents separately using cross-lagged statistical techniques. Our results showed prospective links between understanding and managing emotions and loneliness for both females and males. Perceiving and using emotions were prospectively linked to loneliness in males only. Possible explanations and directions for future research are discussed

Loneliness Across the Life Span

Most people have experienced loneliness and have been able to overcome it to reconnect with other people. In the current review, we provide a life-span perspective on one component of the evolutionary theory of loneliness—a component we refer to as the reaffiliation motive (RAM). The RAM represents the motivation to reconnect with others that is triggered by perceived social isolation. Loneliness is often a transient experience because the RAM leads to reconnection, but sometimes this motivation can fail, leading to prolonged loneliness. We review evidence of how aspects of the RAM change across development and how these aspects can fail for different reasons across the life span. We conclude with a discussion of age-appropriate interventions that may help to alleviate prolonged lonelines

A study gauging perceived social support and loneliness with life satisfaction among students of Golestan University of Medical Sciences

Introduction: Social humans are embedded with a variety of relationships. Satisfactory social support is crucial for having physical and psychological well being. Aim: The purpose of the present study was to find empirical support for the connections between perceived social support and loneliness with life satisfaction. Material & methods: 226 students of Golestan University of Medical Sciences participated in the study. They were assessed using demographic questions, Multidimensional scale of Perceived Social Support, Life Satisfaction Scale, and Loneliness Scale. Using SPSS (16) and Pearson correlation test, linear regression the data were analyzed. Findings: 122 male and 104 female students filled the questionnaires. 91 percents of the students were single and also 95 percents were residents of university dormitories. There was a significant relationship between life satisfaction with loneliness in the subjects (p< 0.05). The higher social support from the family and friends was also correlated with more life satisfaction and less loneliness (p< 0.05). Linear regression showed a significant correlation among social support, life satisfaction with loneliness. Conclusion: Findings suggest, appropriate social support can reduce loneliness and increase life satisfaction. It is also one of the well being predictors. Therefore the universities should provide strategies to facilitate social support from family and the significant others. The empowerment of the students using teaching social communication skills may be helpful as well. The results were discussed within the context of findings from the studies conducted in eastern and western cultures

Cognitive mediators of the effect of peer victimization on loneliness

The impact of stress on psychological adjustment may be mediated by cognitive interpretations (i.e., appraisals) of events for individuals. Defining characteristics of loneliness suggest that appraisals of blame, threat, and perceived control may be particularly important in this domain. AIMS: To evaluate the extent to which cognitive appraisals (perceived control, threat, and blame) can mediate the effect of peer victimization on loneliness. SAMPLE: One hundred and ten children (54 boys, 56 girls) aged 8-12 years attending mainstream schools in Scotland. METHOD: Self-report measures of peer victimization, appraisal, and loneliness. RESULTS: Perceived control partially mediated the effects of peer victimization on loneliness, but neither blame nor threat were mediators. All three measures of control were significantly associated with loneliness at the bivariate level, but only perceived control was significant when the appraisals were entered as predictors in a hierarchical multiple linear regression. CONCLUSIONS: The results highlight the importance of research designs assessing multiple categories of appraisal. Furthermore, they suggest that intervention efforts aiming to combat feelings of loneliness within a peer victimization context should address children's appraisals of perceived control

Loneliness and life satisfaction amongst three cultural groups

Abstract Studies into loneliness and life satisfaction have rarely assessed the role of culture in moderating the relationship between these variables. The present study examined the relationship between loneliness and life satisfaction using data from three nonstudent samples collected from Italian, Anglo-Canadian and Chinese-Canadian populations. A total of 206 respondents completed the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale (Russell, Peplau, & Cutrona, 1980) and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (Diener, Emmons, Larsen, & Griffin, 1985). Two contrasting hypotheses were compared: one, a “postmodern” hypothesis, predicting that the relationship between life satisfaction and loneliness would be stronger in our individualist sample of Anglo-Canadians, and a second, “relational” hypothesis predicting this association to be strongest in our collectivist, Chinese-Canadian sample. Our findings demonstrated that culture has a small but significant impact on the relationship between loneliness and life satisfaction, and, consistent with the relational hypothesis, the relationship between the two concepts was strongest among our Chinese-Canadian respondents and weakest among our Anglo-Canadian participants This finding is discussed in the context of the strong expectations of social cohesion in collectivist societies