Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Loneliness”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Psychometric properties of the revised UCLA Loneliness Scale and two short-form measures of loneliness in Zimbabwe.

The cross-cultural reliability in Zimbabwe of the Revised University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale and two short forms of the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale were investigated. Subjects comprised a sample of 1,354 adolescents and another sample of 754 adults. The reliability of the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale was acceptable. The internal consistency of an eight-item short form of the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale was adequate, but the reliability of a four-item short form was low. Factor analysis of the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale, which yielded two factors similar to those reported in North America by Zakahi and Duran (1982) supported the construct validity of the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale in Zimbabwe. The Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale and the eight-item short form were highly correlated, but this association was spuriously elevated by the fact the eight-item short form is part of the full scale. Factor analysis of the eight-item short form suggested that this scale does not consistently reflect the factor structure of the full scale. We concluded that the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale possesses acceptable reliability and factorial validity in Zimbabwe and that the eight-item version is superior to the four-item form of the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale as a short loneliness measure. However, additional refinements may be needed to further improve the eight-item short version.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Social and emotional loneliness: an examination of Weiss's typology of loneliness.

This study examined Weiss' conceptualization of social and emotional loneliness. Using data from an extensive survey of undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Iowa, we measured social and emotional loneliness, students' affective and behavioral reactions to loneliness, students' social relationships, and their judgments of the degree to which their relationships supply the six social provisions described by Weiss. As expected, we found differences in the subjective experiences of social and emotional loneliness, although both forms of loneliness were also characterized by a common core of experiences. The results generally supported Weiss's ideas concerning the determinants of social and emotional loneliness. Predictions concerning the affective and behavioral consequences associated with each type of loneliness, however, were only partly supported, although the two forms of loneliness were associated with different affective reactions and coping behaviors. The implications of these findings for Weiss's typology of loneliness are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Is loneliness a psychological dysfunction? A literary study of the phenomenon of loneliness.

The purpose of this investigation was to explore how loneliness is described in literature and research. The study employed a hermeneutic approach rooted in the ideology of humanistic science in a caritative nursing tradition. Data sampling for the study was completed over two different periods of time (1998 and 2004). The main findings are that loneliness is understood as a complex dimension in our lives and it can be experienced at many levels. Through the survey of the theoretical material, loneliness may be understood as a structural dimension of existence and not as an illness. The deep dimension of loneliness, however, can entail suffering that is possibly so intolerable that it may turn towards becoming an illness. Loneliness is assumed as something we are, an ontological structure in our existence. Loneliness can therefore be turned into suffering as well as into health. It is perhaps in the silent reflective loneliness that we paradoxically develop a greater understanding of the benefits of togetherness. Our conclusion is therefore, that the phenomenon of loneliness is not a psychological dysfunction.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1995

Loneliness, duration of loneliness, and reported stress symptomatology.

The correlations between intensity of loneliness, duration of loneliness, and reported psychological and somatic stress symptoms were examined in 195 undergraduate students (100 women and 95 men). Analysis indicated that intensity and duration of loneliness were significantly correlated and both were also significantly positively correlated with subjects' reported psychological and somatic stress symptoms. In a forced-entry multiple regression equation predicting over-all stress symptomatology, only duration of loneliness emerged as a significant predictor, while intensity of loneliness did not add significant predictability. For college students, loneliness may be related to a wide array of reported psychological and somatic stress symptoms. It is also suggested that the duration of a lonely experience is perhaps a better predictor for symptoms of stress than intensity of loneliness.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2026

Loneliness and Personality: Noise- and Bias-Free True Correlations Between Loneliness and the Big Five Personality Domains.

OBJECTIVE: While loneliness is intertwined with many mental and physical health problems, its origins are not yet well understood. We sought to better understand its link to personality in a large national cohort. METHODS: Combining self- and informant ratings in multiple samples, we conducted the largest study to date to examine loneliness' true correlations (rtrues) with the Big Five personality traits, free of single-method biases and transient and random errors. RESULTS: Across three samples (Estonian-speaking, N = 20,893; Russian-speaking, N = 762; English-speaking, N = 599), we found a strong relationship between loneliness and Neuroticism (rtrue = 0.60-0.70). Loneliness also had robust but much weaker associations with Extraversion (rtrue = -0.20 to -0.30), and only weak associations (rtrue = 0.10 to -0.20) with Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, and Openness. Collectively, the Big Five accounted for over 50% of loneliness variance. In a subsample, the associations were only slightly smaller longitudinally over approximately 10 years. CONCLUSION: Overall, feeling lonely is more closely related to Neuroticism than previously understood, and the association endures over time.

Humans↗
PubMed1980

Loneliness, affect, and self-concept: construct validity of the Bradley Loneliness Scale.

Loneliness is a painful effect probably universally experienced but which has been long neglected in the psychological literature. This study is an extension of the work begun by Rosalee Bradley in developing a self-report instrument for measuring loneliness. It tests the hypothesis that subjects who score higher differ significantly from those scoring low on the loneliness scale on mood: anxiety, depression, anger, vigor, fatigue, confusion, and differ significantly in self-concept as well. Results using data of 208 subjects on the Profile of Mood States, Tennessee Self-Concept Scale, and Bradley Loneliness Scale support this hypothesis and also support the construct validity of the Bradley Loneliness Scale.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Loneliness and the spouse of the geriatric patient. Seven guidelines may keep a spouse's loneliness from becoming overwhelming.

Loneliness is a painful human experience to which spouses of the geriatric patient are particularly vulnerable. The nurse is frequently in a position to assess not only the patient but the spouse. When factors that may lead to loneliness are present, the nurse can intervene to prevent loneliness. When symptoms of loneliness are present in the spouse or patient, the nurse may act to alleviate disabling feelings of isolation.

Aged↗
PubMed1999

The acceptance of lonely others: effects of loneliness and gender of the target person and loneliness of the perceiver.

The reactions of lonely people toward other lonely people and the relationship between loneliness and self-concepts were examined. The 2-way and 3-way interaction effects showed that low lonely perceivers reacted more negatively toward the lonely target person. The relationship between loneliness and self-concept was examined using a multidimensional measure of self-concept. Results showed that loneliness correlated negatively with self-concept. In multiple regression analyses, the most significant predictors of loneliness were self-concept of relations with same gender and opposite gender peers and general self-concept.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

The problem of loneliness in the elderly in the community: characteristics of those who are lonely and the factors related to loneliness.

Two samples of patients aged over 70 years were selected, one sample from a large urban general practice and one from a randomized rural general practice. Patients were interviewed in order to assess their mental, physical and social well-being. Included in the interview were questions on subjective feelings of loneliness.More patients in the urban practice than in the rural practice reported feeling lonely, the proportion increasing with age in both samples. More women than men experienced feelings of loneliness; widowhood was closely associated with loneliness, particularly recent widowhood. Feelings of loneliness were consistently associated with disability in both study areas.

Aged↗
PubMed1984

A multidimensional loneliness measure: the Loneliness Rating Scale (LRS).

Interest in the topic of loneliness has resulted in the development of a number of global, unidimensional instruments used for measuring current levels of loneliness. A new, multidimensional scale, the Loneliness Rating Scale (LRS), is introduced. This 40-item scale assesses the frequency and intensity of particular affects reported by lonely individuals. Results of a factor analytic procedure suggest that the LRS contains four affective dimensions: Depletion, Isolation, Agitation, and Dejection. The theoretical implications of these results are presented, along with information concerning the usage and scoring of the LRS.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1987

Cultural and emotional components of loneliness and depression.

The relation between loneliness and depression and the distinction between emotional and social loneliness were examined by administering the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale, the Belcher Extended Loneliness Scale (BELS), the Beck Depression Inventory, and self-report questions about social and emotional loneliness to the following four groups: foreign (Chinese-descent) students in American universities, Chinese students in Taiwanese universities, American students in American universities, and depressed American clients. Depressed clients reported not only more depression but also more overall loneliness than did any of the other groups; they also were more likely to report emotional loneliness or both emotional and social loneliness than were the other three groups. Foreign students, in contrast, reported more social loneliness than did Taiwanese students. Results substantiate the view that loneliness is not a unitary concept and suggest that the UCLA Loneliness Scale and the BELS emphasize emotional rather than social loneliness and that emotional loneliness is a greater component of depression than is social loneliness.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Loneliness and pregnancy in an urban Latino community: associations with maternal age and unscheduled hospital utilization.

The objective is to compare loneliness in a pregnant population to a non-pregnant control group, and to evaluate loneliness and unscheduled hospital visits during pregnancy. A prospective cohort study in a Latino urban community including 53 consecutive pregnant women in their first trimester, and 61 non-pregnant women as a control. The UCLA Loneliness Scale version 3, and demographic information was collected. A chart review after delivery determined total number of unscheduled pregnancy related hospital visits. Appropriate data analysis using t-test and regression analysis was used. Forty-eight women continued to delivery. There was no difference in mean loneliness scores between pregnant (41) and non-pregnant groups (43), or that of normal populations (41). There was a significant association between UCLA loneliness scores and total pregnancy related unscheduled hospital visits p = 0.042, beta = 0.06, r= 0.29. There was a significant association between increasing age and increasing loneliness during pregnancy p = 0.007, beta = 0.21, r= 0.36, not seen in the non-pregnant group p = 0.98. Loneliness, when controlling for age, yielded a stronger association with unscheduled hospital visits p = 0.018, beta = 0.076, and r = 0.40. The findings were that increased loneliness is associated with increased unscheduled pregnancy related hospital utilization during pregnancy. Older pregnant women had higher loneliness scores. Loneliness was more significant than age in predicting higher unscheduled hospital visits. The combination of increased loneliness and younger age predicted the highest number of unscheduled hospital visits.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Theories on coping with loss: the impact of social support and self-esteem on adjustment to emotional and social loneliness following a partner's death in later life.

OBJECTIVES: This longitudinal study focused on the role of self-esteem and social support in adjustment to loneliness experienced by bereaved elderly persons. This study also examined the contributions of a general and a specific coping theory toward explaining loneliness. A distinction has been made between emotional loneliness and social loneliness/perceived support. The theory of mental incongruity predicts that the presence of more favorable conditions, such as higher self-esteem or more social support, results in less loneliness (i.e., less incongruity). According to the theory of relational loneliness, the partner's death leads to a loss of identity, thus increasing emotional loneliness, and social support does not mitigate emotional loneliness following a loss. METHODS: In total, 101 participants, aged 55-89 years, were interviewed before and after their partners' deaths. RESULTS: Findings were ambiguous with regard to both theories. As hypothesized, partner loss lowered self-esteem, resulting in higher emotional loneliness and social loneliness, that is, perception of less support. Supportive personal relations reduced emotional loneliness. The presence of close friends, however, seemed to increase emotional and social loneliness (i.e., decrease perceived support) in the long term, particularly among bereaved participants with lower self-esteem. DISCUSSION: The findings highlight the need to integrate theoretical concepts. In explaining adjustment to a partner's death, attention should be paid to underlying mechanisms relevant to the restoration process (e.g., identity change) and the ways in which the adjustment process can be improved (e.g., intimate relationships) or impeded (e.g., dependency-sustaining relationships).

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1996

Loneliness in elderly people: an important area for nursing research.

The phenomenon of loneliness occurs in people of all ages but may be a particular problem in the elderly. It is acknowledged that loneliness is not a necessary accompaniment to ageing and that ageing is not solely responsible for the development of loneliness in elderly people. However, there is a relationship between ageing and loneliness. Four major theories of loneliness are reviewed and their utility for application to research in the elderly is examined along with a consideration of the ways in which loneliness can be measured. While causal relationships are difficult to determine, there is evidence that loneliness is associated with a number of physical and psychological pathologies and the relevance of these to nursing is discussed. There is a growing awareness of the phenomenon of loneliness in elderly people in the nursing literature and some evidence that nursing intervention can be beneficial in this regard both at alleviating loneliness and reducing some of the adverse effects of loneliness. Finally some directions for nursing research are presented which are aimed at improving the assessment and nursing intervention for loneliness in elderly people.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Social contacts and their relationship to loneliness among aged people - a population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Emotional loneliness and social isolation are major problems in old age. These concepts are interrelated and often used interchangeably, but few studies have investigated them simultaneously thus trying to clarify their relationship. OBJECTIVES: To describe the prevalence of loneliness among aged Finns and to study the relationship of loneliness with the frequency of social contacts, with older people's expectations and satisfaction of their human relationships. Especially, we wanted to clarify whether emotional loneliness is a separate concept from social isolation. METHODS: The data were collected with a postal questionnaire. Background information, feelings of loneliness, number of friends, frequency of contacts with children, grandchildren and friends, the expectations of frequency of contacts as well as satisfaction of the contacts were inquired. The questionnaire was sent to a random sample of 6,786 aged people (>74 years) in various urban and rural areas in Finland. We report here the results of community-dwelling respondents (n = 4,113). MAIN RESULTS: More than one third of the respondents (39.4%) suffered from loneliness. Feeling of loneliness was not associated with the frequency of contacts with children and friends but rather with expectations and satisfaction of these contacts. The most powerful predictors of loneliness were living alone, depression, experienced poor understanding by the nearest, and unfulfilled expectations of contacts with friends. CONCLUSION: Our findings support the view that emotional loneliness is a separate concept from social isolation. This has implications for practice. Interventions aiming at relieving loneliness should be focused on enabling an individual to reflect her own expectations and inner feelings of loneliness.

Aged↗