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

Network analysis of loneliness, mental, and physical health in Czech adolescents

BACKGROUND

The increasing urgency to address rising loneliness among adolescents has become a critical issue, underscoring the need for further studies on its association with mental and physical health. The objective was to examine the changes in loneliness and its relation to mental and physical health issues in three adolescent age groups.

METHODS

A total sample of 14,588 Czech pupils (50.7% boys, mean age 13.6 ± 1.7 years) in grades 5, 7 and 9 was used from a representative dataset of the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study. The network analysis based on undirected graphical models was used as an exploratory technique to assess and test the structure of the data.

RESULTS

The association between loneliness and health decreased with age. There was a significant positive association between loneliness, feeling low, and irritability. No significant direct association between loneliness and physical health complaints was found.

CONCLUSION

Further studies, preferably of longitudinal character, are needed to confirm the changes in associations between loneliness and mental and physical health outcomes.

INcreasing Adolescent social and Community supporT (INACT): Pilot study protocol

BACKGROUND

Social prescribing is a mechanism for connecting patients with non-medical forms of support within the community and has been shown to improve loneliness. Yet uptake from young people (YP) has been lower than for adults. That is thought to be the case because young people are less likely to engage with primary care for wellbeing support, where social prescribing is based. The INACT study will pilot a social prescribing pathway via schools to support young people who are lonely, testing its feasibility and acceptability of delivering, and evaluating its impact on loneliness through a randomised controlled trial.

METHODS

This pilot study utilises a two-group (intervention vs. active control) parallel randomised design, with YP as the unit of randomisation. Approximately 78 pupils reporting loneliness will be recruited across 12 mainstream (6 primary and 6 secondary) schools in England. The co-produced social prescribing intervention includes 6-12 sessions over an 8-week period with a Link Worker who will work with individuals, on a one-to-one basis, to understand 'what matters to them' and connect them with local sources of support. Pupils in the control group will receive signposting to sources of support from school staff. Data will be collected at baseline, 3- and 6-month follow-up. Acceptability and feasibility will be assessed via participant recruitment and retention, and via qualitative interviews. Interviews will also explore barriers and facilitators to engagement and implementation and mechanisms of change. Primary and secondary outcomes will be completed to assess response and completeness, including measures of loneliness, mental health and wellbeing.

DISCUSSION

The INACT study will provide preliminary evidence of the feasibility and acceptability of both the research design and social prescribing intervention. Results will inform a planned future randomised trial.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06656663.

Identification of depressive symptoms in adolescents using machine learning combining childhood and adolescence features

BACKGROUND

Depressive symptoms in adolescents can significantly affect their daily lives and pose risks to their future development. These symptoms may be linked to various factors experienced during both childhood and adolescence. Machine learning (ML) has attracted substantial attention in the field of adolescent depression; however, studies establishing prediction models have primarily considered childhood or adolescent features separately, resulting in a lack of analyses that incorporate factors from both stages.

METHODS

We collected 39 features related to childhood and adolescence. Using the maximum relevance-minimum redundancy method and four ML algorithms, we determined the optimal feature subset for identifying depressive symptoms and constructed child-adolescent models. Stepwise logistic regression and four ML methods were employed to create demographic and combined models, respectively. The performance of each model was evaluated using a test set, and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) were utilized to interpret the models' prediction results.

RESULTS

The proposed child-adolescent models exhibited superior performance on the test set than the demographic and combined models (AUC: 0.835-0.879 versus 0.530 and 0.840-0.876, respectively). The optimal feature subset included two childhood features (relationship quality with peers and parental absence) and four adolescence features (social trust, academic pressure, importance of the internet for entertainment, and positive parenting behaviour). These features were found to be more effective than demographic characteristics in distinguishing depressive symptoms in adolescents.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates the correlation between adolescence depressive symptoms and specific factors from both childhood and adolescence, as well as the potential of ML to predict it. These findings may serve as a reference for future intervention studies.

Online Media Consumption, Fear, Mental Wellbeing, and Behavioral Compliance During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Study

This study explored how online media consumption, fear, mental wellbeing, and behavioral compliance with COVID-19 measures were related to one another during the COVID-19 pandemic. Employing a four-wave longitudinal survey research design (n = 1,092), this study found positive relationships between online media consumption and fear of COVID-19, between fear of COVID-19 and behavioral compliance, and between behavioral compliance and mental wellbeing in the general Dutch population. Results showed a negative relationship between fear of COVID-19 and mental wellbeing. Repeated measures ANOVAs indicated that participants' online media consumption, fear of COVID-19, and behavioral compliance with COVID-19 measures all gradually decreased as the pandemic progressed, while mental wellbeing gradually recovered as the pandemic progressed. Recognizing the negative relationship between fear of COVID-19 and mental wellbeing, policymakers may be encouraged to focus on implementing interventions and communication strategies to support mental health during pandemics. Using other types of appeals (e.g. hope appeals) in addition to the commonly used fear appeals when developing online public health messages could ensure behavioral compliance during pandemics without triggering high levels of fear. This can contribute to maintaining people's mental wellbeing when they have to cope with life-threatening public health crises while still promoting behavioral compliance with necessary public health measures.

A systematic review of longitudinal risk and protective factors for loneliness in youth

To effectively tackle loneliness in youth, prevention and intervention strategies should be based on solid evidence regarding risk and protective factors in this age group. This systematic literature review identifies and narratively synthesizes longitudinal studies of risk and protective factors for loneliness in children and adolescents aged below 25 years. A systematic literature search was conducted in October 2023 using PsycINFO and MEDLINE, resulting in n = 398 articles, with n = 105 articles meeting the inclusion criteria. The examined factors included demographic (e.g., gender), socioeconomic (e.g., income sufficiency), social (e.g., peer acceptance), mental health (e.g., depression), physical health (e.g., disabilities), health behavior (e.g., sport participation), and psychological factors (e.g., shyness). Additionally, adverse childhood experiences (e.g., child maltreatment) and environmental factors (e.g., neighborhood characteristics) were investigated. Despite the wide range of potential risk and protective factors examined, relatively few studies provided strong evidence for a prospective association with loneliness. Risk factors that were consistently identified across multiple longitudinal studies included low peer acceptance and peer victimization, depression, social anxiety, internalizing symptoms, low self-esteem, shyness, and neuroticism. Additional replication is required to evaluate factors that have shown significant associations with loneliness in only a limited number of longitudinal studies (e.g., aggression).

Trends in social inequality and how mental wellbeing vary and covary among Norwegian adolescents and their families: the Young-HUNT Study

BACKGROUND

The study had two aims: first, to investigate trends in socioeconomic inequalities in psychological distress and loneliness among Norwegian adolescents, and second, to study variation and covariation of psychological distress and loneliness within adolescents and between siblings within families.

METHODS

Multivariate mixed models were used to investigate trends in socioeconomic inequality in psychological distress and loneliness using three separate cohorts of Norwegian adolescents from the Young-HUNT study conducted in 1995-1997 (Young-HUNT1, n = 8980), 2006-2008 (Young-HUNT3, n = 8199) and 2017-2019 (Young-HUNT4, n = 8066). Register data on parental education level was used as a marker of socioeconomic position (SEP), and a unique family number was used to identify adolescents belonging to the same family. A three-level multivariate mixed model was created, consisting of the outcomes at level 1, adolescents at level 2 and families at level 3.

RESULTS

No statistically significant difference in scores on loneliness and psychological distress was observed between low and high parental education level in Young-HUNT1, whereas in Young-HUNT4, low parental education level was associated with a higher score on both psychological distress (β = 0.09; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.03-0.14) and loneliness (β = 0.12; 95% CI 0.07-0.17). Analyses of covariation between psychological distress and loneliness showed that they were correlated within adolescents and strongly correlated within families across all timepoints.

CONCLUSIONS

Increasing socioeconomic inequalities in psychological distress and loneliness among Norwegian adolescents is worrisome. Further, the family seems to be an important arena for potential prevention of psychological distress and loneliness among adolescents, regardless of parental education level.

Brief report: Social comparison, hypercompetitiveness, and indirect aggression: Associations with loneliness and mental health

Indirect aggression is commonly used in adulthood, but most researchers have focused on this behavior in romantic relationships or from an intrasexual competition perspective. Therefore, we aimed to understand the social characteristics and mental health correlates of indirect aggression by combining perspectives from developmental psychopathology and evolutionary psychology. We examined: (1) whether social characteristics (social comparison, hypercompetitiveness) contributed to indirect aggression (perpetration, victimization) and (2) whether there were indirect effects from indirect aggression (perpetration, victimization) to mental health difficulties through loneliness. In a cross-sectional sample of 475 young adults (57.7% women, 51.6% White, Mage = 20.2, SDage = 2.18), path analyses revealed that social comparison predicted indirect aggression victimization, which indirectly predicted mental health difficulties (depression, anxiety, somatic symptoms) through loneliness. In contrast, indirect aggression perpetration was only predicted by hypercompetitiveness. The findings highlight that reframing cognitions associated with social comparison could help prevent indirect aggression and mental health difficulties among young people.

Longitudinal relationships across emotional distress, perceived emotion regulation, and social connections during early adolescence: A developmental cascades investigation

Early adolescence is a vulnerable period for emotional distress. Both emotion regulation and social connection to peers and family adults are understood to be associated with distress. However, existing longitudinal work has not explored these constructs jointly in a way that estimates their reciprocal relationships over adolescence. We present a three-wave random-intercepts cross-lagged panel model of reciprocal relationships between emotional distress, perceived emotion regulation, and social connections during early adolescence, among 15,864 participants from education settings in disadvantaged areas of England, over three annual waves (at ages 11/12, 12/13, and 13/14 years). Findings showed that emotional distress and perceived emotion regulation share a negative relationship over time, and that higher perceived emotion regulation predicts greater family connection in the initial stages of early adolescence (from age 11-12 to 12-13 years). Findings also indicated that connection to peers is positively associated with family connection, but also positively predicts slightly greater distress in the later stages of early adolescence (from age 12-13 to 13-14 years). Findings indicate a risk of negative spiral between emotional distress and perceived emotion regulation in early adolescence, and that social connection may not necessarily play the role we might expect in reducing distress.

School belonging and depressive symptoms: the mediating roles of social inclusion and loneliness

BACKGROUND

Loneliness and depressive symptoms are prevalent among Finns.

OBJECTIVES

This study, which analyzes nationwide data from 149,986 students aged 13-18 years in Finland, focuses on the mediating effects of social inclusion and loneliness in the association between school belonging and depressive symptoms.

METHOD AND RESULTS

The analysis of variance showed that boys reported higher levels of school belonging and social inclusion, whereas girls reported higher levels of loneliness and depressive symptoms. Mediation analysis showed that social inclusion and loneliness partially mediated the effect of school belonging on depressive symptoms, but that social inclusion's effect was much greater than loneliness's. By focusing on the moderating role of sex, it was discovered that social inclusion significantly mediated depressive symptoms in girls more than boys.

CONCLUSION

The importance of social inclusion in preventing depressive symptoms was highlighted in the discussion.

Personal support networks of young people with and without intellectual disability. A comparative study

BACKGROUND

Previous studies show that the personal support networks of people with intellectual disability are smaller and less diverse than those of people without intellectual disability. This article aims to compare the characteristics of the personal networks of young people with and without intellectual disability.

METHOD

The Personal Network Analysis (McCarty, Revista Hispana Para El Análisis de Redes Sociales, 2010, 19, 242-271) was applied. The participants comprised 51 young people aged between 13 and 19, of whom 27 had an intellectual disability. The Egonet programme was used to compile information, and SPSS v.27 for the statistical analysis.

RESULTS

Young people with intellectual disabilities have smaller personal networks than people without disability, while they also comprise more people with disability and fewer 'friends' and support people.

CONCLUSIONS

The full social inclusion of people with intellectual disability requires schools, families, the community and the individual to work together to develop activities that help them initiate and maintain relationships, prioritising mainstream contexts.

Profiles of Loneliness and Ostracism During Adolescence: Consequences, Antecedents, and Protective Factors

This longitudinal study (N = 1078, 46% boys; 54% girls) examined profiles of loneliness and ostracism during adolescence and their consequences and antecedents. Longitudinal latent profiles analyses identified four distinct profiles: (1) High emotional loneliness (25%), High and increasing social loneliness (15%), High peer exclusion and high social impact (9%) and No peer problems (51%). Subsequent internalizing problems were typical for the High and increasing social loneliness profile and externalizing problems for the High emotional loneliness and High peer exclusion and high social impact profiles. Furthermore, effortful control, prosocial skills, and relationship quality with parents and teachers were highest in the No peer problems profile, whereas the High and increasing social loneliness profile had the lowest self-esteem and was characterized by low surgency/extraversion, high affiliativeness, and high negative affectivity.

Identification of central symptoms of children depression and development of two short version of Children's Depression Inventory: Based on network analysis and machine learning

BACKGROUND

Using network analysis to study the central symptoms is important for understanding the mechanism of depression symptoms and selecting items for the short version depression screening scale. This study aimed to identify the central symptoms of depression and develop the short and effective depression screening tools for Chinese rural children.

METHODS

Firstly, the 2458 individuals (Mage = 10.74; SDage = 1.64; 51.2 % were female) were recruited from the rural children's mental health database. Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) was used to assess depression symptoms. Then, network analysis was used to identify the central symptoms of depression. The accuracy, stability, and gender invariance of the depression symptoms network were tested. Finally, a short version of CDI with central symptoms (CDI-SC) and a new CDI-10 (CDI-10-N) were developed by network analysis and feature selection techniques to optimize the existing CDI-10. Their performances in screening depression symptoms were validated by the cutoff threshold and machine learning.

RESULTS

The central symptoms of Chinese rural children's depression were sadness, self-hatred, loneliness and self-deprecation. This result was accurate and stable and depression symptoms network has gender invariance. The AUC values of CDI-10-N and CDI-SC are over 0.9. The CDI-10-N has a higher AUC than CDI-10. The optimal cutoff thresholds for CDI-10-N and CDI-SC are 6 and 1. The performance of machine learning on AUC generally outperforms those of cutoff threshold.

CONCLUSIONS

The central symptoms identified in this study should be highlighted in screening depression symptoms, and CDI-10-N and CDI-SC are effective tools for screening depression symptoms in Chinese rural children.

Experiences of children and young people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) during COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown restrictions

PURPOSE

To explore the experiences of children and young people (CYP) with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic and lock down restrictions.

METHODS

Semi-structured, online interviews were conducted with 17 children and young people from the UK, Northern Ireland, aged 10-14 years with ADHD. Over half the participants had a co-existing diagnosis, such as autism spectrum disorder. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim before being subjected to thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Four themes were identified; the emotional impact of the pandemic, adjustments to daily living, impact of remote learning and the effect on relationships. Many CYP citied feelings of sadness, loneliness and anxiety, others found the reduction in social demands favourable.

CONCLUSIONS

As one of few studies to capture the experiences of children and young people with ADHD during the COVID-19 pandemic, this research highlights the potential negative long-term impact on emotional welfare, schooling and relationships.Implications for rehabilitationHealth care professionals should be aware of the overall impact on health and well-being for children and young people with ADHD following the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown restrictions to ensure that the effect of these are minimised and managed in the future.Educators and clinicians should be cognisant of the long term consequences of poor mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic and should put in place pro-active strategies to support children and young people with ADHD.Children and young people with ADHD may suffer greatly from reduced access to sports and leisure facilities. Policy makers should be conscious of the potential negative consequences of placing limitations on access to such facilities.

Do Social Support and Loneliness Influence Emerging Adults' Mental Health during the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic?

Youths' mental health is at a crisis level, with mental health problems doubling in the US since the pandemic began. To compound the mental health crisis, there is a global loneliness epidemic, with emerging adults worldwide experiencing some of the highest rates. One study with two phases examined the influence of social support and loneliness on mental health in US emerging adults during the pandemic, including changes in these relationships over one year. Emerging adults (N = 449) completed online questionnaires via Prolific in May 2020 (Phase 1) and again from January to May 2021 (N = 253; Phase 2). More perceived support was related to reduced loneliness, with family support having the most significant influence. Loneliness mediated the link between perceived support and adverse health outcomes. Higher loneliness predicted more perceived stress and sleep difficulties concurrently and over time. There was a bidirectional relationship between loneliness and depression, such that higher levels of either variable at Time 1 predicted increases in the other over time. Results highlight the detrimental impact of loneliness on emerging adults' mental health.

A Short-Form Measure of Loneliness to Predict Depression Symptoms Among Adolescents

The purpose of this study was to produce a short-form measure of loneliness and assesses its prediction of depressive symptoms relative to a comprehensive measure. Western Australian adolescents completed the Friendship Related Loneliness and Isolation subscales of the Perth Aloneness Scale (PALs) three times over 18 months (T 1 n = 1538; T 2, n = 1683; T 3, n = 1406). Items were reduced while preserving predictability. Follow-up confirmatory factor analyses and predictive models with the reduced and full PALs were then tested. A reduced six-item scale (PALs-6) preserved the two-factor structure of the PALs and showed strong prediction of very elevated depressive symptoms (Sensitivity = 0.70, Specificity = 0.78, AUC = 0.81); it was less successful in predicting future symptoms (Sensitivity = 0.67, Specificity = 0.64, AUC = 0.74). The PALs-6 provides a brief measure of adolescent loneliness for clinicians and researchers that also predicts very elevated levels of depression.

Associations of loneliness with mental health and with social and physical activity among university students in Germany: results of the COVID-19 German student well-being study (C19 GSWS)

Introduction

University students are at high risk for loneliness with a potential negative impact on health. The COVID-19 measures disrupted students' academic routine and social life, which might have affected their perception of loneliness. This study investigated the prevalence of perceived loneliness among university students in Germany during the COVID-19 pandemic and its associations with mental health, behavioral outcomes, and sociodemographic characteristics.

Methods

COVID-19 German student well-being study (C19 GSWS) collected data from five German universities from October 27th to November 14th, 2021, resulting in a sample of 7,203 respondents. Associations of loneliness with depressive symptoms, anxiety, social and physical activity, as well as sociodemographic characteristics, were analyzed using multivariable logistic regressions.

Results

A total of 20.6% of students reported loneliness. Students with depressive or anxiety symptoms had more than eight- or sixfold odds, respectively, for reporting loneliness (depressive symptoms: OR = 8.29; 95% CI: 7.21-9.52; anxiety: OR = 6.48; 95% CI: 5.65-7.43) compared with students who did not report any symptoms. Students who were less physically active were more likely to experience loneliness compared with students who were more physically active (no moderate physical activity: OR = 1.39; 95% CI: 1.21-1.59; no vigorous physical activity: OR = 1.19; 95% CI: 1.04-1.36). We found no association between loneliness and social activity. However, loneliness was associated with being single (OR = 2.93; 95% CI: 2.55-3.36), living alone (OR = 1.31; 95% CI: 1.13-1.52), or having a temporary residency status in Germany (OR = 2.24; 95% CI: 1.65-3.04).

Conclusion

Our findings highlight the importance of loneliness as a relevant factor associated with health. Further research is needed to determine potential protective factors to tackle loneliness and to investigate how study conditions at higher education institutions may affect students' perceived loneliness.

Understanding Loneliness in Younger People: Review of the Opportunities and Challenges for Loneliness Interventions

Loneliness affects the quality of life of people all around the world. Loneliness is also shown to be directly associated with mental health issues and is often the cause of mental health problems. It is also shown to increase the risk of heart diseases and other physical illnesses. Loneliness is studied both from the social and medical sciences perspectives. There are also interventions on the basis of health informatics, information and communication technologies (ICTs), social media, and other technological solutions. In the literature, loneliness is studied from various angles and perspectives ranging from biological to socioeconomical and through anthropological understandings of technology. From the ICT and technological sides, there are multiple reviews studying the effectiveness of intervention strategies and solutions. However, there is a lack of a comprehensive review on loneliness that engulfs the psychological, social, and technological studies of loneliness. From the perspective of loneliness informatics (ie, the application of health informatics practices and tools), it is important to understand the psychological and biological basis of loneliness. When it comes to technological interventions to fight off loneliness, the majority of interventions focus on older people. While loneliness is highest among older people, theoretical and demographical studies of loneliness give a U-shaped distribution age-wise to loneliness; that is, younger people and older people are the demographics most affected by loneliness. But the strategies and interventions designed for older people cannot be directly applied to younger people. We present the dynamics of loneliness in younger people and also provide an overview of the technological interventions for loneliness in younger people. This paper presents an approach wherein the studies carried out from the perspectives of digital health and informatics are discussed in detail. A comprehensive overview of the understanding of loneliness and the study of the overall field of tools and strategies of loneliness informatics was carried out. The need to study loneliness in younger people is addressed and particular digital solutions and interventions developed for younger people are presented. This paper can be used to overcome the challenges of technological gaps in the studies and strategies developed for loneliness. The findings of this study show that the majority of interventions and reviews are focused on older people, with ICT-based and social media-based interventions showing promise for countering the effects of loneliness. There are new technologies, such as conversational agents and robots, which are tailored to the particular needs of younger people. This literature review suggests that the digital solutions developed to overcome loneliness can benefit people, and younger people in particular, more if they are made interactive in order to retain users.

Exploring changes in children's well-being due to COVID-19 restrictions: the Italian EpaS-ISS study

BACKGROUND

While existing research has explored changes in health behaviours among adults and adolescents due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the impact of quarantine on young children's well-being is still less clear. Moreover, most of the published studies were carried out on small and non-representative samples. The aim of the EpaS-ISS study was to describe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the habits and behaviours of a representative sample of school children aged mainly 8-9 years and their families living in Italy, exploring the changes in children's well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the immediately preceding time period.

METHODS

Data were collected using a web questionnaire. The target population was parents of children attending third-grade primary schools and living in Italy. A cluster sample design was adopted. A Well-Being Score (WBS) was calculated by summing the scores from 10 items concerning the children's well-being. Associations between WBS and socio-demographic variables and other variables were analysed.

RESULTS

A total of 4863 families participated. The children's WBS decreased during COVID-19 (median value from 31 to 25; p = 0.000). The most statistically significant variables related to a worsening children's WBS were: time of school closure, female gender, living in a house with only a small and unliveable outdoor area, high parents' educational level and worsening financial situation.

CONCLUSIONS

According to parents ' perception, changes in daily routine during COVID-19 negatively affected children's well-being. This study has identified some personal and contextual variables associated with the worsening of children's WBS, which should be considered in case of similar events.

Adolescent Loneliness and Negative Affect during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Extraversion and Neuroticism

The COVID-19 pandemic had varied but significant effects on the lives of adolescents. This study aimed to examine the effects of extraversion and neuroticism on changes in loneliness and negative affect among adolescents during the pandemic. Longitudinal data were collected in three waves from 673 German adolescents and young adults (Mage = 16.8 years, SDage = 0.91; female = 59%), affected by local lockdowns. The data collection was one time before (T1) and two times during the pandemic (T2, T3). Change score models were used to assess the relationship between loneliness and negative affect with consideration of extraversion and neuroticism. Results showed that pre-pandemic loneliness was predictive of changes in negative affect during the pandemic, with higher loneliness predicting increases in negative affect. Negative affect did not predict later loneliness. Extraverts showed an increase in negative affect over time, particularly between pre-pandemic measurement and the first phase of the pandemic. Higher neuroticism appeared to have increased vulnerability for negative affect during the pandemic, as a rise in negative affect were found among these adolescents throughout the course of the pandemic. In conclusion, the study highlights the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of adolescents and suggests that managing the pandemic during this specific developmental period is a challenge.

Longitudinal associations among smartphone addiction, loneliness, and depressive symptoms in college students: Disentangling between- And within-person associations

BACKGROUND

Smartphone addiction and depressive symptoms are two prevalent and highly correlated problems among college students worldwide. However, the causal relationships and potential mechanisms (e.g., loneliness) between them remain controversial. Thus, the present study investigated the dynamic longitudinal relations between smartphone addiction and depressive symptoms including loneliness as a possible mediator in Chinese college students.

METHODS

A total of 3,827 college students (52.8% males, 47.2% females; M_age = 18.87 years, SD = 1.48) participated in a four-wave longitudinal study across two years, and the interval between waves was 6 months except for the second and the third wave (12 months). Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version, University of California Los Angeles Loneliness Scale-8 and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 were used to assess participants' smartphone addiction, loneliness, and depressive symptoms, respectively. Random intercept cross-lagged panel models (RI-CLPM) were utilized to separate between- and within-person effects.

RESULTS

The results of RI-CLPM demonstrated a bidirectional association between smartphone addiction and depressive symptoms (from T₃ to T₄), and loneliness (T₃) mediated the association between smartphone addiction (T₂) and depressive symptoms (T₄) at the within-person level (indirect effect = 0.008, 95%CI = 0.002-0.019).

CONCLUSIONS

Given that loneliness served as a mediator in the relation between smartphone addiction and depressive symptoms, enhancing offline interpersonal communication may hold great promise for alleviating negative emotions and reducing the dependence on online communication.

[Loneliness in childhood and adolescence. On the prevalence of a mental health risk factor among 11- to 15-year-old German students]

BACKGROUND

Loneliness is an increasingly present topic in both public and scientific discourse. There is increasing research on the prevalence of loneliness and health-related correlates in adults. However, there are only a few findings on loneliness in childhood and adolescence in Germany. Therefore, this study aims to present findings on the prevalence of loneliness among 11- to 15-year-old German students and examines associations with socio-demographic characteristics.

METHODS

The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study is a global research collaboration under the auspices of the World Health Organization (WHO). In the federal state of Brandenburg, Germany, the study collected data from 3819 children and adolescents in grades 5, 7, and 9 (M_age = 13.5, SD = 1.6) at schools for general education. Loneliness was assessed using the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale and a single item.

RESULTS

Of the respondents, 13.2% reported feeling lonely most of the time and 3.6% always. Loneliness was more prevalent among girls and non-binary students, as well as among older students and children and adolescents of lower socioeconomic status.

DISCUSSION

The findings indicate that loneliness is a widespread phenomenon among children and adolescents. The result that girls, older pupils and children, and adolescents with lower family wealth report feeling lonelier is consistent with findings from other countries and provides starting points for planning prevention measures. Further research is needed in Germany on possible health-related correlates of loneliness.

Alone in a Crowd: Is Social Contact Associated with Less Psychological Pain of Loneliness in Everyday Life?

People are often advised to engage in social contact to cope with the experience of loneliness and improve well-being. But are the moments of loneliness actually more bearable when spent in other people's company? In this research, we proposed and tested two conflicting theoretical accounts regarding the role of social contact: social contact is associated with a stronger (the amplifying account) or with a weaker (the buffering account) negative effect of loneliness on psychological well-being. Analyses of three datasets collected using ecological momentary assessments (Nindividuals = 3,035) revealed that the negative association between loneliness and well-being was stronger when participants were with others than alone, consistent with the amplifying account. Further, when participants experienced high levels of loneliness, being with others was associated with the same or with even a lower level of well-being than being alone. These findings suggest that simply spending time with others (vs. alone) is not associated with a reduced burden of loneliness and may even backfire.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10902-023-00661-3.

Childhood Social Isolation as a Predictor of Retinal Neuronal Thickness in Middle Age: A Lifecourse Birth Cohort Study

OBJECTIVE

We investigated whether childhood social isolation was associated with retinal neural layer changes in adulthood, and whether this association was independent of other childhood or adulthood risk factors, including adult social isolation.

METHODS

Participants were members of the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study, a longitudinal population-based birth cohort from Aotearoa New Zealand ( n = 1037), born 1972 to 1973 and followed until age 45 years, with 94% of the living cohort still participating. Social isolation was recorded prospectively at ages 5, 7, 9, and 11 years, from teacher and parent report. Retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer thicknesses were measured via optical coherence tomography at age 45 years.

RESULTS

Childhood social isolation was associated with thinner average RNFL ( B = -0.739, p = .02), nasal RNFL ( B = -1.118, p = .005), and inferior RNFL ( B = -1.524, p = .007), although only nasal RNFL remained significant after adjustment. These associations were not fully explained by other psychosocial or physical health risk factors in childhood or adulthood, nor were they mediated by adult loneliness or social support.

CONCLUSIONS

Childhood social isolation was an independent predictor of RNFL thickness in middle age. Highlighting prospective links between childhood psychosocial adversity and retinal neuronal measures will help to inform future research into the utility of retinal neuronal thickness as a biomarker for neurodegeneration.

Promoting Positive Social Interactions: Recommendation for a Post-Pandemic School-Based Intervention for Social Anxiety

The purpose of this perspective article is to identify problematic behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic and recommend a school-based intervention (e.g., self-reflection, motivational interview, and workbook) to address post-COVID social anxiety among children and adolescents. The recommendations involve comparing students' social interaction behaviors pre-pandemic, during the pandemic, and post-pandemic, and evaluating any behavioral changes in social relationships six months later. We also discuss the evaluation criteria and surveys used to assess the impact of the intervention on behavioral changes. Our evaluation criteria are based on students' beliefs and abilities and aim to demonstrate that the intervention improves in-person social interactions and helps students adapt to the transition back to school. The proposed perspectives and strategies of the intervention can be modified to meet the needs of the researchers and professionals. By working together, global policymakers from the fields of education and public health can create school-based interventions that enhance students' physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. This program aims to mitigate the negative effects of school closures and social isolation and to broaden the role of schools in supporting students in the challenging post-pandemic world by addressing their holistic needs.

[Loneliness in Adolescents Against the Background of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Risk Factor]

Loneliness in Adolescents Against the Background of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Risk Factor Abstract. On the one hand, loneliness is the subjective experience of inadequate social integration and support. It is a normal phenomenon that can be dealt with in an emotional and action-oriented way within the framework of individual development. On the other hand, chronic loneliness goes hand in hand with considerable suffering, reduced quality of life, and an increased risk of psychological and somatic diseases. In the context of current social developments associated with the fragmentation of social networks and programmatic individualism, we discuss an increase in the problem of loneliness, especially among young people. Interventions to reduce the experience of loneliness are effective if, in addition to making social offers, they focus on the dynamics common in chronic loneliness (low self-esteem, evaluation of neutral communication as devaluing, etc.). There is no evidence that the use of virtual social networks persistently reduces feelings of loneliness in young people. In addition, the question arises on what basis of shared values and goals social integration of young people who experience loneliness will be possible in the future. According to the results of the first systematic surveys on the psychosocial consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, we must assume that the loneliness problem of young people will continue to gain relevance because of the associated massive restrictions on real social life.

The impact of COVID-19 on youth mental health: A mixed methods survey

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented profound disruptions to young people at a critical period of psychosocial development. The current study aimed to explore the perceived negative and positive impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people's mental health and wellbeing across a spectrum of clinical needs. A cross-sectional online survey including both quantitative and qualitative responses captured positive and negative impacts of COVID-19 across 593 young people with and without mental health care needs. Findings revealed high levels of clinical depression (48%), anxiety (51%), and loneliness in both samples. Approximately 75% of young people in primary mental health care services, and over 80% in the general population, reported a negative impact on work, non-work activities and mental health and wellbeing. Open-ended responses reflected positive impacts in the domains of greater capacity for self-care and reflection due to the decreased pressures of daily life. Negative impacts reflected worsening mental health, disruptions to key developmental milestones regarding relationships with self and others, and limited capacity for self-care. Together, these data highlight the critical need for early intervention support for the psychosocial impacts experienced by young people due to the pandemic, particularly among those with existing mental health care needs.

Sex differences in friendships and loneliness in autistic and non-autistic children across development

BACKGROUND

Autistic children have been shown to have less complete definitions of friendships and higher levels of loneliness than their non-autistic peers. However, no known studies have explored sex differences in autistic children's understanding of friendships and reported loneliness across development. Autistic girls demonstrate higher levels of social motivation than autistic boys and appear to "fit in" with their peers, but they often have difficulty recognizing reciprocal friendships during middle childhood. As autistic girls develop a more complex understanding of friendship during adolescence, they may begin to redefine their friendships and experience heightened loneliness. Here, we explored how autistic and non-autistic boys and girls define the meaning of friendship and report feelings of loneliness across development. We also examined their perceptions of friendships and loneliness.

METHODS

This mixed-methods study analyzed the transcribed clinical evaluations of 58 autistic children (29 girls) matched to 42 non-autistic children (21 girls) on age and IQ. Transcripts were coded for four categories that children used to define friendships-personality, companionship, dependability, and intimacy-and for reported loneliness. We then compared these codes across diagnosis, sex, and age. Content analyses were further implemented to gain a more holistic understanding of children's perceptions of friendships and loneliness.

RESULTS

Girls, regardless of diagnosis, were more likely than boys to refer to personality when defining the meaning of friendship, and the likelihood of referring to dependability and intimacy increased with age. Most children reported having at least one friend, though some autistic adolescents reported not having friends or were uncertain whether they had friends. While autistic and non-autistic boys and girls were equally likely to report feeling lonely at times, several autistic girls and boys reported being frequently lonely.

LIMITATIONS

This study was a secondary data analysis. The standardized set of questions on the ADOS limited the amount of information that children provided about their friendships and perceptions of loneliness.

CONCLUSION

As with non-autistic children, autistic children acquire a more complex understanding of friendship throughout development. However, as children begin to prioritize dependability and intimacy in friendships, autistic adolescents may have difficulty developing friendships characterized by these constructs. Furthermore, the quantity and/or quality of autistic children's friendships may not be sufficient to alleviate loneliness.

Loneliness and Well-Being in Children and Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review

Concerns have been raised about the loneliness and well-being of children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. The extent to which the ongoing pandemic has impacted loneliness and the association between loneliness and well-being is unclear. Therefore, a systematic review of empirical studies on the COVID-19 pandemic was conducted to examine the (1) prevalence of loneliness in children and adolescents, (2) associations between loneliness and indicators of well-being, and (3) moderators of these associations. Five databases (MEDLINE, Embase, PsycInfo, Web of Science, ERIC) were searched from 1 January 2020 to 28 June 2022 and 41 studies met our inclusion criteria (cross-sectional: n = 30; longitudinal: n = 11; registered on PROSPERO: CRD42022337252). Cross-sectional prevalence rates of pandemic loneliness varied, with some finding that over half of children and adolescents experienced at least moderate levels of loneliness. Longitudinal results reflected significant mean increases in loneliness compared to pre-pandemic levels. Cross-sectional results indicated that higher levels of loneliness were significantly associated with poorer well-being, including higher depression symptoms, anxiety symptoms, gaming addiction, and sleep problems. Longitudinal associations between loneliness and well-being were more complex than cross-sectional associations, varying by assessment timing and factors in the statistical analyses. There was limited diversity in study designs and samples, preventing a thorough examination of moderating characteristics. Findings highlight a broader challenge with child and adolescent well-being that predates the pandemic and the need for future research to examine underrepresented populations across multiple timepoints.

Development and Validation of the Multidimensional Psychosocial Risk Screen (MPRS): An Approach towards Primary Prevention

Background:

The prevalence of mental health problems in adolescents has been identified as a global concern. Early screening and identification can offer benefits in terms of primary prevention and reduced healthcare costs. This study aimed to develop a tool to assess the risk of developing mental health problems in adolescents.

Methods:

The study followed an exploratory sequential design and was divided into five phases. The Multidimensional Psychosocial Risk Screen (MPRS) is a newly developed self-report measure. The various steps in its development and validation have been elaborated. The MPRS was evaluated with a sample of 934 adolescents aged 12-18, spread across the 8th-12th grade.

Results:

Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed a robust factor structure. The extracted five factors were named as Parent–Child Relationship (PCR), Self-Concept (SC), Teacher–Student Dynamics (TSD), Social Media Use (SMU), and Peer Interaction (PI). The reliability of the subscales ranged from 0.60 to 0.80. The overall reliability of the scale was good (a = 0.87). Convergent validity of the scale was established using standard measures of risk factors and emotional and behavioural problems.

Conclusions:

The MPRS can be considered an effective tool with an adequate factor structure and good psychometric properties. It can be beneficial in the early detection of vulnerabilities to mental health problems in adolescents and, therefore, seen as a key element in primary prevention and fostering individualized interventions.

The relationship between loneliness and depression among college students: Mining data derived from passive sensing

Background

While there is recognition of the relationship between loneliness and depression, specific behavioural patterns distinguishing both are still not well understood.

Objectives

Our objective is to identify distinct behavioural patterns of loneliness and depression from a passively collected dataset of college students, understand their similarities and interrelationships and assess their effectiveness in identifying loneliness and depression.

Methods

Utilizing the StudentLife dataset, we applied regression analysis to determine associations with self-reported loneliness and depression. Mediation analysis interprets the relationship between the two conditions, and machine learning models predict loneliness and depression based on behavioural indicators.

Results

Distinct behavioural patterns emerged: high evening screen time (OR = 1.45, p = 0.002) and high overall phone usage (OR = 1.50, p = 0.003) were associated with more loneliness, whereas depression was significantly associated with fewer screen unlocks (OR = 0.75, p = 0.044) and visits to fewer unique places (OR = 0.85, p = 0.023). Longer durations of physical activity (OR = 0.72, p = 0.014) and sleep (OR = 0.46, p = 0.002) are linked to a lower risk of both loneliness and depression. Mediation analysis revealed that loneliness significantly increases the likelihood of depression by 48%. The prediction accuracy of our XGBoost-based machine learning approach was 82.43% for loneliness and 79.43% for depression.

Conclusion

Our findings show that high evening screen time and overall phone usage are significantly associated with increased loneliness, while fewer screen unlocks and visits to fewer unique places are significantly related to depression. The findings can help in developing targeted interventions to promote well-being and mental health in students.

Effects of varying pandemic restrictions on the health-related behaviours of Australian children

AIM

To explore the effects of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions varying in severity and duration on health-related behaviours in children aged 5-17 years.

METHODS

We used data from the Royal Children's Hospital National Child Health Poll, an online cross-sectional survey of Australian caregivers. The survey assessed 1222 caregivers' perceived changes in health-related behaviours (physical activity, sleep, screen-time, diet, outdoor activity, family and peer connectedness) of 2011 children aged 5-17 years in a typical week from June to September 2020 (when jurisdictions experienced varying restriction severity and duration) compared to retrospective reports of behaviour before March 2020 (pre-pandemic). To compare the effects of varying restriction severity in Victoria, New South Wales (NSW) and other states and territories on health-related behaviours binary logistic regression was used, adjusting for caregiver demographics and weighted to reflect Australia's parent population.

RESULTS

Compared to pre-pandemic, Victoria's restrictions had a greater impact on child health-related behaviours compared to NSW restrictions and an even stronger impact compared to other states and territories which experienced few or no restrictions. A greater proportion of Victorian children reported more recreational screen time (71.3%) than NSW (53.9%) and other states and territories (34.5%) and less physical activity (57.2%) than NSW (30.3%) and other states and territories (26.5%). Victorian children reported less outdoor activity (62.6%) than NSW (32.0%) and other states and territories (25.2%), and less social connectedness (68.0%) than NSW (35.4%) and other states and territories (27.3%).

CONCLUSIONS

More severe and longer COVID-19 pandemic restrictions are associated with greater impacts and predominantly more negative impacts to children's health-related behaviours. These should be mitigated through policies and programs to encourage healthier life-styles.

Childhood loneliness as a specific risk factor for adult psychiatric disorders

BACKGROUND

Loneliness is a major risk factor for both psychological disturbance and poor health outcomes in adults. This study aimed to assess whether childhood loneliness is associated with a long-term disruption in mental health that extends into adulthood.

METHODS

This study is based on the longitudinal, community-representative Great Smoky Mountains Study of 1420 participants. Participants were assessed with the structured Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Assessment interview up to eight times in childhood (ages 9-16; 6674 observations; 1993-2000) for childhood loneliness, associated psychiatric comorbidities and childhood adversities. Participants were followed up four times in adulthood (ages 19, 21, 25, and 30; 4556 observations of 1334 participants; 1999-2015) with the structured Young Adult Psychiatric Assessment Interview for psychiatric anxiety, depression, and substance use outcomes.

RESULTS

Both self and parent-reported childhood loneliness were associated with adult self-reported anxiety and depressive outcomes. The associations remained significant when childhood adversities and psychiatric comorbidities were accounted for. There was no evidence for an association of childhood loneliness with adult substance use disorders. More associations were found between childhood loneliness and adult psychiatric symptoms than with adult diagnostic status.

CONCLUSION

Childhood loneliness is associated with anxiety and depressive disorders in young adults, suggesting that loneliness - even in childhood - might have long-term costs in terms of mental health. This study underscores the importance of intervening early to prevent loneliness and its sequelae over time.

The development of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for chronic loneliness in children and young people: Protocol for a single-case experimental design

Loneliness is a significant problem for young people and is associated with a range of physical and mental health difficulties. Meta-analyses have identified that interventions aimed at young people who report loneliness as their primary problem are lacking within the literature. In adults, the most effective interventions for loneliness are those which target the underlying maladaptive social cognitions. Therefore, we have developed a modular Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) intervention for children and young people. The aim of this study is to conduct a multiple baseline single-case experimental design (SCED) to assess the efficacy, feasibility and acceptability of this intervention. In total 6-8 11-18-year-olds and their families will be recruited. The design consists of AB+ post-intervention, where A is the baseline phase, B is the intervention phase and then a post-intervention phase. Participants will complete a baseline assessment, before being randomised to one of four different baseline lengths (12 days, 19 days, 26 days or 33 days). Participants will then complete an average of 12 sessions of CBT, with the aim being to reduce their feelings of loneliness. Participants will then complete a 12-day post-intervention phase. Participant loneliness will be repeatedly assessed throughout the three phases of the intervention using the Three-item Loneliness Scale, which will be the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes will be reliable and clinically meaningful change on the UCLA Loneliness Scale, Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS) and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Feasibility and participant satisfaction will also be assessed and reported. Trial registration: ClinicalTrails.gov trial registration number: NCT05149963 (Date registered: 07.12.2021). https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05149963?term=cbt&cond=loneliness&draw=2&rank=1.

Loneliness in Kenyan adolescents: Socio-cultural factors and network association with depression and anxiety symptoms

Loneliness is associated with negative mental health outcomes and is particularly common among adolescents. Yet, little is known about the dynamics of adolescent loneliness in non-Western, low-income nations. Accordingly, we estimated the severity of loneliness in a sample of Kenyan adolescents and used mixed-effects regression modelling to determine the socio-cultural factors associated with loneliness. We also used network analysis to examine the associations between loneliness, depression, and anxiety at the symptom level. We analyzed data from a large sample (N = 2,192) of school-attending Kenyan adolescents aged 12-19 (58.3% female, 41.7% male). Standardized measures of loneliness (ULS-8), depression (PHQ-8), and anxiety (GAD-7) were used. Our mixed-effects model revealed that female and lower-income adolescents felt lonelier. The perception of feeling alone emerged as the aspect of loneliness most strongly linked to depression and anxiety symptoms. Our findings establish an estimate of loneliness levels in Kenyan adolescents, and identify possible socio-cultural factors associated with loneliness. We found that perceptions of isolation more strongly linked loneliness to psychopathology than did objective measures of isolation or preferences for social contact. Finally, we identify specific aspects of loneliness that could prove to be treatment targets for youth psychopathology; however, further research is needed. Limitations, future directions, and clinical implications are discussed.

Does loneliness before the age of twelve indirectly affect impaired control over drinking, alcohol use, and problems through perceived stress?

Loneliness is the pain of feeling socially isolated from others (Russell et al., 1980). The Stress-Dampening Hypothesis (Marlatt, 1987; Sayette, 1993; Sher, 1987) posits that individuals drink to alleviate negative affect. To date, it has not been determined whether loneliness experienced as a child can indirectly influence at-risk patterns of alcohol use through the mediating mechanism of stress and impaired control. Impaired control over alcohol use (IC) is the difficulty adhering to one's own self-proscribed limits on drinking behaviors (Heather et al., 1993). Impaired control is an at-risk pattern of use that is particularly relevant to emerging adults. Methods: We examined the direct and indirect relationships between childhood loneliness, stress, IC, and alcohol-related problems with a structural equation model. In a college student sample, we utilized a (k = 20,000) bootstrap technique and a model indirect command in Mplus to examine potential mediational pathways. Cisgender sex was included as a covariate. Results: Loneliness was directly linked to stress as well as to alcohol-related problems. Higher levels of loneliness were indirectly linked to both more alcohol use and alcohol-related problems through more stress and in turn, more impaired control over drinking. Conclusions: The current study is consistent with the Stress Dampening Hypothesis (Marlatt, 1987; Sayette, 1993; Sher, 1987). Our findings suggest that therapeutic interventions combating loneliness in childhood may disrupt the stress-dampening pathway to dysregulated alcohol use in emerging adulthood.

COVID-19 and mental health disorders in children and adolescents (Review)

The new coronavirus has been present for two years and has had a widespread and sustained impact worldwide. There is growing evidence in the literature that COVID-19 may have negative effects on mental illness in patients and in healthy populations. The unprecedented changes brought about by COVID-19, such as social isolation, school closures, and family stress, negatively affect people's mental health, especially that of children and adolescents. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature and summarize the impact of COVID-19 disorders on children's and adolescents' mental health, the mechanisms and risk factors, screening tools, and intervention and prevention. We hope that the mental dysfunction caused by the pandemic will be mitigated through appropriate and timely prevention and intervention.

The relationship between physical exercise and mobile phone addiction among Chinese college students: Testing mediation and moderation effects

BACKGROUND

During the COVID-19 pandemic, suspensions of activities and long periods of self-isolation led to a sharp increase in excessive use of mobile phones, which sparked public concern about mobile phone addiction (MPA). In recent years, more and more attention has been paid to physical exercise as a protective effect of MPA. However, more studies are needed to reveal this relationship and the exact mechanisms, based on which this study tested the mediating and moderating roles of self-control, rumination, psychological distress, and loneliness between physical exercise and MPA.

METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, primary data was collected by questionnaire from 1,843 college students (19.75 ± 1.3) from five universities in Sichuan Province in Mainland China. Mobile Phone Addiction Tendency Scale (MPATS), Physical Activity Rating Scale-3 (PARS-3), Self-Control Scale (SCS), Ruminative Response Scale (RRS), Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), and UCLA Loneliness Scale (UCLA-20) were investigated. The mediating models were examined using SPSS PROCESS macro 3.3 software, in which the mediation variables were self-control, rumination, and psychological distress, and the moderation was loneliness. Gender, major, and grade were included as control variables.

RESULT

Self-control, rumination, and psychological distress played a simple mediating role between physical exercise and MPA. Moreover, not only self-control and rumination but also self-control and psychological distress played the chain mediating roles between physical exercise and MPA. The chain pathways were moderated by loneliness. Specifically, the effect was more substantial among college students with higher loneliness.

CONCLUSION

The conclusions corroborate and clarify that self-control, rumination, and psychological distress mediated the association between physical exercise and MPA, and the mediation effects were moderated via loneliness. This present study advanced our understanding of how and when college students' physical exercise was related to MPA. It also illustrates that educators and parents should pay more attention to college students' physical exercise.

Perceived stress of adolescents during the COVID-19 lockdown: Bayesian multilevel modeling of the Czech HBSC lockdown survey

Objective

Long-term isolation, including lockdowns and quarantines, may have a distressing effect on anyone experiencing it. Adolescent brain architecture is very sensitive to environmental adversities, and the mental health development of adolescents may be particularly vulnerable during the pandemic era. In order to better understand the triggers for perceived adolescent stress (PSS) during the COVID-19 lockdown, the present study aimed to assess the effects of social well-being and changes in time use during the lockdown, as well as the family COVID experience of adolescents.

Methods

The sample for this study comprised n = 3,440 adolescents (54.2% girls; mean age = 13.5 ± 1.6 years). Bayesian correlations between PSS, health and well-being variables were assessed. PSS was then modeled as an outcome variable in a series of nested Bayesian multilevel regression models.

Results

The negative impact of the COVID-19 lockdown was more apparent in girls. PSS was moderately correlated with adolescent health and well-being. The strongest predictor of higher level of PSS was frequent feeling of loneliness. On the contrary, lower level of PSS was most associated with having someone to talk to.

Conclusion

Long-term social isolation of adolescents could be harmful to their mental health. Psychological coping strategies to prevent the consequences of social isolation and development of mental health problems should be promoted on the individual, family, and even community level.

“I’m Often Alone”: An Ethnographic Study of School Loneliness and Bullying in a Swedish Elementary School

Background

Despite extensive work to prevent and reduce bullying interactions, bullying is still a prevalent problem in many schools. Children and youth also report that they feel involuntarily left out in school. While research has demonstrated the ways in which school bullying is connected to risk factors across different ecological layers or contexts, relatively little consideration has been given to aspects beyond the individuals directly involved in bullying situations, such as the exo, and macrosystem layers.

Objective

The aim of this study was to examine three pupils’ experiences of school loneliness and bullying. The following questions guided the study: (1) What are the pupils’ experiences of school loneliness and bullying? (2) How can the pupils’ experiences of school loneliness and bullying be understood beyond the individuals directly involved in the bullying situations?

Method

The research is based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted at one Swedish elementary school including 34 pupils and 7 teachers in two sixth-grade classes (i.e., ages 11–12). The findings presented in this article are based on a group interview with three pupils about their experiences of school loneliness and bullying. The interview responses are put into perspective using findings from the ethnographic fieldwork. The findings were analysed using methods from constructivist grounded theory and through the lens of Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory of human development as well as critical bullying studies.

Results

The findings of this study demonstrate the ways bullying interactions are tied to the different layers, or “settings”, of the bullying ecology as the pupils draw from a range of differential points of reference so as to socially evaluate themselves, their classmates, and their peers.

Conclusions

An important conclusion of the study is for principals, teachers, and other school personnel to consider more thoroughly the interdependent interplay of the bullying ecology.

Exploring psychological resilience of entrepreneurial college students for post-pandemic pedagogy: The mediating role of self-efficacy

The psychological impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on college students is an important topic. With the entry of the post-epidemic era, how universities can better improve students’ psychological resilience in teaching is the research topic of this article. In the form of a questionnaire survey, some entrepreneurial college students investigated the loneliness and psychological resilience of college students after the outbreak of the epidemic and explored the role of self-efficacy in it. The data is collected online through cooperation with an entrepreneurial event, and the participating students are asked for background information such as colleges, grade, and majors. After collecting this information, they answered a series of simplified scale questions about loneliness, self-efficacy, and psychological resilience. In the end, a total of 200 questionnaires from different universities were collected, and the structural equation model was used to explore the role of self-efficacy. The results show that: loneliness has a significant negative effect on Self-efficacy, β = -0.292, p < 0.001; Self-efficacy has a significant positive effect on psychological resilience, β = 0.556, p < 0.0 01; loneliness has a significant negative effect on psychological resilience, β = -0.244, p < 0.01. Self-Efficacy has a significant intermediate effect in loneliness and psychological resilience, with an effective value of -0.111 and p < 0.01. The results show that this exploratory survey finds it important to provide targeted personal self-efficacy improvement activities for college students with a strong sense of loneliness and to combine school and family education organically to help college students form a healthy and upward mentality to better cope with the unknown and troubles caused by the epidemic, which will help improve the psychological resilience of college students in the epidemic.

Loneliness, positive, negative and disorganised Schizotypy before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

Loneliness is common in psychosis and occurs along a continuum. Here we investigate inter-relationships between loneliness, three-dimensional schizotypy, and depressive symptoms before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The sample included 507 university students (48.3% participated before and 51.7% during the COVID-19 pandemic) who completed the Multidimensional Schizotypy Scale-Brief, the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms depression scale and the University of California, Los Angeles Loneliness Scale. Schizotypy and depression scores were regressed onto loneliness individually and in multiple regressions.

The cohorts did not differ in any of the schizotypy domains (all p > .29). Depressive symptoms (p = .05) and loneliness (p = .006) were higher during the pandemic than before. Across cohorts, loneliness was significantly associated with positive (β = 0.23, p < .001), negative (β = 0.44, p < .001), and disorganised schizotypy (β = 0.44, p < .001), and with depression (β = 0.72, p < .001). Schizotypy together explained a significant amount of variance in loneliness (R² = 0.26), with significant associations with positive (β = −0.09, p = .047), negative (β = 0.31, p < .001) and disorganised schizotypy (β = 0.34, p < .001). When depression was included (β = 0.69, p < .001), only positive (β = −0.09, p = .008) and negative schizotypy (β = 0.22, p < .001) significantly predicted loneliness.

When all schizotypy dimensions and depression were considered together, only negative schizotypy and depression significantly predicted loneliness. Loneliness and depressive symptoms were higher during the pandemic, but this did not relate to cohort differences in schizotypy.

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Loneliness is uniquely associated with negative schizotypy and depression, but not disorganised schizotypy.

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Certain aspects of positive schizotypy may protect against loneliness.

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Loneliness and depressive symptoms were higher in students during the COVID-19 pandemic than before.

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Cohorts of students assessed before and during the pandemic showed similar levels of schizotypy.

The impact of stay-at-home regulations on adolescents' feelings of loneliness and internalizing symptoms

INTRODUCTION

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the daily social lives of adolescents by severely limiting social interactions which likely heightened levels of loneliness and a variety of internalizing symptoms. However, little is known about how social distancing adherence and subsequent stress caused by the novel social regulations impact adolescents' feelings of loneliness, and later mental health difficulties, including anxiety and depression.

METHOD

To close this gap, we examined the impact of social distancing regulations on adolescents' (N = 79; M_age  = 16.16, SD = 1.15; 47 females; 23 males) depression and anxiety symptoms through loneliness by using data from a 5-week longitudinal study conducted on adolescents in the United States during the initial phases of COVID-19.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

Findings provided evidence that loneliness plays a unique mediating link between social distancing and symptoms of anxiety and depression. Overall, the present study highlights how social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted adolescents' mental health during a developmental period that is considered a turning point for psychopathology.

Interpersonal predictors of loneliness in Japanese children: variable- and person-centered approaches

BACKGROUND

Loneliness in children has been a major topic of interest in both clinical and developmental psychology. Further studies to investigate predictors of loneliness are needed for educational practices.

METHODS

A total of 1088 late elementary school-aged children (48.81% boys, M_age = 10.35) participated in a 1-year longitudinal survey. We used hierarchical linear modeling and mover-stayer latent transition analysis.

DISCUSSION

Findings from the variable- and person- centered approaches suggested that less positive peer relations, higher victimization, and higher relational aggression are predictors of higher future loneliness. Meanwhile, both approaches did not reach an agreement concerning predictors to reduce loneliness. This result highlighted a utility of a combined approach and sounded an alarm for overreliance on the variable-centered approach dominating child research.

CONCLUSION

To protect young children from loneliness, it will be more beneficial to prevent the development of loneliness rather than to apply interventions to reduce loneliness once established. Preventive practices need to be implemented to protect children from loneliness.

Young Adults' Loneliness and Depression During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Moderated Mediation Model

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in December 2019, millions of people have been infected with the disease. The COVID-19 pandemic also produced severe mental health problems, such as loneliness and depression. The present study aimed to examine the mediating role of cognitive reappraisal and moderating role of resilience in the relationship between young adults’ loneliness and depression during the pandemic by adopting a cross-sectional research approach. In March 2020, 654 young adults (18–29 years old) were recruited to complete the measures for loneliness, depression, emotion regulation, and resilience. Results found that loneliness was positively and moderately associated with depression (r = 0.531, p < 0.001), and that both loneliness and depression were separately negatively associated with cognitive reappraisal (r = −0.348, p < 0.001; r = −0.424, p < 0.001) and resilience (r = −0.436, p < 0.001; r = −0.419, p < 0.001). The results indicated that both loneliness and depression were not associated with expressive suppression (r = 0.067, p = 0.087; r = −0.002, p = 0.961). The moderated mediation model results revealed that only cognitive reappraisal partially mediated the relationship between loneliness and depression (b = −0.301; Boot 95% CI = −0.388, −0.215). In addition, the results of the moderated mediation model indicated that resilience moderated the association between loneliness and depression (b = 0.035, p < 0.001, Boot 95% CI = 0.014, 0.055), while also moderated the impact of cognitive reappraisal on depression (b = −0.031, p < 0.001, Boot 95% CI = −0.058, −0.005). These findings have practical implications that broaden our understanding of depression in young adults and shed light on how to enhance cognitive reappraisal and resilience as a means of combating depression in this age group during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The longitudinal interplay of depressive symptoms and loneliness: causal effects work in both directions and decay to zero before six years

Objective: Prior research on the longitudinal associations between depressive symptoms and loneliness has conflated between-person and within-person effects, resulting in confusion over causal influences. The present study used the random-intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM) to disentangle between-person from within-person sources of variance.Method: The study used a representative sample of adults older than 40 years from the German Ageing Survey (DEAS). To examine the influence of time lag on the strength of the predictive paths, analyses were conducted with lags of 3 and 6 years.Results: The results showed that, at the within-person level, auto-regressive and cross-lagged paths were significant with lag length of 3 years but not 6 years.Conclusion: It can be concluded that there is a reciprocal relationship between the variables that operates at intervals shorter than 6 years. However, the stable trait-like components of the variables account for much of the covariance between them. Recommendations include paying more attention to the factors that contribute to the stability of the 2 variables across time and situation in addition to short-term and symptom-focused interventions.

Adolescents' longitudinal trajectories of mental health and loneliness: The impact of COVID-19 school closures

INTRODUCTION

Longitudinal research examining the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) school closures on the mental health of adolescents is scarce. Prolonged periods of physical and social isolation because of such restrictions may have impacted heavily on adolescents' mental health and loneliness.

METHODS

The current study addresses a major gap by examining the impact of school closures on the mental health and loneliness of 785, 10- to 17-year-old Western Australian adolescents (mean age = 14.1, SD = 1.31), who were surveyed across four time points: twice before COVID-19, once as schools closed, and once post reopening of schools. Pre- and post-COVID-19 changes in mental health and loneliness were compared using linear mixed models. Random intercept cross-lagged panel models (RI-CLPMs) assessed temporal associations between loneliness, depression symptoms, and positive mental wellbeing.

RESULTS

Compared with pre-COVID-19 symptom levels, there were significant increases in depression symptoms, internalizing and externalizing symptoms, and a significant decrease in positive mental wellbeing at different points over time. Symptom change over time differed according to gender and pre-COVID-19 symptom severity. Significant increases in positive attitudes towards being alone and feelings of isolation occurred at different points over time. Gender differences were evident. RI-CLPMs highlighted the predictive significance of friendship quality and having a negative attitude towards being alone over time in relation to depression symptoms. A positive or negative attitude towards being alone was predictive of positive mental wellbeing over time.

CONCLUSION

Findings provide evidence that COVID-19-related school closures adversely affected adolescents' mental health and feelings of loneliness.