The separateness of social and emotional loneliness in childhood

Maternal alcohol dependence symptoms, maternal insensitivity to children's distress, and young children's blunted emotional reactivity

Maternal insensitivity to children's emotional distress (e.g., expressions of sadness or fearfulness) is one mechanism through which maternal alcohol dependence may increase children's risk for psychopathology. Although emotion dysregulation is consistently associated with psychopathology, it remains unclear how or why alcohol dependence's effects on caregiving responses to children's distress may impact children's emotion regulation over time, particularly in ways that may engender risks for psychopathology. This study examined longitudinal associations between lifetime maternal alcohol dependence symptoms, mothers' insensitivity to children's emotional distress cues, and children's emotional reactivity among 201 mother-child dyads (Mchild age = 2.14 years; 56% Black; 11% Latino). Structural equation modeling analyses revealed a significant mediational pathway such that maternal alcohol dependence predicted increases in mothers' insensitivity to children's emotional distress across a one-year period (β = .16, p = .013), which subsequently predicted decreases in children's emotional reactivity one year later (β = -.29, p = .009). Results suggest that mothers with alcohol dependence symptoms may struggle to sensitively respond to children's emotional distress, which may prompt children to suppress or hide their emotions as an adaptive, protective strategy. The potential developmental benefits and consequences of early, protective expressive suppression strategies are discussed via developmental psychopathology frameworks.

Unmasking Nuances Affecting Loneliness: Using Digital Behavioural Markers to Understand Social and Emotional Loneliness in College Students

Loneliness is a global issue which is particularly prevalent among college students, where it poses risks to mental health and academic success. Chronic loneliness can manifest in two primary forms: social loneliness, which is defined by a lack of belonging or a social network, and emotional loneliness, which comes from the absence of deep, meaningful connections. Differentiating between these forms is crucial for designing personalized and targeted interventions. Passive sensing technology offers a promising, unobtrusive approach to detecting loneliness by using behavioural data collected from smartphones and wearables. This study investigates behavioural patterns associated with social and emotional loneliness using passively sensed data from a student population. Our objectives were to (1) identify behavioural patterns linked to social and emotional loneliness, (2) evaluate the predictive power of these patterns for classifying loneliness types, and (3) determine the most significant digital markers used by machine learning models in loneliness prediction. Using statistical analysis, machine learning, and SHAP-based feature importance methods, we identified significant differences in behaviours between socially and Emotionally Lonely students. Specifically, there were distinct differences in phone use and location-based features. Our machine learning analysis shows a strong ability to classify types of loneliness accurately. The XGBoost model achieved the highest accuracy (78.48%) in predicting loneliness. Feature importance analysis found the critical role of phone usage and location-based features in distinguishing between social and emotional loneliness.

Temporal associations of emotional and social loneliness and psychosocial functioning in emerging adulthood

Emerging adulthood is an important developmental phase often accompanied by peaks in loneliness, social anxiety, and depression. However, knowledge is lacking on how the relationships between emotional loneliness, social loneliness, social isolation, social anxiety and depression evolve over time. Gaining insight in these temporal relations is crucial for our understanding of how these problems arise and maintain each other across time. Young adults from a university sample (N = 1,357; M = 23.60 years, SD = 6.30) filled out questionnaires on emotional and social loneliness, social isolation, depressive and social anxiety symptoms at three time points within a 3-year period. Random intercept cross-lagged panel models were used to disentangle reciprocal and prospective associations of loneliness subtypes, social isolation, depressive and social anxiety symptoms across time. Results showed that on the within-person level, increases in emotional and social loneliness as well as social isolation predicted higher depression levels on later timepoints. Increases in depressive symptoms also predicted increases in subsequent social loneliness, but not in emotional loneliness. Finally, increases in depressive symptoms predicted increases in social isolation. There were no significant temporal relations between loneliness and social isolation on the one hand and social anxiety symptoms on the other hand. Social distancing imposed by COVID-19 related government restrictions may have impacted the current results. The findings suggest that emotional and social loneliness precede development of depressive symptoms, which in turn precedes development of social loneliness and social isolation, indicating a potential vicious cycle of social loneliness, social isolation and depressive symptoms in emerging adulthood. Social anxiety did not precede nor follow loneliness, depressive symptoms, or social isolation. The current study sheds more light on the temporal order of loneliness and psychopathological symptoms and hereby assists in identifying times where prevention and intervention efforts may be especially helpful to counter development of depression and loneliness.

The Role of School Connectedness and Friend Contact in Adolescent Loneliness, and Implications for Physical Health

The current study investigated how adolescents' loneliness relates to school connectedness, classmate support, teacher support, and offline and online communication with friends. We also examined the association between loneliness, physical health, and sleep. Data came from the Scottish Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC). The total sample was 2983 adolescents (F = 1479 [49.6%]) aged 14-17 years (M = 15.66, SD = 0.39) from 117 secondary schools in Scotland. Results showed that (1) higher teacher support, classmate support, and offline contact with friends predicted lower levels of loneliness, (2) online friendship engagement predicted higher levels of loneliness, and (3) poor health and sleep were positively associated with loneliness. The study offers new findings, highlighting the role played by classmates/peers and teachers in reducing loneliness. Supporting previous research, we also found associations between loneliness, poor sleep, and worse physical health.

Differences in Interpersonal Resources and Risk Factors Among Mothers and Fathers of Children on the Autism Spectrum: A Serial Mediation Model

Mothers and fathers of children on the autism spectrum may differ in their perception of their interpersonal resources and risk factors. Fathers (114) and mothers (507) of children on the autism spectrum participated in the study. Fathers (vs. mothers) reported lower interpersonal resources (interpersonal emotion regulation and perceived support from friends and formal sources, but not family) and higher levels of interpersonal risk factors (social, not emotional, loneliness). A serial mediation model indicated that parents' gender predicted interpersonal emotion regulation which in turn related to parents' social loneliness directly and indirectly through perceived social support. Fathers of children on the autism spectrum may differ from mothers in perceptions of interpersonal resources and risk factors related to parents' social belonging needs.

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.

Depressive symptoms and loneliness among early adolescents: a psychometric network analysis approach

BACKGROUND

Previous studies demonstrate a high prevalence of depression and loneliness among adolescents. Although they often co-occur, the relationship between symptoms of depression and loneliness remains poorly understood. This study investigates: (a) the symptoms of depression that are connected to loneliness; (b) the role played by loneliness in the network of depression symptoms; and (c) whether the method used to measure loneliness (single-item direct or multi-item indirect) affects the relationship of loneliness with depressive symptoms.

METHODS

Participants were 496 Polish adolescents (50.8% girls) aged 11 to 13, who completed: (a) the 10-item Major Depressive Disorder subscale of the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale; (b) the 11-item De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale (indirect loneliness), and (c) a single direct question evaluating loneliness: 'I'm lonely'. Networks were estimated using a Gaussian Graphical Model.

RESULTS

Loneliness shows a direct relationship with three affective symptoms of depression: sadness, worthlessness, and anhedonia, which mediate relationships with somatic symptoms. In contrast to previous studies, loneliness has the lowest level of centrality among all elements of the network. The method used to assess loneliness did not significantly affect the connections between loneliness and depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Loneliness and depression overlap since they are formed by the same cognitive biases and deficits in emotion regulation but differ in the level of generality. In loneliness, they have an interpersonal context, while symptoms of depression can be intrapersonal. This helps us to understand why cognitive interventions, as compared to those which are social, are more effective in reducing loneliness.

The contribution of objective and perceived crime to neighbourhood socio-inequity in loneliness

Loneliness tends to be more prevalent in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighbourhoods, yet few studies explore the environmental differences contributing to area-based inequity in loneliness. This study examined how perceived and objective crime contributed to differences in loneliness between advantaged and disadvantaged neighbourhoods. The study used cross-sectional data from 3749 individuals aged between 48 and 77 years, residing in 200 neighbourhoods in Brisbane, Australia. We found that participants in disadvantaged neighbourhoods reported higher levels of loneliness and perceived crime, and the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods also had highest prevalence of objective crime. However, while perceived and objective crime were positively correlated with loneliness, only perceived crime accounted for socio-economic inequity in loneliness. Consequently, perceived crime plays an important role in addressing loneliness in disadvantaged communities and requires equitable resourcing for multiple strategies that aim to decrease crime and increase perceived safety.

Emotional Loneliness, Suicidal Ideation, and Alexithymia in Adolescents Who Commit Child-to-Parent Violence

The objective of this research was to explore the relationship between involvement in child-to-parent violence (CPV) and the development of emotional loneliness, suicidal ideation, and alexithymia based on sex; 1,928 adolescents of both sexes participated (50.5% males and 49.5% females), aged between 12 and 18 years (M = 14. 67, SD = 1.77), enrolled in four educational centers in Spain. A multivariate analysis of variance (3 × 2 MANOVA) was applied using sex and CPV levels as independent variables. Univariate analyses were carried out to explore the significant relationships detected. Results showed that the adolescents with higher CPV scored higher in emotional loneliness, suicidal ideation, and alexithymia. Girls showed a greater prevalence of CPV at the medium and high levels. An interaction of sex and CPV with alexithymia was detected. Girls with high and moderate values of CPV presented a higher level of alexithymia. These results provide novel information in the field of CPV. Previous research has placed the main focus of analysis on the adolescents' behavior problems and not so much on their perceptions of personal adjustment and their emotional experiences. The information presented in this study contributes to achieve a more precise definition of the profile of adolescent who assault their parents for better prevention of CPV.

Birth order and pediatric traumatic brain injury

Pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a significant problem of public health importance worldwide. Large population-based studies on the effect of birth order on health phenomena are exceedingly rare. This study examines the relationship between birth order and risk for pediatric TBI among sibling groups. We performed a retrospective cohort study following 59,469 Finnish newborns from 1987 until age 18 years. Data on first diagnosis of TBI was recorded within the 1987 Finnish Birth Cohort (FBC). Compared with first born siblings, later born siblings had an increased risk of TBI during the follow-up period (hazard ratio [HR] 1.02; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.91–1.14 for second born, HR 1.09; 95% CI 0.95 1.26 for third born, HR 1.28; 95% CI 1.08–1.53 for fourth or higher). When adjusted for sex and maternal age at child’s birth, HRs (95% CIs) for TBI during the follow-up period were 1.12 (0.99–1.26) for second born, 1.31 (1.12–1.53) for third born and 1.61 (1.33–1.95) for fourth born or higher children, respectively. Within this large register-based population-wide study, order of birth modified risk for pediatric TBI among sibling groups. Taken together, these study findings may serve to stimulate further inquiry into genetic, psychological, or psychosocial factors which underlie differences in risk and depth of effect within and between sibling groups.

Loneliness From the Adolescent Perspective: A Qualitative Analysis of Conversations About Loneliness Between Adolescents and Childline Counselors

There is limited qualitative research on the experience of loneliness in adolescence, meaning key facets of the loneliness experience that are important in adolescence may have been overlooked. The current study addresses that gap in the literature and explores how loneliness is experienced in the context of adolescence from the perspective of adolescents. About 67 online counseling conversations between Childline counselors and adolescents (ages 12–18 years; 70% females) who had contacted Childline to talk about loneliness were analyzed using Thematic Framework Analysis to establish commonalities and salient issues involved in adolescent experiences of loneliness. Young people considered loneliness to be an intense experience that negatively impacted their daily lives. Experiences of loneliness revolved around difficulties with peer relationships, but turmoil at home worsened those experiences. Young people often employed short-term coping strategies that distracted them from loneliness. Issues with trusting others and self-worth acted as barriers to seeking long-term help. Recommendations include (1) the training of teachers and parents to recognize and support young people experiencing loneliness and (2) further research to establish the coping strategies that are used by adolescents who successfully overcome loneliness.

Pre-Pandemic Peer Relations Predict Adolescents' Internalizing Response to Covid-19

The goal of the current longitudinal study was to investigate the role of adolescents' peer victimization and aggression prior to COVID-19 on the change in their depressive and anxious symptoms from pre- to mid-pandemic. We hypothesized that, although adolescents overall would display an increase in internalizing symptoms from pre- to mid-pandemic, this response would be weakened or perhaps even reversed when adolescents experienced high levels of victimization or aggression prior to the pandemic. Participants included 96 racially/ethnically diverse adolescents (42 males, 53 females; 1 other) with an average age of 16.79 years (SD = 0.60). At Time 1 (T1; June 2019 through February 2020; pre-pandemic), adolescents completed self-report measures of their peer relations (aggression, victimization) and internalizing symptoms (depressive, anxious). At Time 2 (T2; May through July 2020; mid-pandemic), adolescents completed self-report measures of their internalizing symptoms (depressive, anxious). On average, adolescents' anxious and depressive symptoms increased from T1 to T2, although they exhibited substantial variability, with reports ranging from decreasing symptoms to increasing symptoms. Although on average adolescents reported increases in anxious symptoms from T1 to T2, adolescents with higher T1 peer victimization reported less positive change in anxious symptoms. Similarly, although on average adolescents reported increases in depressive symptoms from T1 to T2, adolescents with higher levels of T1 aggression reported less positive change in depressive symptoms from T1 to T2. Discussion focused on restrictions on in-person peer interactions necessitated by COVID-19 that may reduce adolescents' distress when their pre-pandemic daily lives were characterized by negative peer relations.

Loneliness during COVID-19: Development and influencing factors

In early pandemic waves, when vaccination against COVID-19 was not yet an option, distancing and reduced social contact were the most effective measures to slow down the pandemic. Changes in frequency and forms of social contact have reduced the spread of the COVID-19 virus and thus saved lives, yet there is increasing evidence for negative side effects such as mental health issues. In the present study, we investigate the development of loneliness and its predictors to examine the role of changes in social networks due to social distancing and other COVID-19-related life changes. A total of 737 participants (age range = 18-81 years) completed an online survey in three waves during the last quarter of 2020 at one-month intervals. Latent growth and multilevel modeling revealed that emotional loneliness increased over time, while social loneliness remained stable. Moreover, socially lonely individuals were likely to also develop emotional loneliness over time. Increased social distancing and sanitary measures were accompanied by decreased social interactions and loss of individuals considered SOS contacts and confidants. Changes in specific social network indicators were differentially associated with changes in emotional vs social loneliness: Loss of friends considered confidants was associated with increasing emotional loneliness, whereas loss of friends considered SOS contacts and reduced overall social interactions were related to increasing social loneliness. Lastly, individuals with more family-and-friend SOS contacts, more friends as confidants and an overall higher number of social interactions were more protected from feeling socially or emotionally lonely. Study findings enhance the understanding of underlying mechanisms differentially contributing to social and emotional loneliness and offer practical suggestions to reduce mental-health side effects of social distancing.

Development of information dissemination methods that contribute to improving maternal and child healthcare using social networking sites: a community-based cross-sectional study in Japan

BACKGROUND

In recent years, feelings of isolation among mothers caring for small children has become a significant social issue in Japan. The purpose of this study is to develop a message to alleviate their loneliness, to evaluate the impact of social networking sites (SNS) for delivering such messages, and to propose means of more effective information transmission to promote health for mothers raising small children.

METHODS

Our study was conducted in two stages, first an interview and then a cross-sectional study of the mothers involving a questionnaire survey. The interview was targeted two public-health nurses caring for mothers. Based on these interviews, we developed six messages intended to alleviate the mothers' sense of loneliness, which were vetted by seven mothers. The second stage was to conduct a questionnaire survey of mothers both before and after our selected message as advertisement on Instagram and analyzed the effect. The surveys were collected during routine child health check-ups in the City of Takatsuki, Japan.

RESULTS

From the six draft messages created based on interviews with public health nurses, we selected the message that most relieves the feeling of loneliness of the mothers who are raising small children. The survey questionnaire was taken by 494 mothers prior to our posting of Instagram advertisements (ads), and afterwards by 419 mothers. The percentage of mothers feeling loneliness tended to decrease after reading the messages (before ads.:8.1%, after ads.:5.8%). 8.6% of the mothers (36/419) remembered seeing the Instagram ads. Mothers with financial anxiety were significantly more likely to have remembered seeing the Instagram ads (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results indicate that usefulness of SNS messaging for mothers raising small children may reduce their feeling of loneliness. Among the SNS, disseminating child-rearing information on Instagram may be more effective for people with financial instability.

Exploring the Mechanism of Pathological Gaming in Adolescents: Focused on the Mediation Paths and Latent Group Comparison

Pathological gaming among adolescents has been reported to hamper the achievement of a balanced life and to threaten the development of social competencies. Despite the increasing social concerns on the adolescent users, however, the mechanism of gaming behavior of adolescents has not been sufficiently examined. This study explored the mechanism of pathological gaming among adolescents from 3-year longitudinal data of 778 Korean adolescent gamers, by analyzing the effects of negative affects (i.e., anxiety, loneliness, and academic stress) on the degree of pathological gaming through the mediation variables (i.e., aggression and self-control) based on the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) framework. Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to uncover potential risk groups, and through partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis, the mediation pathways to pathological gaming were compared between the risk group and the non-risk group. The results highlighted the key role of academic stress on the degree of pathological gaming. In the entire group, academic stress primarily increased pathological gaming through self-control. The mediation path of self-control was the most influential result in the risk group. Aggression was the key mediator between loneliness and pathological gaming in the non-risk group. The theoretical and practical implications of the results were discussed.

The Missing Measure of Loneliness: A Case for Including Neededness in Loneliness Scales

Prominent tools used to measure loneliness such as the UCLA Scale and DJGS include no items related to being needed, i.e., neededness. More recent scales such as the DLS and SELSA do include items on neededness, but only within their romantic loneliness subscales. This paper proposes that new iterations of loneliness scales should include in all subscales two items on neededness: (a) whether a person feels important to someone else and (b) whether that person has good ways to serve others’ well-being. The paper surveys cognate studies that do not rely on loneliness scales but establish a link between neededness and feelings of social connection. It then highlights ways in which neededness items would improve the ability of loneliness scales to specify the risk profile, to delineate variations in the emotional tone and quality of loneliness, and to propose suitable interventions. The paper outlines a theoretical argument—drawing on moral philosophy—that prosociality and being needed are non-contingent, morally urgent human needs, postulating that the protective benefits of neededness vary according to at least four factors: the significance, persistence, non-instrumentality, and non-fungibility of the ways in which a person is needed. Finally, the paper considers implications for the design of appropriate remedies for loneliness.

Loneliness: An Immunometabolic Syndrome

Loneliness has been defined as an agonizing encounter, experienced when the need for human intimacy is not met adequately, or when a person’s social network does not match their preference, either in number or attributes. This definition helps us realize that the cause of loneliness is not merely being alone, but rather not being in the company we desire. With loneliness being introduced as a measurable, distinct psychological experience, it has been found to be associated with poor health behaviors, heightened stress response, and inadequate physiological repairing activity. With these three major pathways of pathogenesis, loneliness can do much harm; as it impacts both immune and metabolic regulation, altering the levels of inflammatory cytokines, growth factors, acute-phase reactants, chemokines, immunoglobulins, antibody response against viruses and vaccines, and immune cell activity; and affecting stress circuitry, glycemic control, lipid metabolism, body composition, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular function, cognitive function and mental health, respectively. Taken together, there are too many immunologic and metabolic manifestations associated with the construct of loneliness, and with previous literature showcasing loneliness as a distinct psychological experience and a health determinant, we propose that loneliness, in and of itself, is not just a psychosocial phenomenon. It is also an all-encompassing complex of systemic alterations that occur with it, expanding it into a syndrome of events, linked through a shared network of immunometabolic pathology. This review aims to portray a detailed picture of loneliness as an “immunometabolic syndrome”, with its multifaceted pathology.

Relationships Between Children's Shyness, Play Disconnection, and Loneliness: Moderating Effect of Children's Perceived Child-Teacher Intimate Relationship

Loneliness is a significant problem that predicts immediate and long-term negative outcomes for young children. This study examines the mediating effect of children's play disconnection on the relationship between their shyness and loneliness, as well as the moderating effect of children's perceived child-teacher intimate relationship on the relationships between child shyness, play disconnection, and loneliness. Participants include 171 4 to 6 year old South Korean children and their teachers and mothers. Children's teachers were asked to respond to the questions measuring child shyness and play disconnection, and the mothers assisted their children to answer the questions measuring child loneliness and child-teacher intimate relationship. The results of the study are as follows. First, child shyness affected loneliness via play disconnection. Second, child-teacher intimate relationship moderated the relationships between child shyness and loneliness and between child shyness and play disconnection. However, the association between play disconnection and loneliness was not moderated by child-teacher intimate relationship. The findings of the study suggest that teachers not only provide shy children with emotional support but also build affectionate and intimate relationships with them to support their peer play and to reduce their feelings of loneliness.

Brief induction of loneliness decreases vagal regulation during social information processing

Perceived social isolation, or loneliness, has been repeatedly linked to numerous adverse health outcomes. Much effort has been directed towards elucidating the mechanisms underlying its effects on the cardiovascular system, which may explain the deleterious effects on morbidity and mortality. It has been previously suggested that perceived social isolation can impair effective parasympathetic regulation and physiological adjustment to the demands of the social environment. Thus, the present study aimed at investigating the causal impact of an induction of loneliness on vagal activity during social stimuli processing. In the study, participants (N = 119) were led to anticipate either a future filled with satisfying relationships (Future Belong) or a lonely life (Future Alone). Then, they were asked to complete an implicit emotion regulation task while their cardiovascular activity was recorded. In the Future Belong group, a pattern of vagal suppression was observed between the resting period and task completion, which was followed by vagal recovery during the post-task resting period. However, in the Future Alone group, a change from the baseline HRV was observed only at the beginning of the task, but not during its consecutive stages. Moreover, in participants who believed in the given FA feedback, the initial vagal suppression was absent. These findings provide evidence that even a brief induction of loneliness can result in a blunted vagal suppression during social information processing. It can be hypothesized that the lack of the ability to regulate vagal activity while processing social cues may potentially underlie problems with social engagement and self-control.

The mediating role of adolescents' loneliness and social withdrawal in the association between maternal depressive symptoms and suicidality in adolescence: A 20-year population-based study

We examined whether adolescents' loneliness and social withdrawal mediated the association between maternal depressive symptoms and adolescent suicidality. Secondary analyses on the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development data were conducted (n = 1,623). Each mother completed the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (at child ages 5 months, 1.5, 3.5, 5, and 7 years). Adolescent's social withdrawal (adolescent, father, and teacher reported at 10, 12, and 13 years) and loneliness (adolescent reported at 10, 12, and 13 years), were assessed using items from the Social Behavior Questionnaire and the Loneliness and Social Satisfaction Questionnaire, respectively. Adolescents completed self-reports to assess suicidal thoughts and attempts at 13, 15, 17, and 20 years. Children of mothers with higher levels of maternal depressive symptoms had an increased risk for suicidality (OR = 1.15, 95% CI: 1.03-1.28). Loneliness explained 16% of the total effect of maternal depressive symptoms on adolescent suicidality (indirect effect OR = 1.02, 95% CI: 1.00-1.04). There was no indirect effect of maternal depressive symptoms on adolescent suicidal outcomes via social withdrawal (indirect effect OR = 1.00, 95% CI: 0.99-1.02). Interventions that target loneliness may be beneficial for decreasing the risk for suicidality among adolescents of mothers with depressive symptoms.

Spotting Loneliness at School: Associations between Self-Reports and Teacher and Peer Nominations

In two independent studies, we aimed to examine the extent to which teacher and peer nominations of loneliness are associated with children’s and adolescents’ self-reported loneliness, respectively. Additionally, we examined whether loneliness nominations from teachers and peers were informative above and beyond peer status and social behaviors associated with loneliness. In Study 1 (N = 1594, M_age = 9.43 years), teacher nominations of loneliness showed a small to moderate correlation with children’s self-reported loneliness as assessed using the Loneliness and Social Dissatisfaction Questionnaire (LSDQ). The results of a hierarchical regression analysis showed that teacher nominations of loneliness predicted children’s self-reported loneliness above and beyond teacher nominations of peer status and social behaviors. In Study 2 (N = 350, M_age = 13.81 years), peer nominations of loneliness showed a small to moderate correlation with adolescents’ self-reported loneliness as assessed using the peer-related loneliness subscale of the Loneliness and Aloneness Scale for Children and Adolescents (LACA). The results of a hierarchical regression analysis showed that peer nominations of loneliness predicted adolescents’ self-reported loneliness above and beyond peer nominations of peer status and social behaviors. We conclude that loneliness nominations are valuable, but caution is needed when they are used exclusively to identify lonely children and adolescents.

Desolated milieu: exploring the trajectory of workplace loneliness (2006-2019)

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to trace the trajectory of research done exclusively on the topic of Workplace Loneliness from 2006 to 2019. Based on the content analysis of 29 articles, this paper critically assesses, summarizes and consolidates the existing body of knowledge in the field of workplace loneliness.

Design/methodology/approach

This review is organized around five major themes – origin and the conceptual grounding of the construct; emergence of the concept of workplace loneliness, conceptualizations and overlap with the related constructs; measurement tools and techniques; analysis of its predictors, outcomes, mediators and moderators; and development of an integrated model specifying the nomological network of workplace loneliness for clarifying the current state of thinking and guiding future research in the area.

Findings

The concept of workplace loneliness started receiving attention from the year 2006 and gained momentum in 2016. The studies from wide range of countries show that workplace loneliness is not restricted to one geographical location but is a phenomenon that affects people and economies around the world. The review highlights the conceptualization and measurement challenges along with the need for theoretical development of the field. Further, the existing literature fails to provide a comprehensive picture of the predictors, underlying processes, contingencies and outcomes of workplace loneliness.

Originality/value

This study being one of the rare attempts to consolidate the existing body of knowledge on loneliness at work will provide academicians and practitioners with a comprehensive account of the state of research and development on an important and yet neglected issue of workplace loneliness.

El Perfeccionismo Desadaptativo como Predictor de la Soledad y del Escaso Apoyo Social Percibido en Niños y Niñas Argentinos

El presente estudio se propuso conocer si el perfeccionismo infantil desadaptativo (en sus dimensiones Auto-Orientado, Socialmente Prescrito y Orientado a Otros) predice los sentimientos de soledad y la percepción de apoyo social, y si estos resultados varían según el sexo de los menores. Se seleccionó una muestra intencional compuesta por 364 niños y niñas argentinos de entre 9 y 12 años (M=10.26; DE=1.08), quienes completaron pruebas psicológicas creadas o adaptadas al país de origen. Análisis de regresión lineal múltiple indicaron que el perfeccionismo desadaptativo predice la soledad en relación con los pares, la afinidad por la soledad y el escaso apoyo social percibido. Asimismo, se hallaron variaciones en los patrones de predicción según el sexo. Se concluye que el perfeccionismo desadaptativo deteriora la vida social de niños y niñas, lo que podría aumentar la vulnerabilidad para el desarrollo de desenlaces negativos

Brain volumes in relation to loneliness and social competence in preadolescents born very preterm

INTRODUCTION

The aim of the present study was to assess how regional brain volumes associate with self-experienced social and emotional loneliness and social competence in very preterm and term-born preadolescents.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Thirty-four very preterm subjects (birthweight ≤1,500 g and/or gestational age <32 weeks) without neurodevelopmental impairments and/or major brain pathologies and 31 term-born subjects underwent magnetic resonance imaging at 12 years of age. Regional brain volumes were measured using an automated image quantification tool. At 11 years of age, social and emotional loneliness were assessed with the Peer Network and Dyadic Loneliness Scale-self-report questionnaire and cooperating skills, empathy, impulsivity, and disruptiveness with the Multisource Assessment of Children's Social Competence Scale-self-report questionnaire.

RESULTS

In the very preterm group, a number of significant associations were found between smaller regional brain volumes and self-experienced emotional loneliness, more impulsivity and more disruptiveness. In the control group, brain volumes and loneliness were not associated, and brain volumes and social competence were associated with a lesser degree than in the very preterm group.

CONCLUSION

Experiences of emotional loneliness and poorer social competence appear to be more related to brain volumes in very preterm preadolescents than in those born full-term. It also appears that in very preterm preadolescents, emotional loneliness may be more reflected in brain development than social loneliness.

Loneliness in adolescence: Confirmatory factor analysis of the relational provisions loneliness questionnaire (RPLQ) in a Portuguese sample

The present study assesses the factor structure, psychometric adequacy, and invariance across sex and age of the Relational Provisions Loneliness Questionnaire (RPLQ). Discriminant validity with an external criterion was also tested. In a sample of Portuguese adolescents, from 7th to 9th grade ( N = 817), Confirmatory Factor Analyses (CFA) were conducted to test a four-factor model of loneliness (lack of integration and/or intimacy in peer group and/or family). Results evidenced empirical support for the structure of the RPLQ loneliness scale, which fitted very well the proposed model, and provided adequate fit to the Portuguese data. There was substantial support for the construct validity (factorial, convergent, and discriminant) and reliability of the RPLQ. Measurement invariance (configural, metric, and scalar) was established across sex and age. Finally, it was assured discriminant validity, provided by the contrast with the social functioning dimensions in peer group. Overall, our findings support the conceptualization of loneliness in adolescence by peer- and family-related loneliness through lack of integration and intimacy. In a single instrument, the RPLQ loneliness scale combines measures of four important aspects of adolescents’ social life. This seems to be an adequate instrument to be used in the study of adolescents’ loneliness, in its different forms and across relational contexts.

When friends behave badly: Loneliness and children's expectations of friends and responses to transgressions

Previous research has shown that friendships buffer against loneliness, but some children remain lonely despite having best friends. The current study examines relationships between loneliness and Friendship Functions, expectations, and responses to friendship transgressions in children with best friends (8-11 years; N = 177). Children completed questionnaires that measured loneliness, fulfilment of Friendship Functions, Friendship Expectations, and the Transgressions of Friendship Expectations Questionnaire (MacEvoy & Asher, Child Development, 83, 2012, 104). Findings in the current study showed that loneliness was associated with lower Friendship Expectations and higher reliable alliance in existing best friendships. Loneliness was also associated with lower sadness and lower perceptions of feeling controlled and devalued by their friend when they transgress. Thus, children with best friends experiencing high loneliness may be more permissiveness of friendship transgressions and may need support to ensure that they do not allow their friends to be unfair to them. Statement of contribution What is already known on the subject? Friendships buffer children from loneliness, but some remain lonely despite having friends. Loneliness has been associated with poor-quality friendships. But there is no examination of why children remain lonely when they have friends. What the present study adds? Lonely children overemphasize friendship qualities that help to maintain the relationship. Loneliness was linked to expectations of being friends with less popular and well-liked peers. Lonely children placed less blame on their friends when they violated Friendship Expectations.

The Role of Emotional Intelligence in the Maintenance of Depression Symptoms and Loneliness Among Children

Identifying factors that predict the maintenance of depression and loneliness in children is important for intervention design. Whilst emotional intelligence (EI) has been identified as a predictor of mental health, research examining how both trait and ability EI contribute to long-term patterns of symptomatology in children is markedly absent. We examined the impact of both TEI and AEI on the maintenance of loneliness and depressive symptoms over 1 year in children aged 9-11 years. Two hundred and thirteen children (54% male) completed the TEIQue-CF and the MSCEIT-YV at the first time point of the study, and the Child Depression Inventory and the Loneliness and Aloneness Scale for Children and Adolescents at Time 1 and, again, 1 year later. Findings indicate that emotional skills (AEI) are important for predicting the maintenance of depressive symptoms and loneliness in children over 1 year; emotional self-competency (TEI) is less influential, only contributing to long-term loneliness in girls. Moreover, whilst deficiencies in the ability to perceive and understand emotions were predictive of prolonged symptomatology, so, too, were proficiencies in using emotion to facilitate thinking and emotion management. Those findings carry important implications for EI theory and future research. They also indicate that EI interventions tailored to groups of "at risk" school children may be useful for reducing specific profiles of internalizing symptoms. Programs targeting AEI skills may be universally helpful for reducing the likelihood that depressive symptoms and loneliness will be maintained over time in middle childhood; girls at risk for prolonged loneliness would additionally benefit from opportunities to bolster TEI.

Maternal and Child Sexual Abuse History: An Intergenerational Exploration of Children's Adjustment and Maternal Trauma-Reflective Functioning

Objective: The aim of the current study was to investigate associations, unique and interactive, between mothers’ and children’s histories of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and children’s psychiatric outcomes using an intergenerational perspective. Further, we were particularly interested in examining whether maternal reflective functioning about their own trauma (T-RF) was associated with a lower likelihood of children’s abuse exposure (among children of CSA-exposed mothers).

Methods: One hundred and eleven children (M_age = 9.53 years; 43 sexual abuse victims) and their mothers (M_age = 37.99; 63 sexual abuse victims) participated in this study. Mothers completed the Parent Development Interview (PDI), which yielded assessments of RF regarding their own experiences of abuse, and also reported on their children’s internalizing and externalizing symptoms.

Results: Children of CSA-exposed mothers were more likely to have experienced CSA. A key result was that among CSA-exposed mothers, higher maternal T-RF regarding their own abuse was associated with lower likelihood of child CSA-exposure. Mothers’ and children’s CSA histories predicted children’s internalizing and externalizing symptoms, such that CSA exposure for mother or child was associated with greater symptomatology in children.

Conclusion: The findings show that the presence of either maternal or child CSA is associated with more child psychological difficulties. Importantly in terms of identifying potential protective factors, maternal T-RF is associated with lower likelihood of CSA exposure in children of CSA-exposed mothers. We discuss these findings in the context of the need for treatments focusing on increasing T-RF in mothers and children in the context of abuse to facilitate adaptation and reduce the intergenerational risk.

Correlates of mental disorders among minority Arab adolescents in Israel: results from the Galilee Study

BACKGROUND

The Galilee Study is the first large epidemiological study to compare correlates of mental disorders between two Arab Palestinian minority groups of adolescents in Israel.

METHODS

A two-stage cross-sectional study, carried out between 2012 and 2014, included all 9th grade students from 5 Arab localities, representative of 77% of the Muslim and 100% of Druze citizens in Israel. During the screening stage, 1639 students completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire in the classroom (response rate = 69.3%). During the follow-up stage, 704 adolescent-mother dyads were interviewed at home; using the Development and Well-Being Assessment, the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ)-12, the Subjective Feeling of Discrimination Index (FDI), and socio-demographic questions (response rate = 84.4%).

RESULTS

Prevalence of any disorder, internalizing or externalizing disorders among Muslim adolescents were 19.2, 15.8 and 4.2%, respectively and among Druze adolescents 10.9, 5.9 and 5.5%, respectively. Muslim adolescents were 3.2 times more likely than Druze adolescents to have an internalizing disorder, while Druze were 2 times more likely than Muslim to have an externalizing disorder. Males were at higher risk than females for externalizing disorders in both populations, though among Druze the risk was more striking. Learning disabilities increased the likelihood of having an externalizing disorder in both populations. Risk factors for internalizing disorders among Muslim adolescents were female gender, a very low socio-economic level, few siblings, LD, high maternal GHQ-12 score and high FDI; and for externalizing disorders, male gender, a relatively low socio-economic level but not the lowest, learning disability and high maternal GHQ-12 score.

CONCLUSIONS

We found an association between religion/ethnicity and internalizing and externalizing disorders as well as a strong correlation between religion/ethnicity and socio-economic variables. Therefore, we tend to conclude that not religion per se but the multifaceted socio-cultural and economic factors that characterize religious groups are associated with mental disorders. Very low socio-economic level and feeling discriminated which were traits connected only to Muslim adolescents, were associated with internalizing disorders. When preparing preventive measures aimed at furthering mental health among minority adolescents, authorities should focus on improving the socio-economic status of minorities and reducing institutional and personal discrimination. The educational and mental health establishments could undertake measures to improve resilience and coping strategies of Muslim families living in the most adverse conditions, such as providing special support through the school counseling services and coordinating, at the ministerial levels, school and community health services in order to carry out joint preventive programs and referrals to specialist services when needed.

Impact of an online depression prevention intervention on suicide risk factors for adolescents and young adults

BACKGROUND

Adolescent death by suicide is an emergent health crisis in the United States of America. Although many suicide prevention programs have been created to address suicide in this population, rates continue to increase. Online interventions can disseminate treatments world-wide and reach large numbers of users. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of CATCH-IT, an Internet-based depression prevention intervention on risk factors for suicide (i.e., suicidal ideation, hopelessness, low self-esteem and social isolation).

METHODS

A total of 83 participants aged 14-21 years [mean =17.5; standard deviation (SD) =2.04] consented to take part in the intervention study.

RESULTS

Results indicated that suicidal ideation decreased from baseline to post-intervention. For those who completed the entire CATCH-IT program, the effect size was moderate (d =0.60, P<0.05). For those who partially completed the program the effect size was small (d =0.22, P<0.05). Interestingly, scales measuring hopelessness and social isolation were not associated with changes in suicidal ideation.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings provide initial evidence that online depression prevention programs could be related to decreased suicidal ideation, and that those who complete the entire program may benefit more than those who complete only a part of CATCH-IT.

Loneliness and friendships among eight-year-old children: time-trends over a 24-year period

BACKGROUND

Loneliness in childhood has a wide range of negative consequences for well-being and mental health later in life. This study reports time-trends in children's loneliness and the association between children's loneliness and psychiatric symptoms over a 24-year period.

METHODS

Information on 3,749 eight-year-old Finnish-speaking children born in 1981, 1991, 1997, and 2004 was gathered at four time points from the area covered by Turku University Hospital in southwest Finland. The actual numbers of participants at these time points were 986 (1989), 891 (1999), 930 (2005), and 942 (2013), with participation rates of 86%-95%. The study design and methods were similar at every time point. Information on children's loneliness and friendships was obtained from the children and also parents and teachers evaluated how many friends children had and their psychiatric symptoms.

RESULTS

Approximately 20% of the children reported loneliness at each time point, 5% always felt lonely, and 25% wished they had more friends. Conduct and emotional problems, and hyperactivity were independently associated with loneliness in the multiple-regression analysis. The strength of these associations remained at similar levels over the 24-year study period. Living in a nonnuclear family, parents with a lower level of vocational education, and negative life events among the girls in the study were all associated with loneliness.

CONCLUSIONS

Loneliness was a common phenomenon in childhood, and no notable changes were found during the 24-year study period. Psychiatric symptoms were strongly associated with loneliness. It is important to pay attention to children's loneliness and make it an integral part of school health care. Further epidemiological research is needed.

Academic achievements, behavioral problems, and loneliness as predictors of social skills among students with and without learning disorders

This study aimed to examine to what extent academic achievements, learning disorders, behavior problems and loneliness explain the variance of students’ social skills. The differences between students diagnosed with learning disorders and students without learning disorders in all four variables were examined. Participants were 733 elementary students (642 without LD; 91 with LD). Homeroom teachers assessed students’ academic achievements, behavior problems, and social skills. Students completed questionnaires regarding their loneliness feelings. Regression analysis showed that academic achievement and behavior problems explained approximately 70% of the students’ social skills variance, whereas LD did not, and loneliness explained social skills variance only among boys. These unexpected but encouraging findings are discussed in terms of the positive process of change that occurred since the announcement of the Israeli National Special Education Law of 1988, which made it possible for students with LD to be integrated in regular classes.

Loneliness across the life span

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

Social isolation and mental health at primary and secondary school entry: a longitudinal cohort study

OBJECTIVE

We tested whether children who are socially isolated early in their schooling develop mental health problems in early adolescence, taking into account their mental health and family risk at school entry.

METHOD

We used data from the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study, a birth cohort of 2,232 children born in England and Wales in 1994 and 1995. We measured social isolation using mothers' and teachers' reports at ages 5 and 12 years. We assessed mental health symptoms via mothers' and teachers' ratings at age 5 and self-report measures at age 12. We collected mother-reported information about the family environment when children were 5 years old. We conducted regression analyses to test concurrent and longitudinal associations between early family factors, social isolation, and mental health difficulties.

RESULTS

At both primary and secondary school, children who were socially isolated experienced greater mental health difficulties. Children with behavioral problems or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms at age 5 years had an elevated risk of becoming more socially isolated at age 12. However, children who were isolated at age 5 did not have greater mental health symptoms at age 12, over and above pre-existing difficulties.

CONCLUSION

Although social isolation and mental health problems co-occur in childhood, early isolation does not predict worse mental health problems later on. However, children who exhibit problematic behaviors may struggle to cope with the social challenges that accompany their progression through the early school years.

Sibship size, birth order, family structure and childhood mental disorders

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to determine the role that birth order, sibship size and family structure have as risk factors in the development of common childhood mental disorders.

METHOD

A case-control study design was conducted (N = 16,823). The group under study consisted of all those subjects who had consulted with a psychiatrist/psychologist and had received a clinical diagnosis at public mental health centres within the Region of Madrid (Spain), between 1980 and 2008. A multiple logistic regression was used to explore the independent association with each diagnosis: emotional disorders (ED) with onset specific to childhood, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), conduct disorder (CD), mental retardation (MR), and pervasive developmental disorder (PDD).

RESULTS

Birth order and family structure significantly predicted the risk of being diagnosed with ED or ADHD. In addition, sibship size and sex predicted the risk of being diagnosed with a childhood mental disorder.

CONCLUSIONS

We concluded that being the middle child and living with both biological parents appear to be protective factors against the development of ED or ADHD. Living in large families appears to increase the risk of receiving a CD, MR, or PDD diagnosis. Further research is warranted.

Understanding loneliness during adolescence: developmental changes that increase the risk of perceived social isolation

Loneliness is typically defined in terms of feeling states. In this review, we take a somewhat different approach, describing loneliness in terms of perceived social isolation. Vulnerabilities to perceived social isolation differ across the lifespan. Unique properties of adolescence are identified that carry special risk for perceived social isolation. These include (but are not limited to) developmental changes in companions, developmental changes in autonomy and individuation, identity exploration, cognitive maturation, developmental changes in social perspective taking, and physical maturation. Scholars are encouraged to consider loneliness through the lens of perceived social isolation so as to better understand how the experience of physical isolation varies across adolescence.

Investigating hypervigilance for social threat of lonely children

The hypothesis that lonely children show hypervigilance for social threat was examined in a series of three studies that employed different methods including advanced eye-tracking technology. Hypervigilance for social threat was operationalized as hostility to ambiguously motivated social exclusion in a variation of the hostile attribution paradigm (Study 1), scores on the Children's Rejection-Sensitivity Questionnaire (Study 2), and visual attention to socially rejecting stimuli (Study 3). The participants were 185 children (11 years-7 months to 12 years-6 months), 248 children (9 years-4 months to 11 years-8 months) and 140 children (8 years-10 months to 12 years-10 months) in the three studies, respectively. Regression analyses showed that, with depressive symptoms covaried, there were quadratic relations between loneliness and these different measures of hypervigilance to social threat. As hypothesized, only children in the upper range of loneliness demonstrated elevated hostility to ambiguously motivated social exclusion, higher scores on the rejection sensitivity questionnaire, and disengagement difficulties when viewing socially rejecting stimuli. We found that very lonely children are hypersensitive to social threat.