Janne Vanhalst

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.

The development of loneliness from mid- to late adolescence: Trajectory classes, personality traits, and psychosocial functioning

Although loneliness is a common problem across late adolescence, its developmental course has not been investigated in depth in this period of life. The present study aims to fill this gap by means of a five-wave cohort-sequential longitudinal study spanning ages 15 to 20 (N = 389). Both variable-centered (i.e., latent growth curve modeling) and person-centered (i.e., latent class growth analysis) approaches were used. Variable-centered analyses showed that loneliness generally decreased over time. Person-centered analyses pointed to considerable inter-individual differences in the development of loneliness, and identified five trajectory classes (i.e., stable low, low increasing, moderate decreasing, high increasing, and chronically high). These five trajectory classes were differentially related to personality traits at age 15 (i.e., extraversion, agreeableness, and emotional stability) and psychosocial functioning at age 20 (i.e., depressive symptoms, self-esteem, anxiety, and perceived stress). These findings underscore the additional value of studying subgroups regarding the development of loneliness.

Low Self-Esteem as a Risk Factor for Loneliness in Adolescence: Perceived - but not Actual - Social Acceptance as an Underlying Mechanism

Low self-esteem has been shown to relate to concurrent and later feelings of loneliness in adolescence. However, it remains unclear why low self-esteem puts adolescents at risk for experiencing loneliness. Further, longitudinal research on the direction of effects between loneliness and self-esteem is virtually non-existent. The present study aims to fill these gaps in the literature. First, the direction of effects between loneliness and self-esteem was investigated in two independent longitudinal studies: a five-wave study sampling Dutch adolescents (M ageu2009=u200915.22xa0years at T1; 47xa0% female; Nu2009=u2009428) and a three-wave study sampling Belgian adolescents (M ageu2009=u200914.95xa0years at T1; 63xa0% female; Nu2009=u2009882). Second, the underlying role of social acceptance was investigated in the latter sample by applying a multi-method approach that included actual (i.e., peer-reported) and perceived (i.e., self-reported) social acceptance. Results indicated that self-esteem and loneliness influenced one another in a reciprocal manner. Furthermore, the dominant path from self-esteem to loneliness was partially mediated by perceived—but not actual—social acceptance. The importance of distinguishing actual from perceived social acceptance is discussed, and suggestions for future research are outlined.

Identity and Perceived Peer Relationship Quality in Emerging Adulthood: The Mediating Role of Attachment-Related Emotions.

Identity formation and the perceived quality of ones peer relationships are theorized to be intimately linked in emerging adulthood. The present study examined the associations between identity styles (i.e., information-oriented, normative, and diffuse-avoidant styles) and the quality of relationships with peers (as indexed by friendship quality and loneliness) in a sample of 343 college students from Belgium. High scores for the information-oriented style were positively related to friendship quality, whereas high scores for the diffuse-avoidant identity style were positively related to loneliness. These direct associations were mediated, at least in part, by attachment-related emotions (i.e., avoidance and anxiety). These associations, both direct and indirect, provide the first evidence linking identity styles and the quality of peer relationships. Suggestions for future research are provided, both at the methodological and the conceptual level.

Parental support, internalizing symptoms, perceived health status, and quality of life in adolescents with congenital heart disease: influences and reciprocal effects

Caring for adolescents with congenital heart disease requires attention to physical health but also to psychosocial functioning. Identifying how such psychosocial variables influence one another over time is important for designing health care strategies. The present study examined how depressive symptoms, loneliness, paternal and maternal support, and quality of life predicted one another. A total of 429 mid- to late adolescents with congenital heart disease (53.4xa0% boys) participated in a three-wave longitudinal study. Cross-lagged analyses indicated that depressive symptoms and loneliness mutually reinforced one another over time and led to relative decreases in quality of life. Paternal- and not so much maternal-support predicted relative decreases in depressive symptoms and loneliness and relative increases in quality of life. Maternal and paternal support, in turn, were negatively predicted by previous levels of adolescent depressive symptoms. In sum, important temporal sequences were uncovered potentially providing information for prevention and intervention targeting psychosocial functioning in adolescents with congenital heart disease.

Personality traits, loneliness, and attitudes toward aloneness in adolescence

Within a dual-level model of personality, loneliness, and attitudes toward aloneness can be regarded as phase-specific adaptations that are influenced by personality traits. Therefore, we examined the associations between personality traits (i.e., the Big Five, sociotropy, and autonomy), loneliness, and attitudes toward aloneness in two samples of late adolescents (N = 1388 and N = 419). A specific pattern of associations was found that replicated across samples. Lower scores on agreeableness and stronger concerns about independence (i.e., greater autonomy) were positive predictors of both peer-related and parent-related loneliness. Extraversion was a predictor of lower affinity for and greater aversion to aloneness. The other personality traits were predictors of a particular type of loneliness or a specific attitude toward aloneness.

Why do the lonely stay lonely? Chronically lonely adolescents' attributions and emotions in situations of social inclusion and exclusion

The goal of this study was to identify mechanisms associated with chronic loneliness by examining the effect of adolescents accumulated history of loneliness on responses to new social situations. Specifically, this study investigated whether attributions and emotions in situations of social inclusion and exclusion differ between chronically lonely adolescents and adolescents with a different loneliness history. A total of 730 adolescents (Mage at Wave 1 = 15.43 years) participated in a 4-wave longitudinal study with annual loneliness assessments. A chronic loneliness trajectory was identified, in addition to low-stable, moderate-stable, moderate-increasing, and high-decreasing loneliness trajectories. At Wave 4, vignettes depicting social inclusion and exclusion were presented, and participants rated a set of attributions and emotions following each vignette. Compared with individuals following other trajectories, chronically lonely adolescents were characterized by hypersensitivity to social exclusion (i.e., higher levels of negative emotions) and hyposensitivity to social inclusion (i.e., lower levels of enthusiasm). Further, chronically lonely adolescents had a stronger tendency to attribute social inclusion to circumstantial factors and social exclusion to internal and stable characteristics. This maladaptive attribution style partially mediated their emotional experiences. Together, results indicate that chronically lonely individuals respond to social situations in ways that may perpetuate rather than reduce their loneliness.

Trajectories of Loneliness in Adolescents With Congenital Heart Disease: Associations With Depressive Symptoms and Perceived Health

PURPOSEnAcquiring close peer relationships is an important developmental task in adolescence. This task may be particularly demanding for adolescents with congenital heart disease (CHD), who face disease-specific challenges putting them at risk for social isolation and loneliness. This study compared cross-sectional levels of loneliness in adolescents with and without CHD; examined the longitudinal course of loneliness and identified different developmental trajectory classes in adolescents with CHD; and investigated to what extent these trajectory classes are accompanied by differences in depressive symptoms and perceived health.nnnMETHODSnA total of 429 adolescents with simple to complex CHD participated in the present longitudinal study consisting of three measurement waves with 9-month intervals (M(age) = 15.75 years at T1; 53.4% boys). The control sample at time 1 (T1) consisted of 403 adolescents who were matched in terms of age and sex.nnnRESULTSnPatients and controls did not differ in loneliness levels at T1. In adolescents with CHD, latent class growth analysis identified five trajectory classes (i.e., chronically high, high decreasing, moderate stable, low increasing, and stable low), which were meaningfully distinguished on depressive symptoms and several domains of perceived health. In general, adolescents in the chronically high loneliness trajectory reported the most depressive symptoms and the poorest perceived health, whereas adolescents in the low stable trajectory reported the opposite pattern.nnnCONCLUSIONSnFindings demonstrate that chronic feelings of loneliness are associated with worsened perceived health in adolescents with CHD. Intervention programs targeting patients adjustment should be sensitive to the presence of such feelings.

Loneliness and attitudes toward aloneness in adolescence: A person-centered approach

In adolescence, feeling lonely and dealing with time spent alone become particularly salient. The present study examined the co-occurrence of parent- and peer-related loneliness, and positive and negative attitudes toward aloneness, using cluster analysis. In three independent samples, covering about 1800 adolescents (61xa0% female), six meaningful groups were identified. These groups showed different associations with adolescents’ self-esteem and personality, parental responsiveness and psychological control, and peer group functioning and friendships. An adaptive pattern of correlates was found for adolescents in three of the six groups, that is, the Indifference group (with rather low scores on the four constructs), the Moderate group (with moderate scores on the four constructs), and the Negative Attitude Toward Aloneness group. A rather maladaptive pattern of correlates was found for adolescents in the three other groups, that is, the Peer-Related Loneliness group, the Positive Attitude Toward Aloneness group, and the Parent-Related Loneliness group. More specifically, adolescents in the Peer-Related Loneliness and Positive Attitude Toward Aloneness groups may need assistance regarding their relations with their peers, whereas adolescents in the Parent-Related Loneliness group may need assistance regarding their relations with their parents. Implications of these findings for current understanding and optimal measurement of adolescents’ loneliness and aloneness are discussed.

The Children’s Loneliness Scale Factor Structure and Construct Validity in Belgian Children

The present study examined the factor structure and construct validity of the Children’s Loneliness Scale (CLS), a popular measure of childhood loneliness, in Belgian children. Analyses were conducted on two samples of fifth and sixth graders in Belgium, for a total of 1,069 children. A single-factor structure proved superior to alternative solutions proposed in the literature, when taking item wording into account. Construct validity was shown by substantial associations with related constructs, based on both self-reported (e.g., depressive symptoms and low social self-esteem), and peer-reported variables (e.g., victimization). Furthermore, a significant association was found between the CLS and a peer-reported measure of loneliness. Collectively, these findings provide a solid foundation for the continuing use of the CLS as a measure of childhood loneliness.