Loneliness means much more than merely a state of being alone. Environment alone does not define loneliness. Loneliness includes unwanted feelings of solitude; it may occur in the presence of others. It may include feeling forsaken, lack of identification with others, or feeling abandoned by others.
Loneliness is based on the person’s subjective view, rather than necessarily being related to the objective view of others. Some feel lonely for psychological reasons, some for sociological reasons, and some for biological reasons. A review of over 8,000 people in twin and sibling studies found that genetics accounts for approximately half the difference in loneliness. The rather large research on the importance of attachment and bonding in early childhood has potential implications for loneliness later on in life.
Those who are experiencing true loneliness may experience an overwhelming feeling of separateness from others. They may experience anxious symptoms, depressive symptoms, and feel...
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Suggested Readings
Cacioppo, J. T., & William, P. (2008). Loneliness: Human nature and the need for social connection. New York: W.W. Norton.
Ponizovsky, A., & Ritsner, M. (2004). Patterns of loneliness in an immigrant population. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 45(5), 408–414.
Ritsner, M., Ponizovsky, A., & GInath, Y. (1997). Changing patterns of distress during the adjustment of recent immigrants: A 1-year follow-up study. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 95(6), 494–499.
Russell, D. (1996). The UCLA Loneliness Scale: Reliability, validity, and factor structure. Journal of Personality Assessment, 66, 20–40.
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Friedman, S.H. (2012). Loneliness. In: Loue, S., Sajatovic, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Immigrant Health. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-5659-0_470
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