Tell Me about Loneliness: Interviews with Young People about What Loneliness Is and How to Cope with It

Lily Verity, Tine Schellekens, Tine Adam, Floor Sillis, Marinella Majorano, Michael Wigelsworth, Pamela Qualter, Beth Peters, Stephanie Stajniak and Marlies Maes
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Lily Verity: School of Environment, Education and Development, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
Tine Schellekens: School Psychology and Development in Context, KU Leuven, Oude Markt 13, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
Tine Adam: School Psychology and Development in Context, KU Leuven, Oude Markt 13, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
Floor Sillis: School Psychology and Development in Context, KU Leuven, Oude Markt 13, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
Marinella Majorano: Department of Human Sciences, University of Verona, Francesco, 37129 Verona, Italy
Michael Wigelsworth: School of Environment, Education and Development, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
Pamela Qualter: School of Environment, Education and Development, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
Beth Peters: School of Environment, Education and Development, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
Stephanie Stajniak: School of Environment, Education and Development, The University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
Marlies Maes: School Psychology and Development in Context, KU Leuven, Oude Markt 13, 3000 Leuven, Belgium

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 22, 1-31

Abstract: Background: loneliness is a common experience for adolescents, yet the voices of adolescents are missing from current conceptualisations of loneliness. That means, measures that have been created based on current conceptualisations may miss important contexts of adolescence, such as the roles of friendships, that determine the way loneliness is experienced. The current study aims to centre adolescent voices to identify how they conceptualise loneliness and what strategies they consider to be useful for adolescents to cope with loneliness. Method: thematic framework analysis (TFA) was conducted on qualitative interviews with young people aged 8–14 years in Belgium and Italy to identify salient themes in their conceptualisations of loneliness. Results: Loneliness was conceptualised as a negative emotional state involving negative thinking patterns that occurs when an individual perceives they are missing out on a desired aspect in their social relationships. Coping strategies related to alleviating negative affect, and aiding social reconnection. Conclusions: friendships with peers were understood to be central to adolescent loneliness experiences. In line with that, loneliness was seen to be experienced at school. Age-related differences in friendship expectations were identified, highlighting how developmental needs relate to the loneliness experience.

Keywords: adolescence; loneliness; qualitative (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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