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

Abstract

Childhood loneliness is characterised by children's perceived dissatisfaction with aspects of their social relationships. This 8-year prospective study investigates whether loneliness in childhood predicts depressive symptoms in adolescence, controlling for early childhood indicators of emotional problems and a sociometric measure of peer social preference. 296 children were tested in the infant years of primary school (T1 5 years of age), in the upper primary school (T2 9 years of age) and in secondary school (T3 13 years of age). At T1, children completed the loneliness assessment and sociometric interview. Their teachers completed externalisation and internalisation rating scales for each child. At T2, children completed a loneliness assessment, a measure of depressive symptoms, and the sociometric interview. At T3, children completed the depressive symptom assessment. An SEM analysis showed that depressive symptoms in early adolescence (age 13) were predicted by reports of depressive symptoms at age 8, which were themselves predicted by internalisation in the infant school (5 years). The interactive effect of loneliness at 5 and 9, indicative of prolonged loneliness in childhood, also predicted depressive symptoms at age 13. Parent and peer-related loneliness at age 5 and 9, peer acceptance variables, and duration of parent loneliness did not predict depression. Our results suggest that enduring peer-related loneliness during childhood constitutes an interpersonal stressor that predisposes children to adolescent depressive symptoms. Possible mediators are discussed

Social Connectedness Predicts Lower Loneliness and Depressive Symptoms over Time in Adolescents

“…For example, the significant links between loneliness and a wide range of mental health difficulties (e.g., depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, self-injury, and alcohol and substance misuse) and physical health issues (e.g., poor immune and cardiovascular functioning, sleep deprivation) have been consistently demonstrated in adolescents (Heinrich & Gullone, 2006;Shevlin, Murphy, Mallet, Stringer, & Murphy, 2013). Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies have found that loneliness is significantly correlated with depressive symptoms across time in children and adolescents (Hall-Lande, Eisenberg, Christenson, & NeumarkSztainer, 2007;Nangle, Erdley, Newman, Mason, & Carpenter, 2003;Qualter, Brown, Munn, & Rotenberg, 2010;Rotenberg et al, 2004;Vanhalst et al, 2012). Mahon et al (2006) reported that the correlation between loneliness and depressive symptoms in adolescents was in the range of a large effect size (r = 0.61 to 0.62).…”

Investigating Hypervigilance for Social Threat of Lonely Children

“…These constructs are strongly associated, although they are different (see Lasgaard, Goossens, & Elklit, 2010;Nangle et al, 2003;Qualter et al, 2010). Furthermore, there is evidence that depressive symptoms are associated with both peer rejection (e.g., Boivin, Poulin, & Vitaro, 1994), and sensitivity to rejection (Dineen, & Hadwin, 2004;Quiggle et al, 1992).…”

“…Guided by this approach, we examined whether the relation between loneliness and hypervigilance to social threat is curvilinear, specifically quadratic, and thus discontinuous. The research specifically examined whether there is a point Running Head: LONELINESS AND HYPERVIGILANCE TO SOCIAL THREAT 8 on the child loneliness scale where there is an accompanying change in behaviour, such that there is elevated vigilance to social threat.Another important consideration is the association between loneliness and depression.These constructs are strongly associated, although they are different (see Lasgaard, Goossens, & Elklit, 2010;Nangle et al, 2003;Qualter et al, 2010). Furthermore, there is evidence that depressive symptoms are associated with both peer rejection (e.g., Boivin, Poulin, & Vitaro, 1994), and sensitivity to rejection (Dineen, & Hadwin, 2004;Quiggle et al, 1992).…”

“…Second, loneliness in childhood leads to poor mental and physical health in later adolescence (Jobe-Shields et al, 2011;Jones et al, 2011;Qualter et al, 2010;Qualter et al, in press), but currently, our capacity to develop appropriate intervention strategies for lonely children is limited because we do not know what mechanisms are involved in the maintenance of loneliness. Cacioppo and Hawkley (2009) implicate hypervigilance to social threat as a mechanism by which loneliness is maintained during development, but these cognitive biases have not been investigated thoroughly amongst child samples.…”

Prospective associations between loneliness and emotional intelligence

“…For example, chronic loneliness during adolescence predicts poor physical health (Harris, Qualter, & Robinson, 2013;Qualter, Brown, et al, 2013) and increases in anxiety and depressive symptoms (Qualter, Brown, Munn, & Rotenberg, 2010;Qualter, Brown et al, 2013;Schinka, Van Dulmen, Bossarte, & Swahn, 2012;Schinka et al, 2013;Vanhalst, Goossens, Luycks, Scholte, & Engels, 2013), with those RUNNING HEAD: LONELINESS AND EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE 5 highest on loneliness showing the biggest gains in depressive symptoms over time (Ladd & Ettekal, 2013). There is also an association between suicidal ideation and loneliness during childhood and adolescence (Schinka et al, 2012(Schinka et al, , 2013.…”