Conceptualizing loneliness in health research: Philosophical and psychological ways forward.

Abstract

Increasing attention is being paid to loneliness, and to its impact on the health of older people, across numerous disciplines including psychology, public health, social policy, and psychiatry. In tandem, there has been increasing interest in the impact of social factors on health. However, definitions of loneliness are disparate, and a consensus on its meaning is arguably lacking. Often, loneliness is conflated with similar but distinct concepts such as social isolation, absence of social support, or a lack of social connectedness. We submit that the concept of loneliness requires clarification, especially in the extant health literature. We attempt to synthesize theories of loneliness provide a framework for future interventions. We further argue that the necessary clarification can be achieved using both empirical and nonempirical methodologies, under a transdisciplinary effort. We describe the potential for psychology, public health, and philosophy to come together to achieve this conceptual clarity around loneliness and to develop effective interventions on this problematic experience as a result.

Loneliness during COVID-19: Development and influencing factors

“…According to Weiss [ 36 ], social loneliness results from the unmet need for social peer relationships and is thus experienced by people who are poorly socially integrated, whereas emotional loneliness results from unmet needs for close, intimate, or emotional contact with (available) significant others, such as one’s partner, parents, or children. Several empirical studies have found evidence supporting the bidimensionality of loneliness and differential predictors for both loneliness dimensions (e.g., [ 37 – 39 ]). For example, Green and colleagues [ 26 ] found that social and emotional loneliness were moderately correlated with each other, but they had different correlates: Social loneliness was more strongly correlated with items that assessed feelings of belongingness to a group of friends, while emotional loneliness was more strongly correlated with items that assessed feelings of closeness to others.…”

It takes (more than) a village

“…It does not necessarily follow that loneliness levels will also fall, since loneliness results from many more proximal causes (e.g. genetic and developmental factors, cognitive biases, and personality traits; (McHugh Power et al, 2018). It should be clear, then, that reducing social isolation will not necessarily have any impact on loneliness, and as such, more nuanced approaches to intervention are required.…”

The Psychological Structure of Loneliness

“…Historically, philosophers have thought about loneliness as an existential (e.g., [8]) or political concept [9]. It is only very recently that they have framed the condition as a mental health concern ( [10,11]. It is hence telling that Motta's [4] overview of theoretical approaches to loneliness builds on a summary of psychological concepts published several decades ago [12].…”