The Relationship Between Loneliness and Psychological Adjustment: Validation of the Italian Version of the Interpersonal Acceptance–Rejection Loneliness Scale

Abstract

In recent literature, many researchers have highlighted that the feeling of loneliness can be considered a sign of relevant distress with short- and long-term consequences on the health of people who needs to be appropriately monitored and treated. In this view, the Interpersonal Acceptance–Rejection Loneliness Scale (IPARLS) has been developed to evaluate the subjective feelings and distress related to interpersonal loneliness and to overcome the limits of the previous scales; however, its psychometric characteristics have not yet been fully investigated. Starting from these considerations, two studies have been conducted. The first study, involving 688 adults (19–69 years; 51% females), assessed dimensionality, reliability, and validity of and tested the measurement invariance (MI) of the Italian version of the IPARLS. The second study, involving 205 adults (20–69 years; 51% females), investigated the relationship between loneliness and psychological adjustment. Results confirmed the unidimensionality of the scale and showed that it is reliable, valid, and fully invariant as a function of age and gender. Moreover, data showed a strong association between perceived loneliness and psychological adjustment. The IPARLS is confirmed to be a valid and reliable measure to investigate loneliness in the life cycle from clinical and research perspectives.

The association between social isolation, loneliness and psychological problems in young adults: A study during the acute phase of COVID‐19 in Italy

“…This result can be read as a higher vulnerability to showing psychological problems under conditions of high isolation or loneliness in men. This result is in line with recent literature confirming men's greater sensitivity to loneliness (Barreto et al, 2021;Maes et al, 2019;Senese et al, 2021).…”

“…At this regard, it is interesting to point out that few studies in the literature have investigated sex differences in both components of isolation highlighting the importance of considering this variable. For example, it has been shown that men are most vulnerable to loneliness (Barreto et al, 2021), that sex moderates the association between age and loneliness (Senese et al, 2021) and that sex differences were moderated by age, sampling area and year of publication (Maes et al, 2019).…”

“…It is possible to consider and study the effect of perceived interpersonal relationship quality on psychological well-being considering Interpersonal Acceptance-Rejection Theory (IPARTheory; Rohner & Lansford, 2017). Indeed, data confirmed that social relationships perceived as emotionally positive, based on interpersonal acceptance, are associated with less psychological problems (Senese et al, 2021), while relationships perceived as unsatisfactory, based on rejection, are associated with the perception of loneliness (Peplau & Perlman, 1982).…”

“…In line with the previous literature (Rohner & Lansford, 2017;Salimi, 2011), we expected a specific association of both components of isolation with the presence of psychological problems. Furthermore, following the previous literature (Barreto et al, 2021;Maes et al, 2019;Senese et al, 2021), we investigated the moderating effect of the sex on the relation between the two components of isolation and the psychological problems. We expected that the association between both components of isolation and psychological problems was stronger in men than in women.…”

“…Data were collected during the most critical period of the COVID‐19 pandemic outbreak in Italy (27 April to 12 May 2020) to study the effect of social isolation in a natural experiment condition determined by the restrictive measures. In particular, the social isolation and loneliness were measured (see Senese et al, 2021; Weiss, 1973). Moreover, to get a clearer picture of the association between isolation and psychological adjustment, both internalising and externalising index were taken into consideration (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2001).…”