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Next to their traditional role as places for information provision and knowledge transmission, public libraries increasingly also function as important social infrastructures contributing to the everyday life in cities. As such, they can help to address systemic challenges such as social fragmentation, loneliness, exclusion and precarity. However, the library not merely is a social infrastructure, but becomes one each operating day through continuous labour by a network of stakeholders. This paper specifically examines library staff and their routinised practices to provide, perform and maintain the library as social infrastructure. The empirical research was carried out in four public libraries in the Netherlands and focussed on staff members who were in a 1-year post-graduate programme to become a community librarian, and their close colleagues. It consisted of two phases: first librarians were shadowed at work, followed by a focus group interview on the multiple problems librarians encounter to (re)make their library into social infrastructures. These include coping with limited space, collaborating with other institutions, difficulties to reach out to the community, financial struggles and differentiating interpretations of the library's primary function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autistic people face more social barriers to, and experience greater anxiety around, intimate relationships than the general population in our majority neurotypical society, leading to increased loneliness and social isolation. National health and social care policies and publications should recognise these inequalities and guide service systems in reducing them. In this paper, we employ a document analysis design to analyse a cross-section of English national health and social care publications to investigate how autistic adults' intimate lives are represented and prioritised in these publications. Most publications do not adequately and proportionally recognise or prioritise autistic people's intimate lives. They focus on the risks associated with sex and relationships and overlook autism-specific intimacy needs. They prioritise participation in the workforce while renouncing government responsibility for supporting intimate relationships which can reduce loneliness and alienation. We offer recommendations to ensure that health and social care publication processes better recognise intimate lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescents with disabilities in Jordan, and particularly girls, are marginalized within their household, often isolated from their peers and communities, at greater risk of violence, and have limited access to opportunities for education, work, and agency. This paper focuses on intersectionality-informed participatory and qualitative research. Through two case studies we explore the ways that gender, disability, and refugee status intersect to produce particular experiences of social exclusion, which in turn highlight entrenched and complex structural inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The evidence has shown that children are more susceptible to the emotional effects of traumatic events such as outbreaks with the possible disruption in their daily lives. Aim: In this paper, we discussed the psychological wellbeing of children during the COVID-19 outbreak through the art-based qualitative study using the drawing method among children in Iraqi Kurdistan. Methods: In this qualitative arts-based research study, 15 children aged 6 to 13 years old who were confined at home during the COVID-19 outbreak for at least 1 month were included following obtaining the consent from their parents. The children were asked to draw his/her feelings, reflections, and responses during the COVID-19 on a paper. The children were guided to paint their reflections during the COVID-19 based on the following criteria: if they experienced loneliness, tiredness, insomnia, depression, worry or anxiety, or have behavior changes and their relationship with their parents and other siblings. Results: This study showed that children have a high level of stress at home during the COVID-19 outbreak. The children had great fear about the coronavirus. They experienced loneliness and stress, and felt sad, depressed due to home confinement and social distancing. The possibility of infection by coronavirus has occupied their entire mind. Mental health care providers must take the experiences of children who are caught in this global pandemic seriously and ensure that appropriate care is offered to the children and their parents. Conclusions: The children exhibited a strong feeling of distress, loneliness, and fear during the COVID-19 outbreak. This has implications for mental health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endometriosis is a condition which affects around 1–2% of women worldwide and has profound effects on their everyday lives. Previous research has tended to focus on physical symptoms (such as chronic pain); how women manage changes to their identity and relationships as a result of endometriosis has received less attention. This paper discusses qualitative data examining how women negotiate changes to identity while living with endometriosis, in a social context where women are expected to minimise their symptoms and conform to feminine role expectations. We conducted thematic analysis of 34 replies to an online survey seeking qualitative text responses. The women identified disruptions to personal identity as a result of living with endometriosis. They talked about not feeling like themselves (Theme 1) and about reactions from medical and social connections prompting feelings that they were going "mad" (Theme 2). Participants also expressed feeling as though they were a burden to loved ones (Theme 3), which often resulted in self-silencing (Theme 4). Findings are discussed in the context of Western expectations of women's roles in social relationships and suggest that professionals who support women with endometriosis should be aware of strategies such as self-silencing which may reduce effective self-care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By converging 3A—artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), and anime culture, a new type of non-naturalistic and stylized anthropomorphism has been exercised on the latest hologram social robot—"Hupo." By combining scopes of human–machine communication and cultural studies, this study investigated how this 3A convergence constructed the user experience of Hupo. Through in-depth interviews with 25 users, we revealed their expected experience related to the dual identity of anime otaku and technology geeks alongside social segregation and loneliness. We found their actual experience highlighted how anime elements offset their dissatisfactions caused by AI weakness and the uncanny valley. Three specific anime-enabled strategies were illustrated, namely anime characterization, gamification, and idolization. Our analysis suggested that pop culture offers not technical solutions but temporary compensation for the current AI limitations. Nevertheless, such fusions between anime otakuism and instinct-served technologies also raise concerns about a further animalized human society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adolescent girls vulnerable to early marriage and school dropout in rural India may be at elevated risk of psychosocial problems. However, few screening instruments have been culturally adapted and validated to measure this risk. This paper describes the process by which the Primary Health Questionnaire PHQ-9, a screening instrument for depression, was tested for cultural validity as part of the Samata evaluation – an intervention to support low caste adolescent girls in rural south India to attend and complete secondary school and to delay marriage until adulthood. Three focus groups discussions (FGDs) were held with 20 adolescent girls and six outreach workers of the Samata programme in rural north Karnataka, south India. The FGDs were used to explore local expressions of psychosocial problems and to understand the acceptability and appropriateness of PHQ-9 items. A thematic content analysis was conducted on the transcripts of the FGDs. Descriptions of local expressions of psychosocial problems generally matched the items on the PHQ-9. However, not all representations of psychological symptoms were captured by this tool. Persistent worry, loneliness and isolation, and externalised behaviours were also described by participants as common expressions of psychosocial distress. Based on the limitations of translation methods, local stakeholders must be involved in evaluating the cultural appropriateness of mental health screening tools. The current research demonstrates a strategy by which to assess the cultural validity of Western psychiatric instruments with key stakeholders in low- and middle-income settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Prolonged loneliness and severe stress are increasingly recognised as public health concerns and considered risk factors for mental disorders, somatic illnesses and mortality. Loneliness and perceived stress also often co-occur; however, their longitudinal relation remains unclear. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study aiming to investigate the longitudinal relation between loneliness and perceived stress independently of cross-sectional associations and time effects. Methods: Designed as a population-based cohort study with repeated measurements, the present study included individuals aged 16–80 years at baseline who participated in the Danish National Health Survey ('How are you?') in 2013 and 2017 (N = 10,159; response rate = 50%). Structural equation modelling was used to examine associations between loneliness and perceived stress in the total sample and across age groups (i.e., 16–29, 30–64 and 65–80 years). Results: The models indicated bidirectional relations between loneliness and perceived stress. The standardized cross-lagged path from loneliness to perceived stress (β: 0.12, 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.08, 0.16), p < 0.001) and from perceived stress to loneliness (β: 0.12, 95% CI (0.07, 0.16), p < 0.001) both corresponded to small effect sizes in the total sample. Additionally, the results indicated strong cross-sectional associations, especially among adolescents and young adults (16–29 years), and high temporal stability, especially among the elderly (65–80 years). Conclusions: Loneliness and perceived stress mutually predict each other over time. The finding of both substantial bidirectional and cross-sectional associations demonstrates an interdependence between loneliness and perceived stress that may be relevant to consider in future interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the scholarship on youth grows, so does the focus on the predicaments youth face increases. In particular, the phenomenon of waithood, which refers to a prolonged period of transition from youth to adulthood, has been attracting much attention from researchers. This article builds upon this growing literature by examining the roles that soccer academies in Ghana and shelters for unaccompanied young migrants in South Africa play in creating, sustaining, and spreading the waithood of youth. Even though both institutions operate in different spaces and promote distinct activities, they share a mutual goal by presenting themselves as educational stepping stones for a better present and future for African youths. Nevertheless, given the gaps between what both institutions claimed to provide and what they provided in reality, we argue that they served as the root of waithood for their young residents. As the following ethnography reveals, with worsening basic living conditions, infrequent access to school, and unattainable dreams about universities and European soccer leagues, many youths in shelters and academies were left incapable of assuming adult responsibilities and enjoying adult privileges. Our findings suggest that, unlike common perception of waithood as a phenomenon that takes place after school and before formal employment, waithood is also an institution-based phenomenon that can be facilitated within the education system. Simultaneously, in contrast to the common scholarly portrayals of waithood as an individual experience, we argue that waithood is a communal social phenomenon. At South African shelters and Ghanaian academies, the period of suspension and the prolonged journey to adulthood trickled-down to wider social and familial circles. The youth's efforts to seek alternative paths for adulthood, as well as the support they get from relatives and friends, reduces the loneliness of their waithood, though their contributions are hampered by local economic and political challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Since its outbreak in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has directly caused the premature death of millions. However, indirect consequences, such as social restrictions, have affected a far greater number. We explored the association between the spread of COVID-19 and end-of-life circumstances in the infected and non-infected population in Sweden. Methods: In this descriptive, population-based, observational study, we primarily used data from the Swedish National Registry of Palliative Care, which covers about 60% of all deaths in Sweden. We explored the association between the spread of COVID-19 and place of death, people present at death and end-of-life symptoms using regression analyses. Results: The study included 190,291 individuals who died in any region of Sweden from 1 January 2019 to 30 June 2022, of which 10,646 were COVID-19 cases. Correlated to the temporal and geographical spread of COVID-19, there was a greater proportion of individuals dying without the presence of their next-of-kin, and consequently more people dying alone, both in those with and without COVID-19. There was a similar pattern of a greater proportion of deaths taking place in nursing homes and in the individual's own home. However, we did not find substantial associations to reported symptoms, such as anxiety or confusion. Conclusions: This study shows the profound effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on end-of-life circumstances in both the infected and non-infected population in Sweden. As we prepare for future pandemics, there is a need to develop strategies to minimise the impact on non-infected individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), linked to administrative data on high-speed broadband availability from infrastructure maps, this study examines patterns of Internet uses and psychosocial outcomes for over 3500 people aged 50 plus across Ireland. High-speed broadband availability is associated with higher reported levels of home Internet access, greater frequency of Internet use and more engagement with Internet activities. Controlling for demographic and socio-economic circumstances, regression models show that quality of life is higher among daily users of the Internet. Little association is found with loneliness. Quality of life is higher among users of Internet-based communication applications such as email and video calls, and there is some evidence that loneliness may be less pronounced among users of these applications. The findings are consistent with the view that digital engagement can enhance the lives of older people and thus may be supportive of policies and interventions to address potential 'grey' digital divides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An extensive body of literature shows how people deal with conflicts, verbally and nonverbally, in interpersonal interactions. However, the role of technologically-mediated communication (TMC) in romantic relational conflict has received less attention. Through the lenses of Relational Turbulence and Expectancy Violations Theories, this study explored how a chronemic expectancy violation from a romantic partner impacts emotional well-being in a TMC-involved conflict discussion. Two online questionnaires were distributed. First, a pilot study was conducted to understand the basic online communication dynamics between emerging adult romantic partners (e.g., usual response latency) and possible emotions when they experience a chronemic expectancy violation from their partner on TMC. Results show that people are likely to experience negative affect and other specific emotions (e.g., disillusion, loneliness, frustration, hurt, anger) if their partner takes longer than expected to respond. The main study then further explored how individuals' expectations differ in a hypothetical TMC-involved conflict scenario where they use text-based TMC to discuss a recent romantic conflict with their partners. Participants were instructed to imagine a chronemic expectancy violation whereby their partner does not respond within their expected time period (i.e., conflict expected latency) and report their feelings about it. Results show that people expect their partners to respond more rapidly in the conflict scenario than usual and report negative feelings after the expectancy violations. Conflict-specific (e.g., seriousness), personal (e.g., attachment anxiety and avoidance), and relational (e.g., commitment) variables also influence the intensity of their emotional experiences. This research enhances comprehension of nonverbal cues in text-based TMC and potential emotional repercussions in romantic conflict management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research project addresses the role algorithms play in curating meaningful social connections on social media by examining perceived algorithm responsiveness (PAR) and perceived algorithm insensitivity (PAI) within the framework of the bidirectional model of social internet use and loneliness. In study 1, a cross-sectional survey found that PAR and PAI on Instagram are both associated with loneliness, and that the association for PAR depends upon age. In study 2, a 3-wave longitudinal survey replicates these associations. Online relational maintenance behaviors explained the negative relationship between PAR and loneliness but not the positive relationship for PAI and loneliness. Loneliness at wave t -1 predicted perceptions of algorithm responsiveness at wave t but not vice versa. This research contributes to social media uses and effects by theorizing and empirically testing the connection of algorithms with loneliness, finding that perceptions of social media algorithms are associated with perceived social isolation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous studies have suggested that active social media use can promote well-being by enhancing perceived social support. However, the relationship between social media use and perceived social support remains inconsistent across studies. This study explores possible mechanisms underlying the relationship between active social media use, perceived social support, and well-being during and after a COVID-19 lockdown. Using online surveys with Chinese participants during (N = 1,131) and after (N = 407) the lockdown period, our findings support a sequential mediation model. Specifically, active social media use was positively associated with perceived online network responsiveness, which in turn, predicted augmented perceived social support. Ultimately, increased social support was linked to reduced loneliness and increased life satisfaction. These findings were consistent both during and after the lockdown, indicating that social media has the potential to complement offline social interactions and effectively fulfill individuals' social needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper outlines three problems that are foreseen to face us as we enter the 1990s. These are: (1) defining the nature of relationships in the face of discrepancies between the reports of partners and outsiders about the events that occur in the relationship; (2) clarifying the nature of claims that relationships are `processes'; (3) providing a better understanding of the everyday conduct and routines of relationships, particularly the role of everyday talk. It is argued that longitudinal work and work capturing the experiences and reports of both members of a dyad must solve the first problem at a theoretical level before they can be helpful. It is suggested that, after Billig's (1987) argument that thinking and arguing characterize social behavior, relationships are best conceived phenomenally as unfinished business, just as research usually is. Several suggestions are made about the nature of relationships and, in the course of the paper, some suggestions are made for future work on social and personal relationships, loneliness, social support, children's friendship and process models of relating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Scarce are the studies focusing on initiation of new mental health service use (MHSU) and distinguishing individuals who have sought services but have been unsuccessful in accessing these. Aims: Assessing the factors associated with initiating new MHSU as compared to no MHSU due to self-reported no need, no MHSU due to health system and personal barriers and MHSU using resources already in place. Methods: The sample included participants (n = 16,435) in the five established regional cohorts of the Canadian Partnership for Tomorrow's Health (CanPath) who responded to the CanPath COVID-19 health surveys (May–December 2020 and January–June 2021). Multinomial regression analyses were carried out to study MHSU since the pandemic (March 2020) as a function of predisposing, enabling and need factors. Analyses were carried out in the overall sample and restricted to those with moderate and severe symptoms (MSS) of depression and/or anxiety (n = 2,237). Results: In individuals with MSS of depression and/or anxiety, 14.4% reported initiating new MHSU, 22.0% had no MHSU due to barriers and personal reasons and 36.7% had no MHSU due to self-reported no need. Age, living alone, lower income, a decrease in income during the pandemic and health professional status were associated with MHSU. Younger adults were more likely to initiate MHSU during the pandemic than older adults who reported not being comfortable to seek mental health care or self-reported no need. Individuals living alone and with lower income were more likely to report not being able to find an appointment for mental health care. Conclusions: Awareness campaigns focusing on older adults that explain the importance of seeking treatment is needed, as well as sensitising health professionals as to the importance of informing and aiding individuals at risk of social isolation and lower socio-economic status as to available mental health resources and facilitating access to care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social experiences are of great importance in late life, and the need to belong may play a key role in shaping those experiences. A higher need to belong may motivate older adults to maintain a wide variety of social connections (e.g., family ties, friends, acquaintances, group engagement), yet may also lead to higher risks of feeling unsatisfied and lonely. However, little research examines how the need to belong may shape older adults' social life in the daily context. This study examines the associations between older adults' need to belong, daily social engagement, and transient loneliness in their everyday life. Older adults (N = 299) aged 65–89 completed the Need to Belong Scale, measures of their social networks, and ecological momentary assessment (EMA) surveys for five to six days. At each three-hour assessment, they reported in-person and phone contact with a variety of social partners (e.g., family, friends, acquaintances, etc.), whether they engaged in a social group, and rated their feelings of loneliness. In multilevel models, the need to belong did not predict the variety of partners encountered in-person or by phone, but predicted a greater likelihood of engagement with social groups. Older adults with a higher need to belong reported that they felt lonelier at three-hour intervals throughout the day, but this association was attenuated when they had in-person encounters with a greater variety of social partners. Group engagement was associated with feeling less lonely, whereas phone communication was associated with feeling more lonely, regardless of the need to belong. The findings suggest that social engagement with a variety of types of social partners may help satisfy older adults' need to belong, and highlight the unique benefits that in-person contact (vs. phone contact) and group engagement may confer to mitigate older adults' loneliness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand the life world of Indian eunuchs who face a stigmatized societal status, the present study adopted an ethnographic approach. The study explored Indian Hijras' experiences vis-à-vis mainstream society. The issues that were explored included their perception of their societal status, their perceptions about the societal reaction towards them and ways they navigate through these challenges to create a meaningful life. A theoretical sample of eight Hijras was drawn and studied using semi-structured interviews and participant observation. Data was analysed using ethnographic content analysis and researcher's reflection. Results reveal that hijras experience a life of crisis, which is fuelled by rejection in social relationships (particularly family), discrimination and exclusion at an early age, bullying, and their popular perception as sex workers. Their crises is financial (poverty and lack of employment opportunities), social and psychological (questioning one's gender identity), resulting in isolation, loneliness, feeling of being abandoned, of being wronged, and perceived life dissatisfaction. All these factors contribute to meaninglessness in the lives of hijras and they start questioning their existence. Their efforts for a meaningful life revolve around cultivating familial relationships through adopting children, taking up parenting roles and nurturing the guru-chela relationship. Results also reveal positive experiences, that is largely due to their political participation and social service. The study has important policy implications for the Hijras. There is a need to create awareness about the unique life challenges of the Hijras, and help promote social justice and their right to education and employment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single and childless women over the age of 35 constitute an expanding demographic in North America and many parts of the world, yet our society continues to place importance on marriage and family as markers of life success. This study explored how eight single (never-married) and childless women experience themselves during early midlife (ages 35–45) utilizing the Listening Guide method of analysis. Three categories of participant voices were uncovered in this research: voices which conveyed the positivity of living a single and childless identity (i.e. the voices of hope, faith, gratitude, nurturance, freedom, and resilience), voices which conveyed the struggles of living a single and childless identity (i.e. the voices of invisibility, shame, confusion, loneliness, guilt, longing, and uncertain waiting), and the voice of ambivalence. Implications for clinical practice and research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While social pluralism and diversity are central characteristics of functioning democracies, civil society and democratic institutions require citizens to perceive themselves as an integral part of society in order to function. This stems from a general sense of unity and cohesion and a mutual understanding of citizens that institutions and other members of the society are trustworthy. While objective aspects of social embeddedness, that is organizational membership and inter-relational contact, are established predictors of these outcomes, perceived loneliness is rarely investigated. This study investigates whether changes in loneliness reduce levels of perceived connectedness and political and interpersonal trust beliefs. By analyzing 12 waves of panel data from the Netherlands gathered between 2008 and 2020 (n = 41,508 observations from 9954 individuals), the analysis shows that intra-personal variation in loneliness predicts a citizen's sense of connectedness and interpersonal trust beliefs. Regarding political trust, the relationship was not found with panel fixed effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Intimate partner relationships foster individuals' well-being throughout the lifespan. However, dissatisfying or conflict-laden relationships can have a detrimental impact on well-being and relationship quality. The majority of older adults live together with a spouse/partner, and intimate relationships are one of the most important social contexts in their daily lives. Purpose: Expanding on previous research, we examined the role of previous conflict on experiences of loneliness and affect in the daily lives of older partners from a dyadic perspective. Relationship duration and quality, personality traits (neuroticism and extraversion), conflict frequency during the measurement period, physical health as well as age were considered as moderators. Study Sample and Data Analysis: We used data from an experience sampling study with 151 older heterosexual couples (302 participants; 65+ years old) reporting on their positive and negative affect, loneliness, and previous experience of relationship conflict 6 times a day for 14 days. Data were analyzed using dyadic multilevel models. Results: For both men and women within couples, previous conflict was associated with an increased experience of negative affect and loneliness and a decreased experience of positive affect. Higher neuroticism predicted less positive and more negative affect following conflict for women and more loneliness for men. Higher relationship satisfaction predicted less increase in negative affect after conflict for female partners. Age, relationship duration, physical health, extraversion, and the number of conflict episodes showed no moderating effects. Conclusions: Our results support the notion that relationship conflict deteriorates emotional well-being in old age and renders older adults lonelier even in the context of intimate partner relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper compared the effect of life change in adjustment of overseas students with those of Australian students. 342 students were divided into 4 experimental groups. These were: Overseas students with residence of less than one year (OV1 group, N = 44), overseas students with residence of more than one year (OV2 group, N = 81), Australian students raised in Brisbane (A3, N = 105) and Australian students raised outside Brisbane (A4, N = 112). The result of discriminate analysis showed that overseas students (OV2) were significantly more likely to experience moderate to severe clinical depression and loneliness than the Australian students. Age and expectation of difficulty in study were the best predictors for depression in overseas students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes 211 of the oldest old, 90 years or older, in a broad perspective based upon well-being, living conditions and the living situation during a period of two and a half years. The subjects were interviewed, and at the first contact four out of five old persons were living in their own homes, 66% regarded themselves as healthy and three out of five depended on help for primary ADL. Approximately one of two experienced loneliness, the same proportion in each age group 90, 91 etc. Slight relations were found between experienced loneliness and age and subjective health. Slight relations were also found between subjective health and cognitive impairments. During the follow-up period 43% of the old people had died, and all were being cared for in institutions in their final stage of life. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The literature on loneliness is selectively reviewed with respect to three major theoretical approaches that have guided research in this area. The authors survey the theory and research associated with the social needs approach, the behavioral/personalityapproach and the cognitive processes approach to loneliness. Specific theoretical perspectives subsumable within each approach (e.g. social developmental, social support) are discussed. The second part of the paper addresses methodological considerations in the measurement of loneliness that are specifically relevant to the major theoretical issues discussed. Potential points of theoretical integration and methodological refinement are noted. In a concluding section, recommendations forfuture research on loneliness are suggested, and the need for a general process model incorporating some of these suggestions is noted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to address gaps in understanding of the lived experiences of caregivers of persons with mental illness in low-income countries. It was conducted among caregivers of persons with mental illness making use of a free non-governmental clinic in and around Chennai, India. The study adopted a qualitative methodology, with semi-structured interviews and life history exercises (n = 29) and six focus group discussions with caregivers (n = 21) and mental health professionals and community-based workers (n = 39). The experiences of caregivers were analyzed in the framework of "The Banyan model of caregiving," which identifies six phases. Major themes in caregivers' experience were: embarrassment and losing honor; fear; awareness; stigma and social exclusion; and reduced social interaction and loneliness. Posttraumatic growth considered as the result of caregiver experiences was found to consist mainly of personal growth and focusing on positive life experiences. Lost opportunities particular to the context of Tamil Nadu were described as the inability to get married, obtaining less education than desired, and loss of employment. Siblings faced lower levels of burden, while elderly mothers experienced especially high levels of burden and lack of happiness in life. Caregiver gains were identified as greater compassion for other people with disabilities, resulting in a desire to help others, as well as increased personal strength and confidence. Understanding the nuances of the caregiving experiences over time can provide a framework to devise more fine-tuned support structures that aim to prevent reductions in social interaction and lost opportunities, and improve a sense of meaning, in order to assist caregivers to continue providing care for their relatives with mental illness in a context with scarce mental health resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Research has identified that loneliness during COVID-19 is associated with co-residence status, and individuals living alone were more likely to report loneliness. However, it may not apply to sexual minority people as those living with their family may experience different sexual orientation-related stressors. Aims: This study aims to (1) understand the pattern of living arrangement and loneliness among sexual minority people during COVID-19, (2) examine parental acceptance, family conflict and loneliness among sexual minority people with different living arrangements and (3) investigate the association between parental acceptance and loneliness among sexual minority people with different living arrangements during COVID-19. Method: An online survey with 1,457 Hong Kong sexual minority people was conducted. Results: Sexual minority people living with their partner(s) were less likely to report loneliness. Concurrently, those living with their parent(s) showed a similar level of loneliness as those who lived alone. Living with parent(s) during COVID-19 does not necessarily alleviate feelings of loneliness among them, which we argue may be due to parental unacceptance of their sexual orientation. Nearly half of the respondents stated that their parent(s) were unaccepting of their sexual orientation and 41.8% of them indicated an increase in family conflict during COVID-19. For those living with their parent(s), parental unacceptance is related to more family conflict during COVID-19, which in turn is associated with higher levels of loneliness. Conclusions: Not living with unaccepting parents may reduce family conflict and feelings of loneliness, but this has not been the case for many respondents from a city with high population density and cost of living. Social and mental health service providers need to come up with timely and appropriate interventions to address the unique needs faced by sexual minority people during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More and more data are being collected using combined active (e.g., surveys) and passive (e.g., smartphone sensors) ambulatory assessment methods. Fine-grained temporal data, such as smartphone sensor data, allow gaining new insights into the dynamics of social interactions in day-to-day life and how these are associated with psychosocial phenomena – such as loneliness. So far, however, smartphone sensor data have often been aggregated over time, thus, not doing justice to the fine-grained temporality of these data. In this article, we demonstrate how time-stamped sensor data of social interactions can be modeled with multistate survival models. We examine how loneliness is associated with (a) the time between social interaction (i.e., interaction rate) and (b) the duration of social interactions in a student population (Nparticipants = 45, Nobservations = 74,645). Before a 10-week ambulatory assessment phase, participants completed the UCLA loneliness scale, covering subscales on intimate, relational, and collective loneliness. Results from the multistate survival models indicated that loneliness subscales were not significantly associated with differences in social interaction rate and duration – only relational loneliness predicted shorter social interaction encounters. These findings illustrate how the combination of new measurement and modeling methods can advance knowledge on social interaction dynamics in daily life settings and how they relate to psychosocial phenomena such as loneliness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although loneliness is an experience that mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may face, it has not been widely explored. Having a supportive social environment that is also effective in emotion regulation may provide feelings of security necessary for one to feel less lonely. The present study examined loneliness levels among mothers of children with ASD (vs. without ASD) and explored interpersonal resources (interpersonal emotion regulation and perceived social support) that might contribute to reduced loneliness. One-thousand-seven-hundred-and-83 mothers of children (546 with ASD, 1,237 without) completed a series of questionnaires. Mothers of children with ASD (vs. without ASD) reported higher levels of loneliness and lower levels of interpersonal emotion regulation efficacy for positive emotions and lower levels of perceived social support. A serial mediation model indicated that interpersonal factors fully mediated the association between being a mother of a child with ASD (vs. without) and loneliness. Moreover, a moderation mediation model showed that the tendency to approach others in order to regulate positive emotions moderated the association between perceived efficacy of such regulation and mothers' loneliness. Interpersonal emotion regulation for positive emotions and perceived social support may contribute to reduced loneliness, especially among mothers of children with ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to understand the phenomenon of isolation due to COVID-19 through the lens of a feminist perspective. It focuses on daily life experiences of oppressed individuals living in Çankaya, whose spatial, socio-cultural, and political positions intersect with their age, disability, and gender. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 37 people, of different ages, disabilities, and gender statements. Findings show that multi-dimensional oppressions and discriminations have undermined solidarity relations and result in more profound loneliness. The results highlight that new social work approaches involving intersectional feminist consciousness of oppressions need to be developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Adolescence is an important developmental stage for understanding the role of perceived loneliness and self-esteem on life satisfaction. This study investigated the association between loneliness, self-esteem and the outcome of life satisfaction, as well as potential interaction effects in association with life satisfaction, in a sample of Norwegian adolescents. Methods: The study was based on a cross-sectional sample of 1816 adolescents aged 15–21 years. Data were collected in September 2016. The participants reported scores on the five-item Satisfaction with Life Scale, the 10-item Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and one item assessing loneliness. Control variables included sex, age, perceived family economy, parents' education, place of birth and perceived bullying. The data were analysed with descriptive and multiple linear regression analysis. Results: A significant negative and moderately strong association was found between loneliness and life satisfaction, where the association was stronger for girls than for boys. Self-esteem showed a significant positive and strong association with life satisfaction; however, no significant interaction effect was found. Conclusions: The findings show the significant role of both loneliness and self-esteem in association with adolescents' perception of life satisfaction. The findings support promoting self-esteem, belongingness and social integration in all daily life contexts for adolescents to support their life satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loneliness is associated with negative mental health outcomes and is particularly common among adolescents. Yet, little is known about the dynamics of adolescent loneliness in non-Western, low-income nations. Accordingly, we estimated the severity of loneliness in a sample of Kenyan adolescents and used mixed-effects regression modelling to determine the socio-cultural factors associated with loneliness. We also used network analysis to examine the associations between loneliness, depression, and anxiety at the symptom level. We analyzed data from a large sample (N = 2,192) of school-attending Kenyan adolescents aged 12–19 (58.3% female, 41.7% male). Standardized measures of loneliness (ULS-8), depression (PHQ-8), and anxiety (GAD-7) were used. Our mixed-effects model revealed that female and lower-income adolescents felt lonelier. The perception of feeling alone emerged as the aspect of loneliness most strongly linked to depression and anxiety symptoms. Our findings establish an estimate of loneliness levels in Kenyan adolescents, and identify possible socio-cultural factors associated with loneliness. We found that perceptions of isolation more strongly linked loneliness to psychopathology than did objective measures of isolation or preferences for social contact. Finally, we identify specific aspects of loneliness that could prove to be treatment targets for youth psychopathology; however, further research is needed. Limitations, future directions, and clinical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced unprecedented challenges and demands for parents or caregivers of children who experienced disruptions in social support and feelings of isolation. Mindful emotion regulation may be a resilient factor for parents' psychosocial outcomes. Mindful emotion regulation refers to individuals' inherent capacities to regulate emotions mindfully, i.e., through paying attention to one's experiences in the present moment nonjudgmentally. Based on the theoretical and empirical literature associating mindful emotion regulation with loneliness and perceived social support, the current study tested the effects of mindful emotion regulation on later changes in perceived social support and loneliness in U.S. parents during the pandemic. Participants were 147 parents/caregivers who were living with at least one child or adolescent in their household during the pandemic in the USA. Data were collected from a national online sample at four time points: baseline (April 7–21, 2020), 30-, 60-, and 90-days later. Results of longitudinal mediational structural equation modeling showed that mindful emotion regulation was directly associated with increased perceived social support and decreased loneliness. Moreover, mindful emotion regulation was also associated with perceived social support indirectly through its effects on loneliness. Focusing on the needs of parents is important for promoting family and child wellbeing to ameliorate negative health consequences. More research is needed to elucidate whether and how mindful emotion regulation may be beneficial for parents in the social relationship domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report new data from a survey of loneliness in Australia during the Covid-19 lockdowns of 2020–21, in order to identify those age groups most at risk of increased loneliness. Counter-intuitively, proportionately fewer elderly Australians experienced increased loneliness as a result of lockdowns, as compared with 44% of those aged 19–29 and 31% of those aged 40–49. To explain this pattern, we investigated how lockdowns disturbed the complex connections between types of place affordance and the age-specific cultural scripts that normally give rise to a sense of belonging. For younger age groups, such scripts demand their identification with future orientations and a sense of belonging tied to the more distant and wide-ranging places of career advance, meeting, play, and pleasure that lockdown inhibited. By contrast, older retired cohorts were more inclined to frame their sense of belonging in the past through the maintenance of community connections and closer place-bonds of their locality, cultural places of memory and return that they were more happily confined to during lockdowns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loneliness in adolescence is a risk factor for the development and maintenance of a myriad of mental health conditions, especially among females. Adolescent females in boarding schools spend prolonged periods away from family and may therefore be more prone to experiencing loneliness and depression. Research into this significant issue is limited, however. The present study compared the levels of loneliness and depressive symptoms of 403, 13–17 year old adolescent females from a range of boarding and non-boarding secondary schools. Confirmatory Factor Analyses established the fit of the loneliness and depressive symptom measures. Multivariate Analysis of Variance revealed boarding school students scored significantly higher than non- boarding school students on levels of depressive symptoms and having a positive attitude to being alone. These differences remained significant when age was covaried. There were no differences in quality of friendships, feelings of isolation, and having a negative attitude to being alone. The implications of these findings for boarding schools are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, I overview the research of the newly hatched graduates from The Niels Bohr Professorship Centre for Cultural Psychology (NBPCCP) at Aalborg University. These students are the world's first graduates to obtain a master's degree in “Cultural Psychology and Social Practice”, completed in the first research centre in the world specifically dedicated to investigations into cultural psychologies. I describe seven of the students' self-created paths and point to where cultural psychology and the education in this field could possibly take us. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study uses data from The British Broadcasting Corporation Loneliness Experiment to explore the social stigma of loneliness and how it varies by gender, age and cultural individualism. We examined stigmatizing judgements of people who are lonely (impressions of those who feel lonely and attributions for loneliness), perceived stigma in the community and self-stigma (shame for being lonely and inclination to conceal loneliness), while controlling for participants' own feelings of loneliness. The scores on most measures fell near the mid-point of the scales, but stigmatizing perceptions depended on the measure of stigmatization that was used and on age, gender and country-level individualism. Multilevel analyses revealed that men had more stigmatizing perceptions, more perceived community stigma, but less self-stigma than women; young people had higher scores than older people on all indicators except for internal versus external attributions and people living in collectivist countries perceived loneliness as more controllable and perceived more stigma in the community than people living in individualistic countries. Finally, young men living in individualistic countries made the most internal (vs. external) attributions for loneliness. We discuss the implications of these findings for understandings of loneliness stigma and interventions to address loneliness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: We aimed to describe the aim, data collection and content from a survey completed among pregnant women during the first peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark. Methods: The declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 challenged pregnant women's mental well-being due to a concern for their unborn child and their need for healthcare services through pregnancy and birth. To explore how the COVID-19 pandemic and the intensified measures such as the lockdown of Denmark impacted pregnant women's well-being and mental health, we conducted a questionnaire survey in the spring of 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic was at its first peak, and the consequences for pregnant women and the unborn child were very uncertain. All women residing in Denmark and registered with an ongoing pregnancy on 24 April 2020 were invited to participate. The questionnaire included background information, variables on COVID-19 symptoms and validated batteries of questions on loneliness, anxiety, stress, quality of life, meditation and prayers. Additional questions were included to examine concerns related to pregnancy and childbirth during the pandemic. Cohort characteristics: Almost 18,000 women answered the questionnaire, which represents 60% of all invited women who experienced a national lockdown for the first time. Their median age was 30 years, and they were more likely to be multiparous. Conclusions: Data from the COVIDPregDK Study will enable us to gain valuable knowledge on how the pandemic, the intensified measures from the health authorities and the national lockdown affected pregnant women's mental health and their concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Adolescence is a particularly salient period for understanding the role of perceived loneliness for subjective health and well-being. This study investigated sociodemographic differences (sex, age, self-reported socio-economic status (SES)) in loneliness and associations between sociodemographic factors, loneliness and self-rated health (SRH), subjective health symptoms, symptoms of depression/anxiety and mental well-being (MWB) in a sample of Norwegian adolescents. Methods: The study was based on a cross-sectional sample of 1816 adolescents aged 15–21 years. The participants reported scores on an 11-item scale assessing subjective health complaints (SHC), one item each assessing SRH and loneliness, the 10-item version of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist and the seven-item version of the Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale. SES was assessed using perceived family economy and parents' education. Data were analysed with descriptive, comparative and multiple linear regression analyses. Results: The multivariate results showed that boys scored significantly higher on MWB than girls did, whereas girls scored significantly higher on loneliness, depression/anxiety and SHC. Perceptions of poorer family finances were significantly associated with higher levels of SHC and depression/anxiety, lower levels of MWB and more negative SRH. Loneliness showed significant positive associations with depression/anxiety and SHC, and significant negative associations with MWB and SRH. A significant moderation effect of sex by loneliness was found in association with depression/anxiety, with stronger associations for girls. Conclusions: The findings in this study support the significant roles of sex, perceptions of family finances and loneliness in association with adolescent's subjective mental and physical health and well-being, especially mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many people experiencing homelessness dwell, panhandle, or congregate in public spaces where they frequently cross paths with others. In these spaces, they can be recipients of acts of kindness or emotional and physical insult, but there is little research on the quality, nature, or value of interactions between people living on the street and those who pass them by. Aim: This study explored the lived experiences of unhoused people who panhandle and their interactions with passersby in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Methods: Forty semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants who were approached while panhandling and asked to describe their experiences asking for help in public and accessing homelessness services, as well as what they wished to share with passersby. Interviews were coded and analyzed using a directed content analysis approach. Results: Participants described being ignored and subjected to violence, leading them to crave meaningful interaction with passersby. They also described experiences of receiving kindness and support while panhandling. Many shared personal histories of tragedy and called for greater empathy and compassion from passersby, as well as society as a whole, for people experiencing homelessness. Conclusion: Participants' experiences were consistent with loneliness, as characterized in the literature as distress at lack of social connection, and were also notable for the verbal and physical violence endured in public spaces. Social isolation and trauma are detrimental to mental health in this vulnerable group, so interventions to support this population should provide opportunities for consistent, supportive social connections and focus on providing low-barrier, stable housing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although loneliness is typically associated with adolescence and old age, research has revealed that it is prevalent across the life span. The present study contributes to the loneliness literature by investigating a broad range of risk factors in a Dutch sample (N = 52,341) ranging from late adolescence to old age using a cross-sectional survey administered by the regional public health services in the province of Limburg in the Netherlands. Risk factors associated with higher levels of self-reported loneliness across the life span were being male, lower education levels, inadequacy of financial resources, mental health, informal caregiving that is experienced as burdensome, and limited social contact or network type. In addition, in early adulthood, having a non-western migration background and having a physical disability were associated with higher levels of loneliness, whereas living alone, having a non-western migration background, and not having a paid job were risk factors of loneliness in middle adulthood. In late adulthood, living alone and having a physical disability were associated with loneliness. The present study demonstrates that different stages of life are associated with different vulnerability factors of loneliness. Hence, the prevention of loneliness might require different interventions in different age groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Social inclusion is an important indicator of recovery in individuals with severe mental illness. The Social Inclusion Questionnaire User Experience (SInQUE) is a new measure of social inclusion for mental health service users which assesses five domains (consumption, production, access to services, social integration and civil engagement). It has good psychometric properties and is acceptable to service users and mental health professionals. It is not clear whether individuals with different diagnostic conditions experience a similar reduction in social inclusion. Aims: (1) Investigate whether current social inclusion differs between diagnostic groups (people with schizophrenia/other psychotic disorders, common mental disorder or personality disorder); (2) Identify factors associated with lower social inclusion; (3) Examine associations between social inclusion and stigma, quality of life and loneliness. Method: Mental health service users with psychotic disorder, personality disorder or common mental disorder, living in the community, completed the SInQUE, alongside other validated outcome measures. Multiple regression investigated associations. Results: About 192 service users (55% with psychotic disorder; 26% with common mental disorder; 19% with personality disorder). Current social inclusion did not vary according to diagnosis, except for the sub-domain of productivity, where individuals with personality disorder were more socially included than the other two groups. Lower social inclusion was associated with older age (p =.008), lack of higher education (p <.001), more previous admissions (p =.005), severity of current symptoms and greater experienced stigma (p =.006) and anticipated stigma (p =.035). Greater social inclusion was associated with better quality of life (p <.001) and less loneliness (p <.001). Conclusions: Barriers to social inclusion in individuals with severe mental health problems include factors related to the illness, such as symptom severity and external factors, such as stigma and discrimination. Social inclusion is a recovery goal and should be routinely assessed. Increasing people's social inclusion benefits service users in terms of improved mental health, better quality of life and reduced loneliness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the importance of adult children's ties with biological parents and stepparents for well-being in adulthood. We particularly focused on situations in which adult children are not close with the new partner of their biological parent, their stepparent. Following balance theory, it is straining to be in an unbalanced pattern (i.e., close to biological parent, not close to stepparent). Firstly, we studied how many adults are close to their biological parent only (dissonance), to both the biological parent and stepparent (positive consonance), or to neither parent in the stepfamily household (negative consonance). Secondly, we examined if the ties to biological parents and stepparents - as well as, the patterns between the two ties - were associated with the subjective well-being of the adult child. The OKiN data was used, which includes N = 1,477 adults with a stepfather and N = 1,274 adults with a stepmother. OLS regression models suggested that parent-child ties were important for depression and loneliness in adulthood, although associations with stepmother-child ties were insignificant. Moreover, the prevalence of dissonant ties was low, but the consequences for depression and loneliness were considerable. A distant or conflictual stepparent-child tie attenuated the benefits of having a close tie with the biological parent. Consequently, adult children in dissonant patterns are not necessarily better off in terms of well-being than those in negative consonant patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although previous meta-analyses were conducted to quantitatively synthesize the relation between problematic social media (SM) use and mental health, they focused on Facebook addiction. Aims: The purpose of this meta-analysis is to examine this relation by extending the research scope via the inclusion of studies examining problematic use of all platforms. Method: One hundred and thirty-three independent samples (N =244,676) were identified. Results: As expected, the mean correlations between problematic SM use and well-being are negative, while those between problematic SM use and distress are positive. Life satisfaction and self-esteem are commonly used to represent well-being, while depression and loneliness are usually used to indicate distress. The mean correlations of problematic SM use with life satisfaction and self-esteem are small, whereas those of problematic SM use with depression and loneliness are moderate. The moderating effects of publication status, instruments, platforms and mean age are not significant. Conclusions: The magnitude of the correlations between problematic SM use and mental health indicators can generalize across most moderator conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To expand evidence for the nature and related mechanisms underlying loneliness measured by Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults (SELSA-S), several hypotheses were developed and tested to map the nomological network of loneliness. Tests included examining the structure of the multidimensional experiences of loneliness, concurrent and prospective relations between loneliness, sociodemographic variables, worry, rumination, metacognition, symptoms of anxiety and depression. This study also sought to determine how resilience is involved in the protection against loneliness and depressive symptoms. Four hundred and eighty-two students with a mean age of 25.84 years (SD = 5.74) participated (N = 482; 59% females). Structural and temporal stability analyses supported the multidimensional experiences of loneliness, including family, romantic and social loneliness. Psychological network analysis identified especially strong connections (i.e., edges) between indicators belonging to loneliness in family and social relationships. At the general level, older participants and those who were single reported more loneliness. Loneliness was concurrently and prospectively associated with worry, rumination and metacognitions and predicted vulnerabilities in levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms. At follow-up, the effect of loneliness on depressive symptoms was lower when scoring high on resilience. Interventions for loneliness may address improving family relationships and metacognitive processes underlying loneliness, which may in turn improve mental health. Interpersonal and intrapersonal protective factors involved in resilience may compensate for deficits in social relationships thereby buffering negative effects of loneliness on common mental health problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This special issue focuses on care in late life and at the end of life for people with diverse sexual orientations and gender identities, from an international perspective. Even where the current social and legislative climate is relatively inclusive, the legacy of living through times when legislation and social attitudes criminalised and stigmatised LGBT people may continue to have ongoing profound influences on LGBT people's social networks and their physical and mental health. While some of the issues will be similar to those facing all older people, existing research identifies separate issues that need to be addressed for older LGBT people entering their later and last years of life and into death and bereavement. [Extracted from the article]

The importance of cafes in fulfilling certain political, cultural and social functions has long been acknowledged in the social sciences. Despite this interest, there has been relatively little empirical or theoretical work which explores the intersection between the idea of the cafe and the concept of care as understood in social policy and practice. In particular, there has been little work that considers the social value of sites such as cafes, especially in deprived areas, and the role they may play in the day-to-day lives of people who use them. Through a detailed case study of a cafe, we examine the meaning of community, family and home in terms of the affective connections that places like cafes entail. We argue that powerful forms of everyday care work may be found in such sites, and we advocate for greater awareness in social policy of the complex and multilayered nature of emotional labour in this context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: misogyny; patriarchy; women; women's relationships; friendship; internalized misogyny EN misogyny patriarchy women women's relationships friendship internalized misogyny 481 498 18 12/06/21 20211201 NES 211201 The self-sabotage rife among women is no secret, but what may be unclear is why we insist on chains. Patriarchy, women, women's relationships, misogyny, friendship, internalized misogyny The Margaret Atwood quote is important here because, under patriarchy riddled with class relations and racism, the fear of male violence underpins misogyny. How internalized misogyny affects relationships between women. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Tools and systems to improve mental health have been understudied in low-resource environments, such as sub-Saharan Africa. This study explores depression amongst women participating in a community-based intervention combining savings- and lending-groups, entrepreneurial training and other skills training. Aims: This study aims to determine whether depression decreases with more program participation, and the extent to which social capital variables may explain these changes. Method: Survey data were gathered in June 2018, within 6 months of group formation, and again in June 2019 from 400 women participants in the program. Data between 2018 and 2019 were compared using Wilcoxon rank-sum and Chi square tests. Inferential statistics included random effects regression models and general structural equation models. Results: At 1-year follow-up, depression and loneliness amongst Kenyan women (n = 400) participating in the program had decreased. Social capital remained higher within groups than within the broader community, and mediated the association between program participation and decreased depression. Conclusions: Findings suggest this novel, community-based intervention has the potential to benefit mental health. Future research, including a randomised control trial, is required to establish (1) the extent of the program's benefits and (2) the program's application to particular subject areas and population segments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loneliness has been examined by an increasing number of scholars, being implicated in numerous detrimental outcomes for mental and physical health. However, most loneliness prevalence studies have focused on particular age groups, thus overlooking how loneliness differs across the lifespan. This study assessed loneliness prevalence in a nationally representative sample (n = 1,009) of the Maltese population aged 11 years and above using the 11-item De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale, while also identifying associations between loneliness and sociodemographic factors. Results demonstrate that 43.5% of the Maltese population experiences some form of loneliness. The association between loneliness and age demonstrates a nonlinear relationship, with elevated loneliness rates among adolescents, which decrease slightly in early adulthood, before slowly increasing from age 35 onward. Loneliness is also significantly associated with education level, employment status, household composition, mortgage payment status, perception of income, presence of a disability, active citizenship, as well as self-rated physical health, coping ability, and subjective wellbeing. These findings indicate that loneliness is experienced in significant rates across the lifespan, and intervention efforts should be targeted toward individuals of all ages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People have widely different experiences of being alone. Sometimes being alone is relaxing and restorative other times it gives way to feelings of loneliness. Researchers conceptually distinguish between solitude, which tends to be viewed more positively, and loneliness, which is more negative. However, it is unclear whether these terms are used differently in everyday language. We sought to compare the emotional content of over 19 million tweets containing the terms solitude and lonely/loneliness. Using a computational linguistics approach, we found that solitude tends to be used in more positive and less emotionally activated (i.e., lower arousal) contexts compared to lonely. We also found that the word alone tends to be used somewhat differently from solitude and lonely. These results have implications both for how we understand different experiences of time alone in general and for what kind of language we should use when discussing these experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]