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This descriptive study was carried out to examine the relationship between smartphone addiction, peer relationships, and loneliness in adolescents. The sample consisted of 500 adolescents aged between 15–18 years, who were high school students in Central Anatolia region during the 2018–2019 academic year. The data of the study was collected through a questionnaire, Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV), Friendship Qualities Scale (FQS) and UCLA Loneliness Scale (ULS). Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, Shapiro-Wilk, and Spearman correlation test. The SAS-SV, FQS and ULS mean scores were 27.82 ± 11.53, 81.88 ± 15.68, and 41.99 ± 8.62, respectively. Results indicated there was a weak positive correlation between the companionship subscales of both FQS and ULS with SAS-SV. There was a weak negative correlation between the conflict subscales of FQS and SAS-SV. Providing a special education to adolescents and their parents to raise their awareness on the negative effects of smartphone addiction may be recommended.

Rare studies are available exploring the impact of limited activities of daily living (ADL), loneliness on suicidal ideation, and protective effect of social support on their relationships in nursing home residents. This study aims to examine these links in a sample of older adults from nursing homes. A stratified random sampling was adopted to recruit 538 respondents from 37 nursing homes in Jinan. Suicidal ideation, limited ADL, social support and loneliness were assessed through instruments of Beck Suicidal Ideation Scale, ADL scale, Perceived Social Support Scale and UCLA Loneliness Scale. Relationships of latent variables were tested using Path Analysis in this cross-sectional study. The mediating effect of loneliness was significant on the association between limited ADL and suicidal ideation, and the mediation model was multiply moderated by social support with significant coefficients and acceptable model fitness. This study demonstrated the multiple moderating role of social support in the effect of limited ADL and loneliness on suicidal ideation among nursing home residents. More efforts are suggested in providing more available external resources to seniors' mental health for reducing risk of influencing factors of suicidal ideation.

Loneliness is associated with a myriad of detrimental outcomes in mental and physical health. Previous studies have found that people with schizophrenia report greater loneliness than controls, and that loneliness is related to depressive symptoms. However, research has been limited, particularly regarding contributions of loneliness to social and occupational functioning. Further, few studies have examined associations between loneliness and daily experience in schizophrenia. Thus, we recruited 35 individuals with schizophrenia and 37 controls. All participants completed the UCLA loneliness scale, symptom assessments, and measures of social and occupational functioning. Additionally, participants with schizophrenia completed an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) protocol that indexed daily social and emotional experiences, including loneliness. Similar to previous reports, we found that those with schizophrenia reported greater loneliness than controls. Further, loneliness was positively associated with depressive and negative symptoms, and negatively associated with self-reported social functioning. Interestingly, loneliness remained a significant predictor of functioning even when controlling for other symptoms, suggesting that severity of depressive and negative symptoms cannot fully explain the relationship between loneliness and functioning. In our EMA analyses, loneliness did not significantly differ when individuals were alone versus with others, underscoring the notion that being alone is not the same as feeling lonely. However, self-reported engagement during social interactions was negatively associated with loneliness, at a trend-level, suggesting that quality of social interactions is a potentially important consideration. Taken together, these findings suggest that loneliness is an important treatment target and provide understanding for how loneliness may manifest in daily life in schizophrenia. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Objective: To examine the link between social and emotional isolation and likelihood of dementia among older black and white Brazilians. Design: Cross-sectional clinical–pathological cohort study. Setting: Medical center in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Participants: As part of the Pathology, Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias Study, we conducted uniform structured interviews with knowledgeable informants (72% children) of 1,493 older (age > 65) Brazilian decedents. Measurements: The interview included measures of social isolation (number of family and friends in at least monthly contact with decedent), emotional isolation (short form of UCLA Loneliness Scale), and major depression plus the informant portion of the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale to diagnose dementia and its precursor, mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Results: Decedents had a median social network size of 8.0 (interquartile range = 9.0) and a median loneliness score of 0.0 (interquartile range = 1.0). On the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale, 947 persons had no cognitive impairment, 122 had MCI, and 424 had dementia. In a logistic regression model adjusted for age, education, sex, and race, both smaller network size (odds ratio [OR] = 0.975; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.962, 0.989) and higher loneliness (OR = 1.145; 95% CI: 1.060, 1.237) were associated with higher likelihood of dementia. These associations persisted after controlling for depression (present in 10.4%) and did not vary by race. After controlling for depression, neither network size nor loneliness was related to MCI. Conclusion: Social and emotional isolation are associated with higher likelihood of dementia in older black and white Brazilians.

The current study aimed to test the relationship between Internet addiction, loneliness, disordered sleep, and depression among a sample of Iranian university students at the undergraduate level considering the moderating role of gender. Compulsive Internet use was measured using the Internet addiction scale developed by Young. Depression was measured by the depression subscale of the SCL90 and feelings of loneliness were measured using the 3rd Persian version of the UCLA loneliness scale. Disordered sleep was assessed using the Persian version of the quality of sleep scale. Structural equation modelling was employed to test the mediation-moderation models. Primary results show that Internet addiction predicted depression, loneliness predicted disordered sleep and Internet addiction predicted disordered sleep. The roles of mediators have been proved in all models. Gender’s moderating role was not significant in any of the models.

Social isolation has been recognized as a critical public health problem. As the most vulnerable population, older adults are disproportionately affected by social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purposes of this study were to examine the association between social isolation and loneliness among U.S. older adults and to explore the moderating effect of solitary activity by using data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Social isolation was measured by six indicators, including marital status, living arrangement, social participation in any clubs or social organizations, and the frequency of social contact with children, family members, and friends. Loneliness was assessed by eleven questions derived from the UCLA Loneliness Scale. Solitary activity included 11 types of activities that respondents could perform alone with limited or no social interaction. Results from the multivariate regression analyses indicated that unmarried status and lower frequency of social contact were associated with more perceived loneliness. Solitary activity significantly moderated the negative effects of the low frequency of social contact with family members on loneliness. The findings implicate that social work programs and interventions can aim to expand social networks and provide more opportunities for solitary activities, particularly for isolated older adults.

An online study assessing loneliness, life satisfaction, and depression levels of participants living in social isolation due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Wellbeing is compared to the participant's personality, culture, lifestyle, and personal factors to investigate whether these may have an influence. Participants fill in five short questionnaires which take about 10-15 minutes in total.

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential role of three COVID-19-related variables (i.e., risk perception, knowledge, and behaviour) on four indices of pandemic-related mental health (i.e., anxiety, depression, loneliness, and hopelessness). In total, 337 participants completed four self-report questionnaires: selected subscales of the World Health Organisation’s COVID-19 Behavioural Insights Tool, UCLA Loneliness Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory–Trait Scale, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, and Beck Hopelessness Scale. In addition to descriptive statistics and intercorrelations, structural equation modelling was used to compare three models of the potential role (predictor or moderator/mediator) that the three abovementioned COVID-19-related variables could play in psychological wellbeing. The results showed high levels of psychological distress among the current sample. Generally, better knowledge of COVID-19 and engaging in protective behaviours were found to be related to lower levels of psychological distress, whereas increased risk perception was found to be associated with increased feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and depression. It was also found that behaviour mediated the effect of knowledge on psychological wellbeing, suggesting that while publicising information about COVID-19 remains necessary, providing the public with a means to engage in protective behaviours is central for promoting psychological wellbeing.

The paper presents the results of a study of the level and factors of mental malad- justment and professional burnout of medical residents undergoing training at the Training Center of N.V. Sklifosovsky Research Institute for Emergency Medicine during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study involved 110 first and second year residents (30 men and 80 women; mean age — 25.1±2.32), both working in the COVID-19 “red zone” and helping other patients. The follow- ing methods were used to assess symptoms and factors of mental maladjustment and professional burnout: Beck Depression and Anxiety Scales (Beck et al., 1988; 1996), Maslach Burnout Inventory (Maslach & Jackson, 1981), PTSD Checklist for DSM 5 (PSL-5; Weathers et al., 2013) Distress Thermometer (Holland, Bultz, 2007), UCLA Loneliness Scale (Russell et al., 1978) Three-Factor Perfectionism Inventory (Garanyan et al., 2018) and Toronto Alexithymia Scale (Taylor et al., 2003). According to the data, 43% of young doctors noted symptoms of depression of moderate and high severity, suicidal thoughts were present in 10%, symptoms of heightened anxiety in 30%, and more than a half (55%) had critically high rates of symptoms of post-traumatic stress. About a quarter of the respondents showed high rates of general distress (24%) and professional burnout in all three of its as- pects (emotional exhaustion — 21%, depersonalization — 23%, and personal ac- complishment — 22%). Most residents associated distress with difficulties in com- bining work and study and fear for the quality of education during the pandemic. Social support was noted as a factor in coping with stress. A series of regression analyzes showed the importance of the contribution of the experience of loneli- ness, as well as high rates of perfectionism and alexithymia, to mental distress and professional burnout of residents.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether the trajectory of facets of loneliness—emotional and social—varied by cognitive impairment status in older adulthood. METHODS: Data came from the Health and Retirement Study 2008–2018 waves (N = 15,352). Cognitive impairment was assessed using standard cutoffs on the modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status for cognitive impairment not dementia (CIND) and dementia. The 11-item UCLA Loneliness scale was used to measure emotional and social loneliness. RESULTS: Using multilevel modeling, we found that CIND and dementia status were associated with higher overall, emotional, and social loneliness, controlling for physical health, social contact, and depressive symptoms. The trajectory of loneliness did not vary by cognitive status. There were modest variations by sociodemographic factors. DISCUSSION: Persons with CIND and dementia experience heightened emotional and social loneliness, but cognitive impairment does not contribute to the worsening of loneliness. Older adults’ social integration may be maintained early in cognitive impairment.

In this study,the model developed to investigate the relationship between emotional expressivity, loneliness and hopelessness was tested in adolescents. The sample of this study consisted of 288 high school students, 180 of whom were women and 108 of whom were men. Data were obtained using the Berkeley Expressivity Questionnaire (BEQ), The Short-form of the UCLA Loneliness Scale (ULS-8) and the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS). Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the data. The findings obtained in this study showed that there was a negative and meaningful relationship between emotional expression and loneliness and hopelessness in adolescents, emotional expression predicted loneliness and hopelessness, and there was a positive and meaningful relationship between loneliness and hopelessness and loneliness predicts hopelessness.

The aim of this research is to investigate the level of loneliness among the students of the Faculty of Science and Arts in Rafha campus, Northern Border University, KSA during the outbreak of Novel Corona virus, and identify the differences among the students in loneliness according to the variables of gender and marital status. To achieve this aim,the researcher applied a descriptive method, prepared a preliminary data form and used UCLA Loneliness Scale. The population of the research was (1160) students, and the sample size was (365) students. The data were collected online in the first semester of the academic year 2020-2021. The results showed that the level of loneliness among the students during the outbreak of the Novel Corona virus was below the average. Moreover, the results revealed that there were significant differences among the students in loneliness according to gender variable: female students' mean (191.59) was greater than the male students' mean (153.82). Also, the results indicated that there were no significant differences among the students in loneliness due to marital status variable.

Introduction: Chronic loneliness has been linked to many adverse outcomes, including mental health problems. Psychological treatment of loneliness can be effective, but the evidence base is limited. Objective: To investigate the efficacy of 2 internet-based interventions based on cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) and interpersonal psychotherapy (IIPT) relative to a wait-list control group and each other. Methods: A total of 170 participants were recruited and randomized to either 9 weeks of ICBT (n = 68), IIPT (n = 68), or a wait-list condition (n = 34). The primary outcome was loneliness, measured using the UCLA Loneliness Scale before, during, and after treatment. Secondary measures of psychiatric disorders and quality of life were administered before and after treatment. Follow-up was conducted 4 months after the treatment had ended. Primary outcome data were analyzed using growth curve modeling. Secondary outcomes were analyzed using robust regression models. The trial was preregistered (ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03807154). Results: The ICBT condition had a significantly greater impact on loneliness compared to the wait-list and IIPT conditions. Effect sizes were moderate to large (Cohen d = 0.71) compared to the wait-list and moderate (d = 0.53) compared to IIPT. The IIPT condition did not differ significantly from the wait-list. Both active treatments led to significant increases in quality of life. Only the ICBT group had significantly lower symptoms of depression and generalized anxiety compared to the wait-list group. Treatment gains were maintained but not improved at follow-up. Conclusions: ICBT can be an efficacious option for alleviating loneliness. The IIPT intervention was not as effective.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to describe relationships between negative emotions and perceived emotional support in parents of children admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study conducted face-to-face interviews between January 2019 and January 2020. Study variables included depression (PHQ-9 Scale), anxiety (Emotional Distress-Anxiety-Short Form 8a), anger (Emotional Distress-Anger-Short Form 5a), fear (Fear-Affect Computerized Adaptive Test), somatic fear (Fear-Somatic Arousal-Fixed Form), loneliness (Revised 20-item UCLA Loneliness Scale), and perceived emotional support (Emotional Support-Fixed Form). Results: Eighty parents reported symptoms of depression 8.00(4.00, 13.75), anxiety (23.43 ± 7.80), anger (13.40 ± 5.46), fear (72.81 ± 27.26), somatic fear 9.00(6.00, 12.75), loneliness (39.35 ± 12.00), and low perceived emotional support (32.14 ± 8.06). Parents who were young, single, low-income, and with limited-post secondary education reported greater loneliness and lower perceived emotional support. Fear correlated with depression (r = 0.737, P

Background: The risk of interne addiction among students from age 18-24 was increasing in many countries now a day. Although the internet is useful tool, internet addiction was associated with physiological and physical problem. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between level of internet addiction, loneliness, and life satisfaction among Health and Rehabilitation Science. Descriptive correlational design was used to achieve this aim. This study was done by students at Princess Nourah University in Riyadh. Multistage cluster sampling was utilized to determine the size of sample which was 180 female students. Three tools for data collection were used: standardized scales of Internet Addiction Scale (IAS) UCLA Loneliness Scale (ULS) and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). The result revealed that most of the participants were non-addicted to internet, had a moderate level of feeling of loneliness that were highly satisfied about their life. Based on this result it was conclude that there is no relationship between internet addiction, loneliness and life satisfaction (p>0.01). It is recommended to broad the population for increasing the generalizability of the results to all Saudi population.

Objectives Loneliness is considered to be a crucial factor in mental health of elderly people. However, the effects of loneliness on behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) have not been fully examined. The aim of this study was to investigate whether loneliness in patients with dementia is related to BPSD. Methods A total of 152 patients with dementia were assessed using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI-12) and the revised University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) loneliness scale. Spearman correlation analysis and Mann-Whitney U-tests were used to examine factors associated with the revised UCLA loneliness scale. Logistic regression analysis with a forced entry method was performed to identify risk factors for BPSD. Results The revised UCLA loneliness scale score was not significantly associated with age, years of education, mini-mental state examination (MMSE) score, gender, living status, visual impairment, hearing impairment, and marital status. However, this score was a significant predictor of NPI delusion and hallucination subscale scores and GDS-15 score. The MMSE score was a significant predictor of NPI anxiety and apathy subscale scores. Conclusions Loneliness is a risk factor for BPSD, especially for depressive symptoms and psychosis. Paying attention to loneliness in patients with dementia will help medical staff to intervene in psychiatric symptoms of these patients at an early stage. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

PURPOSE It was aimed to examine smartphone addiction and loneliness among high school students. DESIGN AND METHOD This descriptive and cross-sectional research was implemented with 1185 high school students. Data collection tools were "Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version," "UCLA Loneliness Scale," and "Parental Attitude Scale." FINDINGS As the level of addiction to smartphones rose, the percentage of students feeling lonely dropped (p

Objectives The number of older adults is rapidly rising globally. Loneliness is a common problem that can deteriorate health. The aims of this work were to identify different types of loneliness (transient and chronic) and to assess their association with depression over time. Methods A nationally representative sample from the Spanish population comprising 1190 individuals aged 50+ years was interviewed on three evaluations over a 7-year period. The UCLA Loneliness Scale was used to measure loneliness. While chronic loneliness was defined as the presence of loneliness across all three waves, transient loneliness expressed the presence of loneliness in one wave only. A 12-month major depressive episode was assessed at each interview. After confirming the cross-sectional relationship, a multilevel mixed-effects model was used to examine the association between loneliness and depression. Results Almost a quarter of individuals felt lonely and one out of 10 presented depression at baseline. Of the sample, 22.78% showed transient loneliness, while 6.72% presented the chronic type. People experiencing chronic loneliness were at a higher risk of presenting major depression (OR = 6.11; 95% CI = 2.62, 14.22) than those presenting transient loneliness (OR = 2.22; 95% CI = 1.19, 4.14). This association varied over time and was stronger at the first follow-up than at the second one. Conclusions Focusing on loneliness prevention could reduce the risk of depression. Chronic loneliness is a public health problem that should be addressed through the full participation of the political, social, and medical sectors.

The revised version of the UCLA-Loneliness Scale has been widely used to investigate the effect of pet ownership on human loneliness. This paper reports three tests of its efficacy for this purpose...

PURPOSE This study aims to investigate the effects of loneliness, perceived social support, and depression on medication adherence of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). DESIGN AND METHODS This cross-sectional study was conducted with 119 AS patients. Data were collected using the Morisky-Green-Levine Medication Adherence Scale, the UCLA Loneliness Scale (ULS), the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). FINDINGS Nonadherent patients were younger (P = .033), scored higher on the ULS (P = .015), and BDI (P = .024) scales, and lower on the MSPSS scale (P = .039) and on family support (P = .002). PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS The biopsychosocial aspects of patients with AS should be managed holistically to improve their medication adherence.

The present study aimed to determine if an SRT program is effective in reducing loneliness, anxiety and depression for older people living in a residential aged care facility in Malaysia. A randomized controlled trial design was used. The primary outcome measures were the UCLA Loneliness Scale, the Geriatric Anxiety Scale (GAS) and the Malay version of the 14-item Geriatric Depression Scale (M-GDS-14). Of 180 residents, 34 participated. The within-group analysis revealed significant mean differences for loneliness and depression. The findings suggest the value of group-based interventions for older people with loneliness and depression but were inconclusive on the effectiveness of SRT specifically.

The impact of social support buffers most of the psychological problems such as loneliness and worry in the transition period for university freshmen. This loneliness and worry can lead to many freshmen suffering in less confidence and difficulties in interactions as a university student. The greater perceiving social support can alleviate loneliness and worry. The main aim of this study is to investigate the impact of social support on loneliness and worry among university freshmen. In this study, a quantitative approach was used. The sample was composed of 500 freshmen from four universities, Sagaing Technological University, Sagaing University of Education, Co-operative University (Sagaing) and Sagaing University. Social support perceived by university freshmen was measured by using Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL) including four subscales that are appraisal support, tangible support, self-esteem support and belonging support which consisted of 40 items. The Loneliness of freshmen was examined by using the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale (RULS) consisted of 20 items. Freshmen’s worry was explored by using the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) which comprised of 16 items. According to descriptive statistics, all universities in the selected district gave the equal social supports to freshmen but freshmen felt that they perceived the appraisal support than other supports. The results of independent sample t-test showed that there were significant differences in social support, loneliness and worry by gender. Furthermore, the result of ANOVA showed that there were significant differences in loneliness and worry by universities. The result of correlation analyses described that there was significant interrelationship among social support, loneliness and worry. The results of this study highlighted that types of social support can impact on loneliness and worry of freshmen effectively. That is the main reason why social support should be provided as one of the effective ways to ease loneliness and worry for freshmen.

In the present study to assess the effect of reminiscence therapy on psychological well-being, depression, and loneliness among elderly in selected old age homes of Mysore. a non-equivalent pre-test and post-test control group quasi experimental design was adopted. The samples were selected by adopting the non-probability convenience sampling technique. The sample consisted of 70 elderly staying in selected old age homes of Mysore, out of which 35 each in experimental and control group. The tool used for the data collection was Standardized geriatric depression scale to assess depression, Standardized Affect balance scale to measure psychological well-being, and Standardized UCLA loneliness scale to assess loneliness. On day1, 2, & 3 psychological well-being, depression, and loneliness were pre tested both in experimental and control group. On day 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, &14 the reminiscence therapy were administered to experimental group. On day 22, 23, &24 post test was conducted respectively in both groups. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data . Findings of the study revealed that there is a significant reduction in the post test mean depression, and loneliness scores of elderly in experimental group than the control group as evident from the ‘t’ value 5.365, and 9.268 with post-test df ‘t’(68) at 0.05 level of significance, and also there is a significant gain in the post test mean psychological score of elderly in experimental group than the control group as evident from the ‘t’ value 4.763 with post-test df ‘t’(68) at 0.05 level of significance. There was no significant association found between psychological well-being, depression, and loneliness of elderly in old age homes and their selected personal variables viz. age, gender, marital status, education level, income, visits by family members and other chronic medical illness. The findings revealed that, pre-test depression, and loneliness scores of elderly

Amaç: Parkinson hastalığı seyrinde hastaların üçte birinde demans görülmektedir. Buna bağlı olarak bakım veren yükünde artış meydana gelmektedir. Bakım verenlerde sıklıkla görülen yalnızlık, kişide depresyon, anksiyete ve somatik ağrı gibi zihinsel ve fiziksel ek risk faktörlerinin gelişmesine zemin hazırlar. Bu çalışmadaki amaç; Parkinson Demansı bakım verenlerinin günlük yaşamlarındaki yalnızlık düzeyini ortaya koymak ve bu düzeyin zihinsel (bellek) ve fiziksel (ağrı) yakınmalarıyla ilişkisini belirlemektir.Materyal ve Metod: Çalışmaya 48 Parkinson demansı bakımveren dahil edildi. Parkinson demansı hastalarının bakım verenlerine UCLA Yalnızlık Ölçeği, Hastane Anksiyete Depresyon Ölçeği (HAD), Öznel Bellek Yakınması Anketi (ÖBYA), Vizuel Analog Skala (VAS) ve Mini Mental Durum Değerlendirme Testi (MMDD) uygulandı.Bulgular: Bakım verenlerin yaş ortalaması 58.5 olup %68’i kadın cinsiyette idi. Bakım verenlerin büyük çoğunluğunun hastaların eşleri ve daha az oranda da çocukları olduğu görüldü. Analiz sonuçlarına göre kadın cinsiyetteki bakım verenlerin ağrı ve anksiyete düzeyi, erkek cinsiyetteki bakım verenlerden anlamlı olarak daha yüksek bulundu. Hastaların MMDD puanları ile bakım verenlerin yalnızlık düzeyi ve bakım verme süresi arasında negatif yönde korelasyon belirlendi.Sonuç: Parkinson demansı bakım verenlerinin büyük çoğunluğunu kadın aile bireyleri oluşturmaktadır. Kadın bakım verenlerde somatik ağrı yakınmaları daha fazla görülmekte ve daha yoğun anksiyete yaşamaktadır. Ayrıca hastalarda demans düzeyinin ilerlemesiyle bakım verenlerin yalnızlık düzeyi artmaktadır.

Issues: Despite the serious implications of loneliness on health and wellbeing, little is understood about this experience across people with substance use problems. This systematic review aimed to examine: (i) correlates and predictors of loneliness; (ii) theories underpinning loneliness; (iii) methods employed to measure loneliness; and (iv) loneliness interventions for people with substance use problems. Approach: Empirical sources were identified from key databases for all publications preceding February 2019. Overall, 41 studies met the eligibility criteria and were included in the review. Key Findings: Findings from this review suggest that loneliness is related to poor physical and mental health, substance use, the quality of relationships, stigma and perception of ill treatment by others. Although cognitive theories have proposed cognitive patterns underlying the onset and maintenance of loneliness, they had not been investigated in relation to measurement or intervention efforts. Just one loneliness measure (UCLA Loneliness Scale) is valid for use with this population. Finally, only a single loneliness intervention had been trialled and was not found to be efficacious in reducing loneliness for people with substance use problems. Implications: Understanding possible links between loneliness and substance use and how to alleviate loneliness is important for this population in terms of their wellbeing and recovery. Conclusion: Loneliness is prevalent and experienced as problematic among people with substance use problems. Future research should focus on employing longitudinal designs, using validated, multidimensional measures of loneliness and on developing and trialling loneliness interventions that meet the specific needs of people with substance use problems.

Objectives:To investigate the effect of a social robot intervention on depression, loneliness, and quality of life of older adults in long-term care (LTC) and to explore participants’ experiences and perceptions after the intervention.Design:A mixed-methods approach consisting of a single group, before and after quasi-experimental design, and individual interview.Participants:Twenty older adults with depression from four LTC facilities in Taiwan were recruited.Intervention:Each participant participated in 8 weeks of observation and 8 weeks of intervention. In the observation stage, participants received usual care or activities without any research intervention. In the intervention stage, each participant was given a Paro (Personal Assistive RobOt) to keep for 24 hours, 7 days a week.Measurements:The Geriatric Depression Scale, the UCLA Loneliness Scale Version 3, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire for older adults were administered at four time points. Individual qualitative interviews with thematic analysis followed.Results:A repeated multivariate analysis of variance and Friedmanʼs test showed no significant changes during the observation stage between T1 and T2 for depression and quality of life (p>.5). For the intervention stage, statistically significant changes in decreasing depression and loneliness and improving quality of life over time were identified. Three themes emerged from the interviews: (i) humanizing Paro through referring to personal experiences and engagement; (ii) increased social interaction with other people; and (iii) companionship resulting in improved mental well-being.Conclusions:There were significant improvements in mental well-being in using Paro. Further research may help us to understand the advantages of using a Paro intervention as depression therapy.

هدفت الدراسة الحالية إلى الکشف عن مستوى الشعور بالوحدة النفسية لدى ذوي الإعاقة البصرية في الأردن، کما هدفت إلى الکشف عما إذا کان هناک علاقة بين مستوى الشعور بالوحدة النفسية ودرجة استخدام شبکات التواصل الاجتماعي، والفروق ذات الدلالة الاحصائية في متوسط درجات الوحدة النفسية ومتوسط درجة استخدام شبکات التواصل الاجتماعي وفق متغير الجنس، نوع الإعاقة البصرية، فترات التصفح. تکونت عينة الدراسة من ( 68 ) طالبا وطالبة تم اختيارهم بطريقة عشوائية بسيطة من طلبة الأکاديمية الملکية للمکفوفين في الأردن المسجلين في الفصل الدراسي الثاني من العام الدراسي 2014-2015م، والبالغ عددهم الکلي 410 طالبا وطالبة. ولتحقيق أهداف الدراسة تم استخدام المنهج الوصفي الارتباطي، وقد استخدم مقياس الوحدة النفسية لرسيل وزملاؤه (Russell, et al, 1980)، ترجمة الدسوقي(1998م) أداة لجمع بيانات الدراسة. وتمت المعالجة الاحصائية للبيانات عن طريق الحزمة الاحصائية SPSS. دلت نتائج الدراسة على أن مستوى الشعور بالوحدة النفسية لدى ذوي الاعاقة البصرية الذين يستخدمون شبکات التواصل الاجتماعي منخفض، ودلت النتائج کذلک على أن هناک علاقة ارتباطية موجبة بين مستوى الشعور بالوحدة النفسية ودرجة استخدام شبکة التواصل الاجتماعي (تويتر)، کما أظهرت أنه توجد فروق ذات دلالة احصائية في مستوى الشعور بالوحدة النفسية لذوي الاعاقة البصرية مستخدمي شبکات التواصل الاجتماعي تعزى للجنس، بينما لا توجد فروق ذات دلالة احصائية في مستوى الشعور بالوحدة النفسية لذوي الاعاقة البصرية مستخدمي شبکات التواصل الاجتماعي تعزى لنوع الاعاقة، أو فترات التصفح. وفي ضوء نتائج الدراسة قدم الباحثان عددا من التوصيات. Abstract The study aimed to identify the relation between Psychological loneliness and social network site usage and other elements such as (gender, Periods browsing and Type of Disability) among students with Visual Disabilities in Jordan. The study sample consisted of 68 students were selected simple random from the Royal Academy for the Blind in Jordan registered students in the second semester of the academic year 2014-2015, and the total number of 410 students. To accomplish objectives of the study used descriptive correlational research design, And to collect the study data used UCLA Loneliness Scale (Russell, et al., 1980), translated by ElDesoki (1998).The study data was treated with statistical package SPSS. The study reached some important results such as:- The level of the loneliness among students with Visual Disabilities was low. There is statistically significant differences in the level of loneliness related to gender. There are no statistically significant differences in the level of loneliness related to the type of visual impairment and periods browsing. There is a positive correlation between the level of the feeling of loneliness and the degree of using social networking (Twitter). Due to the findings of this study the researchers presented some recommendations.

The aim of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties and adaptation of the Turkish version of the Profile of Mood States Scale for adult populations. Research was conducted with 485 people living in 52 different cities in Turkey and 279 (57.5%) of the participants were female and 206 (42.5%) were male. The mean age of the participants was 40.93 (S = 8.73, ranj = 30-73). The Profile of Mood States Scale (McNair et al., 1971), UCLA Loneliness Scale (Russell, Peplau and Cutrona, 1980), Depression Scale (Radloff, 1977) and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scales (Rosenberg, 1965) were used in the study. Confirmatory factor analysis was performed to determine the factor structure of the Profile of Mood States Scale. In the results, it was observed that the substances represented their own sub-dimensions except for the two items. Factor analysis was conducted to determine whether the sub-dimensions of the scale represented positive and negative mood profiles, and it was determined that the Profile of Mood States Scale represented the positive (self-esteem and energy) and negative mood (stress, anger, fatigue, depression and confusion) reliably. In addition, it was found that the reliability of the sub-dimensions of the scale ranged from .70-.88 and therefore all the subscales were valid and reliable for the adult sample. The Pearson correlation coefficient between the subscales of the Profile of Mood States Scale and the UCLA Loneliness Scale, Depression Scale, and Self-Esteem Scale were calculated. In the findings, the sub-dimensions representing positive mood were positively related to Self-Esteem; Loneliness and depression were found to be negatively related. The sub-dimensions representing negative mood were negatively correlated with Self-Esteem, whereas it was found to be positively related to Loneliness and Depression.

Objective The UCLA Loneliness Scale, containing 20 items, is one of the commonly used loneliness scales. Some shorter versions have been developed using factor analysis. The study aimed to shorten the UCLA Loneliness Scale using Rasch and factor analysis methods and test the psychometric properties of the new scale. Methods The full sample of the study included 719 respondents, divided into three subsamples (205, 324, and 190 for samples 1-3, respectively). The original, 20-item Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale (R-ULS) was shortened using 205 students (sample 1); the shortened scale was then validated for construct and concurrent validity with 324 students (sample 2) and 190 clinical participants (sample 3). Confirmatory factor analysis and Rasch analysis were used for construct validity. Convergent, discriminant, and concurrent validity were assessed by exploring the correlation with other psychological measurements. Results In sample 1, the R-ULS was shortened to a 6-item scale (RULS-6) that fits the Rasch model. The RULS-6 met the criteria of unidimensionality and local independence without differential item functioning due to age and sex, and good targeting the clinical sample. Person Separation Index (PSI) reflected that reliability from the Rasch perspective was acceptable. However, collapsing categories 2 (sometime) and 3 (rarely) may be required in a clinical sample. When tested in samples 2 and 3, the RULS-6 fits the Rasch measurement model. Convergent and discriminant validity were demonstrated with interpersonal problems and attachment scales. As expected, a positive correlation was found between RULS-6 and anxiety, depression subscale, interpersonal difficulties, and somatization subscales denoting concurrent validity. Cronbach's alpha of the RULS-6 was good (.83). Conclusion Using Rasch analysis, the proposed RULS-6 constituted a 70% reduction of the number of original items, yet preserved the psychometric properties in independent samples of students and psychiatric outpatients. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? The UCLA Loneliness Scale is a common instrument used to gauge loneliness levels. The 20-item revised scale (R-ULS) has acceptable psychometric properties but its construct varies. Due to the length of the questionnaire, administration of R-ULS is not always practical. Short versions vary in items and were developed with classic test theory (e.g., factor analysis). Rasch analysis - providing more accuracy based on measurement theory - could be used instead. What does this study add? Using a Rasch analysis approach, a 6-item scale of loneliness (RULS-6) was created. The RULS-6 was tested in student and clinical samples, meeting Rasch measurement model criteria. The RULS-6 showed promising psychometrics to be used in both non-clinical and clinical samples.

Bu araştırmanın amacı üniversite öğrencilerinde yalnızlık ve internet bağımlılığı arasındaki ilişkide ilişkilerle ilgili bilişsel çarpıtmaların aracı rolünü ortaya koymaktır. Çalışmaya Gaziantep Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesinde 2017- 2018 eğitim-öğretim yılında eğitim alan farklı bölümlerden 412 öğrenci katılmıştır. Araştırmada Kişisel Bilgi Formu, UCLA Yalnızlık Ölçeği, İnternet Bağımlılığı Ölçeği ve Kişilerarası İlişkilerle İlgili Bilişsel Çarpıtmalar Ölçeği kullanılmıştır. Ölçeklerin çalışma grubuyla olan yapı geçerliliğini test etmek amacıyla Keşfedici Faktör Analizi ve Doğrulayıcı Faktör Analizi yapılmıştır. Verilerin analizi sürecinde betimsel istatistiklerle birlikte t testi, ANOVA, Yapısal Eşitlik Modellemesi ve en son aracılık için de Sobel Testi uygulanmıştır. Elde edilen bulgular incelendiğinde; cinsiyete göre yalnızlık, internet bağımlılığı ve ilişkilerle ilgili bilişsel çarpıtmaların “yakınlıktan kaçınma” alt boyutunda erkeklerin daha fazla puan aldıkları sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Sınıf düzeyine göre ise anlamlı bir ilişki tespit edilememiştir. Yapılan analizler neticesinde yalnızlık ile internet bağımlılığı ve kişilerarası ilişkilerle ilgili bilişsel çarpıtmalar arasında pozitif yönde anlamlı bir ilişki olduğu sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. İlişkilerle ilgili bilişsel çarpıtmaların yalnızlık ve internet bağımlılığı ilişkisinde kısmi aracı rolü olduğu bulunmuştur.

This research aims to describe and find out the correlation between loneliness and the psychological well-being of international students of the Darmasiswa program at Yogyakarta State University. This research uses descriptive quantitative methods and data sources are obtained based on instruments that are distributed to 20 research subjects the international students. The research data were collected with the UCLA Loneliness Scale and Psychological Well Being Scale instruments which were then analyzed using SPSS 22.0 with the Pearson Product Moment correlation test. The results showed that there was a very weak negative relationship (r=-0.152) between loneliness and the psychological well-being of Darmasiswa students at Yogyakarta State University. Most research subjects have low levels of loneliness and moderate psychological well-being. There are two dimensions of psychological well-being that have the highest relationship with loneliness, namely environmental mastery (-0,338) and positive relationships with others (-0,299).

Objective Loneliness is a specific risk factor for depressive symptoms and suicidal behavior. The present study examined whether the serum oxytocin level would interact with social support and buffers loneliness and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis activity in drug-naive patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Methods Twenty-six patients with MDD (male:female = 3:23; mean age, 45.54 ± 12.97 years) were recruited. The 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, UCLA Loneliness Scale and self-reported Measurement of Support Function Questionnaire were administered. Serum oxytocin and cortisol levels were assessed using a commercial immunoassay kits. Results In MDD patients, a negative association was found between degrees of social support and loneliness (β= -0.39, p = 0.04). The interaction between social support and serum oxytocin level was negatively associated with loneliness (β= -0.50, p = 0.017) and serum cortisol level (β= -0.55, p = 0.020) after adjusting for age. Follow-up analyses showed that the association between higher social support and lower loneliness was observed only in the higher-oxytocin group (r = -0.75, p = 0.003) but not in the lower group (r = -0.19, p = 0.53). The significance remained after further adjusting for sex and depression severity. Conclusion Low oxytocin level is a vulnerability factor for the buffering effect of social support for loneliness and aberrant HPA-axis activity in MDD patients.

This study was designed to evaluate the impact of MDCAT scores on pessimism, loneliness, and depressive symptoms. Furthermore, to check the moderating effect of coping strategies. Purposive sample technique was used to get the relevant sample. MDCAT failures (N = 149) from different educational organization of Bahawalpur (Pakistan) were included in the research as sample. Demographic form, Siddiqui Shah Depression Scale, UCLA Loneliness Scale, Life Orientation Test and Coping Styles Scale were administered to assess the impact of MDCAT scores on pessimism, depressive and loneliness symptoms among MDCAT failures and to assess the moderating role of coping strategies. For statistical analysis PLS and SPSS software were used. PLS algorithm, PLS bootstrapping, PLS moderation analysis and independent sample t-test were used to get the results. Results reveal that there is a significant impact of MDCAT scores on pessimism, depressive and loneliness symptoms. Also, there is significant positive relationship among pessimism, depressive and loneliness symptoms. Problem focused coping significantly moderate the relationship between MDCAT scores and depressive symptoms. Furthermore, problem focused coping has significant negative relationship with pessimism, depressive and loneliness symptoms. Moreover, emotion focused coping has significant positive relationship with depressive symptoms. Female were found having more emotion focused coping. The findings of the study have practical implications in providing insight relevant for development of psychological disturbance in MDCAT failures.

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our daily lives. Most of the working adults adopted the work-from-home arrangement while students shifted to home-based learning. Being confined together allows families to foster stronger bonds. On the other hand, the on-going pandemic could have negative impacts on family relationships. The COVID-19 outbreak is still on-going worldwide, understanding more about the changes in family functioning and its associated psychological impacts in a pandemic would allow the authorities to provide more targeted support to families. Objectives This study aimed to examine the factors associated with family functioning among young adults in Singapore during the COVID-19 pandemic. Family functioning refers to the quality of interactions among family members, and consists of cohesion, flexibility and communication. Methods A cross-sectional online survey was conducted (N = 390). The Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale Short Form (FACES-IV-SF) and Global Perceptions of Intergenerational Communication Scale (GPIC) were used to examine family functioning and intergeneration communication during the partial lockdown. Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD), Social Support Questionnaire–Brief (SSQ-B), Perceived Stress Scale 4 (PSS), UCLA Loneliness Scale, and Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS) examined the psychosocial impact. Descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation coefficients, and regression model were employed in the analysis. Results The FACES-IV-SF score for total circumplex ratio has a mean of 1.57(SD = 0.58), suggesting that participants generally perceived their families as functioning relatively well. The mean scores for CESD, PSS, Loneliness and BRCS were 12.4(6.2), 8.0(2.6), 5.7(1.9) and 12.6(3.1) respectively. The mean scores of the 4 domains of GPIC were 21.5(4.0) for Accommodation, 25.0(6.7) for Non-Accommodation, 17.2(3.3) for Respect-Obligation, and 18.9(4.8) for Avoidant. Conclusion The results suggested that family functioning is significantly associated with intergenerational communication and satisfaction with social support in a pandemic. Participants with balanced levels of cohesion and flexibility in their families are more likely to be able to cope with the psychological impacts of the pandemic. The findings serve to inform intervention and preventive efforts to improve family functioning and reduce the risk of psychological distress in a pandemic., Highlights • Family functioning is significantly associated with intergenerational communication • Family functioning is significantly associated with satisfaction with social support • Balanced levels of family cohesion and flexibility are more likely cope with psychological impacts of the pandemic • Interventions are required to improve family functioning in a pandemic • Preventive efforts are needed to reduce the psychological distress in a pandemic

Introduction This paper will evaluate the difference between Sleepiness, Loneliness and Social Connectedness between a higher education and mundane sample. Although current literature evaluates the role of Sleepiness within Higher education (Araujo et al, 2021), to the best of our knowledge there are no papers comparing a student population to a non-student sample. A significant difference between the subjective sleepiness scores of a student and non-student population is expected, which would demonstrate that a student sample perceive themselves to be sleepier than their non-student counterparts. Methods An online survey was administered to 202 participants via Qualtrics. 94 were non-students and 108 were higher education students. Sleepiness was measured using the Stanford Sleepiness Scale (Shahid et al, 2011), The UCLA Loneliness Scale was used to measure loneliness (Russell, 1980). Results An independent t-test showed that there was a significant difference between students and non-students subjective sleepiness scores. (t(200) = 2.23, p = 0.02) with students being significantly more like to rate themselves higher on the Stanford Sleepiness Scale. (Figure 1). Further analysis shows that Loneliness and Subjective Sleepiness are significantly correlated for a student sample (r (108) = 0.308, P = 0.001). Discussion This study suggests that students enrolled within higher education are more highly associated with the risks of Excessive daytime Sleepiness and the resultant detrimental effects on social health. Further research needs to be performed to determine the negative effects of Sleepiness on Student’s social health.

Nature exposure is known to promote life satisfaction and well-being, and exposure via the window was reported to possibly benefit isolated population. However, the mechanism for indoor nature exposure is unclear, and whether the indirect exposure is also effective for prisoners, the extremely isolated population, is still unknown. Therefore, an investigation was conducted on 326 male prisoners from three prisons in southwest China. Psychological variables including depression, anxiety, loneliness, distress tolerance, life satisfaction, and well-being were measured using Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), short-form UCLA Loneliness Scale (ULS-6), Distress Tolerance Scale (DTS), Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), and 5-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5) respectively. Structural equation modeling was employed to identify the pathways from visibility of nature via window to prisoners’ life satisfaction and well-being. Results demonstrated that visibility of nature promoted frequency and duration of viewing nature via window. The frequency exerted a direct effect on well-being, but the duration was found ineffective on any variables. The visibility of nature via window enhanced life satisfaction mainly via a direct effect meanwhile enhanced well-being via multiple indirect pathways. Regarding the main significant indirect pathways, the increased life satisfaction and well-being were driven by the increased visibility of nature through increasing distress tolerance that directly decreased mental health problems meanwhile indirectly decreased them via decreasing loneliness. Our findings suggest that nature exposure via window is effective to enhance prisoners’ life satisfaction and well-being, and distress tolerance could be improved by window view of nature, which may play an important mediatory role in coping with mental health problems in nature exposure. The community and prison construction may need to consider the visibility of neighborhood greening to promote indirect nature exposure for the isolated population.

The aim was to (i) compare the rates of perceived stress, post‐traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and other potential correlates (i.e., resilience, social support, coping strategies, and loneliness) in the general population between the two COVID‐19 lockdowns in Greece and (ii) explore risk and protective factors of PTSS. Online data were collected amid the first (timepoint 1‐T1) and second lockdown (timepoint 2‐T2) by 1009 and 352 participants, respectively. The PTSD Checklist for DSM‐5 and the Perceived Stress Scale measured levels of PTSS and perceived stress. The Brief Resilience Scale, the COPE, the revised UCLA Loneliness Scale, and the ENRICHD Social Support Instrument measured resilience, coping strategies, loneliness, and social support, respectively. Higher levels of PTSS and perceived stress were reported during T2, compared to T1. Clinically significant levels of PTSS were presented by 26.1% and 35.5% of the participants during T1 and T2, respectively. Higher levels of loneliness and use of maladaptive coping strategies and lower levels of social support, resilience and use of adaptive coping strategies were also found. During both lockdowns, PTSS were predicted by perceived stress, loneliness, reduced resilience and the coping strategies of denial and self‐blame. PTSS were associated with younger age, female gender, being single, not having children, and the evaluation of the pandemic as a crisis. The findings highlight the significant public mental health concerns during the COVID‐19 lockdowns. Understanding the risk and protective factors against PTSS and focusing on vulnerable populations should be prioritized by the governments worldwide in the development of evidence‐based interventions.

Objective: The aim of the study is to investigate effects of loneliness on individual's mental health and the mediating effects of intolerance of uncertainty and sleep quality in the post Coronavirus-19 period, especially for the young people.Methods: The questionnaires used in this study include UCLA loneliness scale (UCLA-3), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), intolerance for uncertainty (IU) and the Chinese version of DASS-21. A total number of 289 subjects were recruited in the study, which includes 209 females (72.3%), 80 males (27.7%); and 212 students (73.4%), 77 working staffs (26.6%).Results: The results showed that: (1) people have high levels of loneliness, anxiety, depression and stress, and poor sleep quality; (2) the mediating effect of intolerance for uncertainty in the relationship of loneliness and mental health is significant (effect size = 0.178, 95% CI confidence interval: [0.115, 0.241]), and the mediating effects of sleep quality in the relationship between loneliness and mental health is significant (effect size = 0.127, 95% CI confidence interval: [0.017, 0.239]).Conclusion: Loneliness invokes a stronger self-concerned inadaptability to threat response and may lead to more mental diseases through more serious intolerance for uncertainty and insomnia.

Background: There has been growing concern about the impact of restrictions put in place to contain the coronavirus pandemic on loneliness, particularly in individuals with disabilities. This study explored the longitudinal impact of the pandemic on loneliness in these individuals, with a focus on those living with visual impairment (VI).Methods: An online survey was conducted in April-2020 and repeated in March 2021 to explore current life circumstances, health-related behaviours, sleep (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) and social well-being, including state anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Index) and loneliness (UCLA Loneliness scale). A convenience sample of 602 participants completed the first survey. Participants who agreed to be re-contacted were invited to take part in the follow-up survey.Results: Data is presented for the 160 participants who completed both timepoints. At both timepoints, median loneliness was significantly higher in participants with disabilities and those with VI than in participants with no disabilities. While there was no significant change in loneliness in any of the three subgroups, participants with VI experienced the largest increase in median loneliness. Loneliness was associated with having a mental health condition and higher levels of state anxiety at both timepoints.Conclusions: Individuals with disabilities such as VI experienced consistently higher levels of loneliness than those with no disabilities throughout the pandemic. While loneliness remained relatively stable in individuals with no disabilities, it increased, albeit to a non-significant level, in those with disabilities and particularly those with VI. Interventions designed to alleviate loneliness may benefit from addressing state anxiety.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted people's life across the globe. In a public health crisis, rural adolescents are more prone to mental health problems. The current study aimed to investigate the prevalence of depressive symptoms among Chinese rural adolescents during the COVID-19 outbreak, and examine the association between perceived social support and depressive symptoms and its underlying mechanisms.Method: Perceived Social Support Scale, UCLA Loneliness Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 were administrated to 826 rural adolescents from Anhui Province, China, amid the COVID-19 crisis. Mackinnon's four-step procedure was employed to examine the mediating effect, while Hayes PROCESS macro was utilized to test the moderated mediation model.Results: The results showed the rate of depressive symptoms among rural adolescents in China was 77.6% during the outbreak of COVID-19. Female left-behind students and non-left-behind students from disrupted families experienced more depressive symptoms (all P < 0.05). Loneliness mediated the association between perceive social support and depressive symptoms and the indirect effect was stronger in left-behind adolescents in comparison to non-left-behind adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic.Conclusion: Depressive symptoms are extremely prevalent among Chinese rural adolescents during the COVID-19 outbreak, and perceived social support plays a protective role against depressive symptoms. Chinese rural adolescents, especially left-behind students, could benefit from the interventions aimed at enhancing the perceived social support and reducing loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Substance use and addictive disorders are among the most significant public health concerns, particularly during adolescence. The current study aims to investigate internet gaming disorder, social media addiction, and loneliness levels in adolescents and youths with substance use. Methods: The study group consisted of 93 adolescents and youths aged 15-24 who presented to the Alcohol and Substance Addiction Research and Application Center or the Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Diseases outpatient clinic for substance use. Ninety-one healthy volunteers who did not use substances during any period of their lives participated as a control group. The participants fulfilled the Social Media Addiction Scale (SMAS), Internet Gaming Disorder Scale - Short-Form (IGDS9-SF), UCLA Loneliness Scale (UCLA-LS), and Drug Use Disorders Identification Test - Extended (DUDIT-E). Results: The symptoms of internet gaming disorder were significantly lower in the patient group compared with the control group. Although it was not significant, social media addiction was higher in the patient group than in the control group. The experience of loneliness was significantly higher in the patient group than in the control group. A significant negative correlation was found between treatment motivation and loneliness. Conclusions: School guidance teachers should monitor children who do not have friends or are lonely and be aware of the potential for substance use because it can emerge as a method of coping with the feeling of loneliness among adolescents. In future studies, investigating comprehensive factors contributing to different addictive behaviors may help to clarify the co-occurrence.

The UCLA Loneliness Scale (ULS-20) and its short version (ULS-8) are widely used to measure loneliness. However, the question remains whether or not previous studies using the scale to measure loneliness are measuring the construct equally across countries. The present study examined the measurement invariance (MI) of both scales in Germany, Indonesia, and the United States ( N = 2350). The one-, two-, and three-factor structure of the ULS-20 did not meet the model fit cut-off criteria in the total sample. The ULS-8 met the model fit cut-off criteria and has configural, but not metric invariance because two items unrelated to social isolation were not MI. The final six items (ULS-6) exclusively related to social isolation had complete MI. Participants from the United States scored highest in the ULS-6, followed by participants from Germany and then Indonesia. We conclude that the ULS-6 is an appropriate measure for cross-cultural studies on loneliness.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to characterize the current prevalence of loneliness, and the relation between loneliness severity and mental and physical health conditions, suicidality, and functional measures in a predominantly older sample of U.S. military veterans.MethodsThis cross-sectional study used data from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study, which surveyed a nationally representative sample of U.S. veterans (N=4,069; mean age=62) from November 2019 through March 2020. Veterans were classified into one of 3 groups based on their current level of loneliness (hardly ever, sometimes, often) on an adapted version of the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale. A comprehensive range of mental and physical health, and functioning variables were assessed using valid and reliable self-report assessments.ResultsA total of 56.9% of veterans endorsed feeling lonely sometimes (37.2%) or often (19.7%). Loneliness severity was independently associated with a range of mental health (odds ratios [ORs]=1.21-33.30), physical health (ORs = 1.21-6.80), and functional difficulties (d's=0.09-0.59). Relative to hardly ever feeling lonely, feeling lonely often or sometimes was associated with a more than 12- and three-fold greater likelihood of current suicidal ideation (29.0% versus 7.3% versus 1.5%), even after adjustment for sociodemographic, military, and psychiatric risk factors.ConclusionsLoneliness is highly prevalent in U.S. military veterans, with more than half endorsing feeling lonely sometimes or often, and 1-of-5 reporting feeling lonely often. Loneliness severity was independently associated with a broad range of mental and physical health and functional measures, ias well as suicidal ideation. Results underscore the importance of loneliness as a transdiagnostic prevention and intervention target in the U.S. veteran population.

Studies have reported that anxiety had a positive effect on depression among substance abusers in males. However, little is known about the mechanism underlying this relationship in substance abusers in males. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating effect of loneliness and drug craving between anxiety and depression in substance abusers in males. State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, The UCLA Loneliness Scale, Drug Craving Scale, and The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale were employed into this study to investigate 585 substance abusers in males (age range of 20–58 years: M = 33.21, SD = 6.97). Structural equation modeling and the bootstrap approach were used to analyze the mediating effect of loneliness and drug craving on the relationship between anxiety and depression. The results indicated that: Loneliness had a significant positive correlation with anxiety (r = 0.37, p < 0.001) and depression (r = 0.49, p < 0.001); Drug craving had a significant positive correlation with anxiety (r = 0.28, p < 0.001) and depression (r = 0.39, p < 0.001). Loneliness and drug craving mediated the link between anxiety and depression. There was a significant positive correlation between substance abusers in male’s anxiety, loneliness, drug craving, and depression. Loneliness and drug craving had a significant mediating effect on the relationship between anxiety and depression. Therefore, it was suggested that substance abusers in male’s anxiety and depression might be improved and driven by decreasing loneliness and drug craving. Targeted interventions to decrease substance abusers in male’s loneliness and drug craving should be developed, implemented, and help them to recover.

Ming Guan 1– 3 1International Issues Center, Xuchang University, Xuchang, 461000, People’s Republic of China; 2Family Issues Center, Xuchang University, Xuchang, 461000, People’s Republic of China; 3School of Business, Xuchang University, Xuchang, 461000, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Ming GuanInternational Issues Center, Xuchang University, 88 Bayi Road, Xuchang, People’s Republic of ChinaTel +86 1340 9360 114Email gming0604@163.comPurpose: Changes in living arrangement was one of the most well-established risk factors for mental disorders, but little evidence came from moderating or mediating effect during COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to determine whether associations of changes in living arrangement with mental disorders could be moderated or mediated during COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: Data were a cross-sectional and international population-based survey data collected as part of theCOVID-19 pandemic. Participants included nationally representative general population probability samples of adults (≥ 18 years) during COVID-19 pandemic (N=16,784). Main mental measures were reflected by loneliness assessed by UCLA Loneliness Scale Version 3, anxiety assessed by Generalised Anxiety Disorder 2-item, and depressed mood assessed by The Patient Health Questionnaire-2 in the survey. With control variables, all the mediation models were conducted by Stata mode. Potential influencing effects of social contact and social support as moderators were analyzed using Hayes’s PROCESS macro.Results: Among the participants, prevalence of mental disorders was high. Logistic regression indicated that changes in living arrangement had significant associations with anxiety (AOR=1.127, 95% CI: 1.018– 1.249) and depression (AOR =1.142, 95% CI: 1.027– 1.269). Mediation models indicated that indirect, direct, and total effects of changes in living arrangement on mental disorders through COVID-symptoms; change in alcohol use; and social contact were significant. Indirect, direct, and total effects of changes in living arrangement on loneliness and depression through social support were significant. Moderation analysis indicated that moderation model 1 in AF Hayes Process procedure was accepted.Conclusion: This study indicated that associations of changes in living arrangement with mental disorders could be mediated by COVID-symptoms, changes in alcohol use, social contact, and social support and moderated by social support during COVID-19 pandemic. The finding in this study might provide better understanding of the mechanisms by which social support might contribute to the resolving mental disorders.Keywords: changes in living arrangement, change in alcohol use, moderators, mediators, mental disorders

BACKGROUND Depression and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are often comorbid mental health issues in older adults. The current study explored the prospective mediating role of loneliness in the relationship between depression and the quality of life in elderly with MCI. A second aim was to examine differences in depression, loneliness, and the quality of life in the elderly with MCI among gender groups, and type of residence groups. METHODS A cross-sectional survey with purposive sampling was used. Older adults with MCI (N = 170) from old age homes in Lahore and Rawalpindi (n = 82) and family residences in Sargodha (n = 88) in Pakistan completed UCLA Loneliness Scale, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, and Mild Cognitive Impairment Scale. RESULTS Most of the participants had severe to extreme depression (98.2%), and moderate to moderately high levels of loneliness (85.3%). Depression was significantly associated with loneliness (b = 0.29, P

To investigate the effect of using negatively oriented items, we wrote semantic reversals of the items in the Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale, UCLA Loneliness Scale, and the General Belongingness Scale and used them to create four experimental conditions. Participants ( N = 2,019) were recruited through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. Data were assessed for dimensionality, item functioning, instrument properties, and associations with other variables. Regarding dimensionality, although a two-factor model (positively vs. negatively oriented factors) exhibits better fit than a unidimensional model across all conditions, bifactor indices were used to argue that a unidimensional interpretation of the data can be employed. With respect to item functioning, factor loadings were found to be nearly invariant across conditions, but thresholds were not. Concerning instrument properties, inclusion of negatively oriented items results in lower mean scores and higher score variances. Instruments with both positively and negatively oriented items demonstrated lower reliability estimates than those with only one orientation. For associations with other variables, path coefficients in a model where loneliness mediates the effects of belongingness on life satisfaction and self-esteem were found to vary across conditions. Findings suggest that negatively oriented items have minor impact on instrument quality, but influence measurement model and path coefficients.

Introduction Persons diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs) often experience pervasive feelings of loneliness, which are considered a significant barrier to treatment and recovery. Aim As impaired social cognition may contribute to increased loneliness and less skillful social interactions, this study examines the relationships between loneliness and measures of social cognition and functional outcome from the Social Cognition Psychometric Evaluation (SCOPE) study. Methods This study evaluated the relationship between loneliness, social cognitive ability, and social functioning in the context of a large-scale psychometric investigation. We also explored the associations of select demographic characteristics and clinical variables on the endorsement of loneliness in persons diagnosed with a psychotic disorder. Results Seventy-four stable outpatients with SSDs and 58 healthy controls completed the UCLA Loneliness Scale in addition to the standard SCOPE battery. Our findings support prior research indicating persons diagnosed with a psychotic disorder experience greater levels of loneliness than normative groups. However, the results also indicate that self-reported loneliness is not associated with social cognitive abilities or functional outcome in psychosis. Regression analyses indicate that roughly half the variance in loneliness endorsed by persons with SSDs is accounted for by clinical variables, with loneliness most strongly associated with guilt and self-esteem. Conclusion These findings suggest that treatments aiming to reduce perceived social isolation in psychosis should incorporate techniques to bolster selfesteem, reduce guilt, and improve depressive symptoms.

Mobile phone dependence has become a worldwide problem due to its high occurrence rate, fast growth rate, and serious undesirable consequences. Previous studies have found that attachment anxiety is a key antecedent of mobile phone dependence. However, little is known about the underlying psychological mechanisms. The present study tested the mediating role of loneliness and the moderating role of rumination in the link between attachment anxiety and mobile phone dependence. A sample of 908 Chinese university students aged 17 to 27 years old was recruited from four universities in Central China. They completed the Chinese version of Experiences in Close Relationships Inventory, Mobile Phone Addiction Index, UCLA Loneliness Scale, and Ruminative Response Scale. After controlling for gender and age, loneliness mediated the association between attachment anxiety and mobile phone dependence. Both the direct association between attachment anxiety and mobile phone dependence and the indirect association through loneliness were moderated by rumination. These two associations were stronger for individuals with high rumination than for those with low rumination. Limitations and implications are discussed.