Abstract
Loneliness is a complex feeling associated with socio-emotional adjustment difficulties, particularly during adolescence. Such construct is often treated as unidimensional rather than multidimensional, moreover, studies consisting of both peer and family contexts, are very scarce. Adopting a multidimensional and person-centered approach, our study aimed to identify distinct clusters of adolescents with similar patterns of social and emotional loneliness with peers and family and to examine their differences in peer reported social adjustment, controlling for sex. Self-report and peer nomination data were collected from 691 participants (48.36% boys) aged between 11 and 16 years (M = 12.95, SD = 1.15). After controlling for age and preference for solitude, results revealed four clusters with specific configurations of loneliness forms and with different associations with positive or negative features of social adjustment to peer group. Two clusters exhibited adaptive profiles (lower vulnerability to maladjustment): less-lonely, and family-related loneliness profile, in which adolescents were viewed by peers as exhibiting more prosocial behaviors. The other two clusters displayed maladaptive profiles (higher vulnerability to maladjustment): more-lonely, and peer-related loneliness profile, in which adolescents were more likely viewed by their peers as socially withdrawn, peer-excluded, and peer-victimized. Additionally, our results revealed sex differences, with girls in the more-lonely profile showing significant higher social loneliness related to peer group, and higher social and emotional loneliness in family context. Our results highlight the importance of recognizing different forms of loneliness given the differences in adjustment to social contexts observed, shedding further light on this complex construct.
Highlights
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We investigated the existence of different groups of adolescents who experienced different forms of loneliness (social and emotional, within peers and family context).
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We analyzed the different loneliness profiles and their association with social adjustment difficulties to peer group and sex.
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Our results revealed four loneliness profiles among adolescents, with different vulnerably to social adjustment difficulties, which were the more-lonely profile, peer-related loneliness profile, family-related loneliness profile, and the less-lonely profile.
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Sex differences were also found. Girls who share the more-lonely profile showed higher social loneliness in peer group context, and higher social and emotional loneliness in the family group.
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These results highlight the importance of recognizing different forms of loneliness to prevent and reduced the risk of developmental adjustment difficulties.
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Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge all adolescents who participated in the study, as well as the schools and teachers. The authors also thank all the members of the research team for their assistance and support.
Author Contributions
A.S., K.R., and O.R. designed the study. O.R. and M.F. collected the data. A.S., O.R., and M.F. performed the statistical analysis, analyzed, and interpreted the data. O.R. drafted the first version of manuscript. A.S., K.R., and M.F. critically revised the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Funding
This research has been supported in part by grants from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) (UID/04810/2020; PTDC/PSI-PDE/098257/2008; SFRH/BD/134132/2017).
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All procedures performed in the current study were in accordance with the recommendations of APA Ethical Guidelines, and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments, ensuring the privacy and confidentiality of participants’ information. It is also approved by the University Ethical Committee.
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Ribeiro, O., Freitas, M., Rubin, K.H. et al. Loneliness Profiles in Adolescence: Associations with Sex and Social Adjustment to the Peer Group. J Child Fam Stud 32, 1204–1217 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-022-02472-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-022-02472-1