Loneliness in everyday life: Cardiovascular activity, psychosocial context, and health behaviors.

Prior lab research revealed higher basal total peripheral resistance (TPR) and lower cardiac output (CO) in lonely than in nonlonely young adults. In this study, experience sampling was used to obtain ambulatory blood pressure; impedance cardiography; and reports of activities, appraisals, interactions, and health behaviors. Results confirmed that loneliness predicted higher TPR and lower CO during a normal day. Loneliness did not predict differences in time spent alone, daily activities, or health behaviors but did predict higher stress appraisals and poorer social interactions. Independent of loneliness, interaction quality contributed to TPR. Loneliness differences were not mediated by depressed affect or neuroticism. Social support mediated loneliness differences in stress and threat. Concomitants of loneliness were comparable for men and women. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social and emotional loneliness: An examination of Weiss's typology of loneliness.

Examined R. S. Weiss's (1973) conceptualization of social and emotional loneliness, using survey data on 505 college students that included the UCLA Loneliness Scale—Revised. Social and emotional loneliness, Ss' affective and behavioral reactions to loneliness, Ss' social relationships, and their judgments of the degree to which their relationships supply the 6 social provisions described by Weiss were measured. There were differences in the subjective experiences of social and emotional loneliness, although both forms of loneliness were also characterized by a common core of experiences. Results generally support Weiss's ideas concerning the determinants of social and emotional loneliness. Predictions concerning the affective and behavioral consequences associated with each type of loneliness, however, were only partly supported, although the 2 forms of loneliness were associated with different affective reactions and coping behaviors. (25 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Loneliness, Social Network Size, and Immune Response to Influenza Vaccination in College Freshmen.

Antibody response to the influenza immunization was investigated in 83 1st-semester healthy university freshmen. Elevated levels of loneliness throughout the semester and small social networks were independently associated with poorer antibody response to 1 component of the vaccine. Those with both high levels of loneliness and a small social network had the lowest antibody response. Loneliness was also associated with greater psychological stress and negative affect, less positive affect, poorer sleep efficiency and quality, and elevations in circulating levels of cortisol. However, only the stress data were consistent with mediation of the loneliness-antibody response relation. None of these variables were associated with social network size, and hence none were potential mediators of the relation between network size and immunization response. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Living alone does not account for the association between loneliness and sleep in older adults: Response to Hawkley, Preacher, and Cacioppo, 2010.

Ccomments on the original article "Loneliness impairs daytime functioning but not sleep duration," by L. C. Hawkley, K. J. Preacher, and J. T. Cacioppo (see record 2010-04888-004). The association between daytime dysfunction and loneliness in this article was attributed to nonrestorative sleep caused by loneliness. Loneliness can be divided into two forms: social and emotional, where social indicates a measure of social connectedness or isolation, and emotional indicates a perceived presence or lack of emotional support and closeness (Weiss, 1973). It is possible that the emotional loneliness construct is related to poor sleep quality, rather than social loneliness. Based on the results of their own study, the current authors suggest it is unlikely that the association between loneliness and sleep is due solely to the threat of sleeping alone. Rather, it is proposed that emotional loneliness is the key aspect of loneliness that correlates with sleep quality. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Why would social networks be linked to affect and health practices?

Objective: To examine the relation among social integration (SI), affect, and smoking and alcohol consumption. Design: The authors administered social network and psychological questionnaires to 193 adults and then interviewed them on 14 consecutive evenings about their daily social interactions, affect, and smoking and alcohol consumption. Main outcome measures: The main outcome measures were positive and negative affect, smoking, and alcohol consumption. Results: Between-subjects analyses found that those with more diverse social networks (high in SI) interacted with more people and smoked and drank less. SI was not, however, associated with affect. In contrast, within-subject analyses found that the more people participants interacted with during a day, the greater their positive affect, drinking, and smoking on that day. However, this occurred primarily for persons low in SI. High-SI persons reported high positive affect irrespective of the number of people with whom they interacted, and their smoking and drinking behaviors were less influenced by number of interactants. Conclusion: SI may alter health because it affects responsiveness to the social influences of others. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Loneliness, self-disclosure, and interpersonal effectiveness.

Examined the relationship between interpersonal intimacy and measures of loneliness, social skills, and social activity. 150 unmarried female undergraduates were administered the Self-Disclosure Situations Survey; University of California, Los Angeles, Loneliness Scale; Social Introversion scale of the MMPI; and an activity questionnaire. Results reveal that dispositional level of self-disclosure was inversely related to loneliness and interacted with disclosure flexibility: Appropriate medium disclosure across situations was associated with lower levels of loneliness than was inappropriate disclosure. Peer and observer ratings of social skills were positively related to dispositional disclosure but not to disclosure flexibility or level of loneliness. Among lonely Ss there was a trend for disclosure flexibility to be associated with different levels of social activity. Results suggest that lonely individuals have difficulty appropriately revealing personal information in new relationships and nonstructured social situations. (30 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Generalized and specific loneliness in early marriage.

38 husbands (mean age 26 yrs) and wives (mean age 23.8 yrs), married for an average of 35.8 mo and without children, independently completed a set of established measures of loneliness and of aspects of their marital relationship (e.g., UCLA Loneliness Scale). Significant levels of loneliness were reported by some Ss, and only modest correlations were found between the loneliness scores of husbands and wives. General and specific loneliness were related to marital attitudes, particularly less liking, less intimacy, and greater communication apprehension among husbands, and to less liking, less marital satisfaction, less love, and less self-disclosure among the wives. Scores of the spouses and spouse difference scores on several of these variables were also related to loneliness. Findings are discussed as pertaining to loneliness without social isolation and in relation to the quality of relationships. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Loneliness predicts increased blood pressure: 5-year cross-lagged analyses in middle-aged and older adults.

Loneliness is a prevalent social problem with serious physiological and health implications. However, much of the research to date is based on cross-sectional data, including our own earlier finding that loneliness was associated with elevated blood pressure (Hawkley, Masi, Berry & Cacioppo, 2006). In this study, we tested the hypothesis that the effect of loneliness accumulates to produce greater increases in systolic blood pressure (SBP) over a 4-year period than are observed in less lonely individuals. A population-based sample of 229 50- to 68-year-old White, Black, and Hispanic men and women in the Chicago Health, Aging, and Social Relations Study was tested annually for each of 5 consecutive years. Cross-lagged panel analyses revealed that loneliness at study onset predicted increases in SBP 2, 3, and 4 years later (B = 0.152, SE = 0.091, p     

The relation of social network and individual difference variables to loneliness.

179 undergraduates completed a social network list, an inventory of socially supportive behaviors, the Extraversion and Neuroticism scales of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, the Marlowe-Crown Social Desirability Scale, and the UCLA Loneliness Scale. Both social network variables and individual differences measures (extraversion, neuroticism, and self-disclosure) were predictive of self-reported loneliness in Ss. Of the social network variables, the density of the network showed the strongest and most consistent relation to loneliness, with denser networks being associated with less loneliness. Both extraversion and neuroticism were correlated with loneliness. The relation of extraversion and loneliness was mediated largely by social network variable; partialing out variance attributable to the social network variables reduced the relation of extraversion and loneliness. The relation of neuroticism and loneliness, however, was not mediated by social network variables. Results support W. H. Jones's (1982) conclusion that lonely college students are not necessarily socially isolated. (31 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Correction to Pressman et al. (2005).

Reports an error in the original article by Pressman et al. (Health Psychology, 2005[May], Vol 24(3), 297-306. On page 303, Figure 3 is incorrect. (The following abstract of this article originally appeared in record 2005-04818-009.) Antibody response to the influenza immunization was investigated in 83 1st-semester healthy university freshmen. Elevated levels of loneliness throughout the semester and small social networks were independently associated with poorer antibody response to 1 component of the vaccine. Those with both high levels of loneliness and a small social network had the lowest antibody response. Loneliness was also associated with greater psychological stress and negative affect, less positive affect, poorer sleep efficiency and quality, and elevations in circulating levels of cortisol. However, only the stress data were consistent with mediation of the loneliness-antibody response relation. None of these variables were associated with social network size, and hence none were potential mediators of the relation between network size and immunization response. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social support and positive health practices in young adults. Loneliness as a mediating variable

The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which loneliness mediates the relationship between perceived social support and positive health practices of young adults, ages 22 to 34, by testing a mediational model of relationships in a three-variable system developed through theory and previous research. Data were collected from 70 young adults who were attending classes in a large urban university. They responded to the PRQ85-Part II, the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale, the Lifestyle Questionnaire, and a demographic data sheet. Statistically significant correlations were found between perceived social support and positive health practices, perceived social support and loneliness, and loneliness and positive health practices. A series of regression analyses designed to test for mediation were performed. The results indicated that loneliness is a dominant mediator in the relationship between perceived social support and positive health practice. Implications for practices are discussed.     

Socioeconomic position, health behaviors, and C-reactive protein: A moderated-mediation analysis.

Objective: We sought to understand the link between low socioeconomic position (SEP) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) by examining the association between SEP, health-related coping behaviors, and C-reactive protein (CRP), an inflammatory marker and independent risk factor for CVD, in a U.S. sample of adults. Design: We used a multiple mediation model to evaluate how these behaviors work in concert to influence CRP levels and whether these relationships were moderated by gender and race/ethnicity. Main outcome measures: CRP levels were divided into two categories: elevated CRP (3.1–10.0 mg/L) and normal CRP (≤3.0 mg/L). Results: Both poverty and low educational attainment were associated with elevated CRP, and these associations were primarily explained through higher levels of smoking and lower levels of exercise. In the education model, poor diet also emerged as a significant mediator. These behaviors accounted for 87.9% of the total effect of education on CRP and 55.8% the total effect of poverty on CRP. We also found significant moderation of these mediated effects by gender and race/ethnicity. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate the influence of socioeconomically patterned environmental constraints on individual-level health behaviors. Specifically, reducing socioeconomic inequalities may have positive effects on CVD disparities through reducing cigarette smoking and increasing vigorous exercise. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A marginal structural model analysis for loneliness: Implications for intervention trials and clinical practice.

Objective: Clinical scientists, policymakers, and individuals must make decisions concerning effective interventions that address health-related issues. We use longitudinal data on loneliness and depressive symptoms and a new class of causal models to illustrate how empirical evidence can be used to inform intervention trial design and clinical practice. Method: Data were obtained from a population-based study of non-Hispanic Caucasians, African Americans, and Latino Americans (N = 229) born between 1935 and 1952. Loneliness and depressive symptoms were measured with the UCLA Loneliness Scale—Revised and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale, respectively. Marginal structural causal models were employed to evaluate the extent to which depressive symptoms depend not only on loneliness measured at a single point in time (as in prior studies of the effect of loneliness) but also on an individual's entire loneliness history. Results: Our results indicate that if interventions to reduce loneliness by 1 standard deviation were made 1 and 2 years prior to assessing depressive symptoms, both would have an effect; together, they would result in an average reduction in depressive symptoms of 0.33 standard deviations, 95% CI [0.21, 0.44], p     

Depressive symptoms, social support, and personal health behaviors in young men and women.

This study investigated the relationship of depressive symptoms, social support, and a range of personal health behaviors in 2,091 male and 3,438 female university students from 16 countries. Depressive symptoms and social support were measured using the short Beck Depression Inventory and the Social Support Questionnaire; 9 personal health behaviors were also assessed. After the authors took age, social support, and clustering by country into account, depressive symptoms were significantly associated with lack of physical activity, not eating breakfast, irregular sleep hours, and not using a seat belt in both men and women, and additionally with smoking, not eating fruit, and not using sunscreen among women. Low social support was independently associated with low alcohol consumption, lack of physical activity, irregular sleep hours, and not using a seat belt in men and women. Bidirectional causal pathways are likely to link health behaviors with depressed mood. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Loneliness is a unique predictor of age-related differences in systolic blood pressure.

A population-based sample of Caucasians, African Americans, and Latino Americans, 50-68 years of age (M = 57.5), from Cook County, Illinois (N = 229), was tested to examine how loneliness and co-occurring psychosocial factors (depressive symptoms, perceived stress, social support, and hostility) were related to indices of cardiovascular and endocrine functioning. Extending prior research, the authors found that loneliness was associated with elevated systolic blood pressure (SBP) and age-related increases in SBP, net of demographic variables, health behavior variables, and the remaining psychosocial factors. Loneliness was not associated with differences in autonomic or endocrine functioning. Although the results are limited by the cross-sectional methods used, they are consistent with the hypothesis that cardiovascular disease contributes to increased morbidity and mortality among lonely individuals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prosthodontic profiles relating to economic status, social network, and social support in an elderly population living independently in Canada

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Previous evaluations of life satisfaction and health have not completely explained the impact of social network, social support, and economics on the oral health-related behavior of elderly patients, particularly in relation to missing teeth. PURPOSE: This study measured the strength of associations between social network/support/class and the use of complete and removable partial dentures in elderly patients living independently. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A multiple stepwise logistic regression was used to contrast data from previous studies relating to the subject and to explore the influence of these social variables. RESULTS: The results substantiated the links observed in a previous study between some social features and oral fitness. More frequent use of complete dentures was identified among participants who reported higher incomes and among those who thought their incomes were sufficient for their needs. Unreplaced missing anterior teeth were associated more commonly with subjects less willing or able to leave their homes. CONCLUSIONS: Some salient features of prosthodontic care and oral health status were common to 2, comparable social environments. A minority within the elderly population may not see a need to make use of clinical dental services, regardless of how accessible these services are to them. Social network and social support issues may be important determinants in this perceived need to use clinical services.     

The relationship between loneliness, social support, and decline in cognitive function in the hospitalized elderly

To determine the effects of preexisting levels of loneliness and social support on cognitive decline during hospitalization, 145 elderly subjects 65 to 92 years old without impaired cognition were tested for levels of loneliness, social support, and cognitive status on admission to an acute care hospital. Five days later, cognitive status was again measured in the remaining 86 patients. Loneliness was found to be inversely related to cognitive status on admission. In those with high loneliness scores on admission, cognitive status had improved significantly 5 days later. High social support was correlated with high cognitive status on admission and significant cognitive decline during hospitalization.     

Loneliness as a specific risk factor for depressive symptoms: Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses.

The extent to which loneliness is a unique risk factor for depressive symptoms was determined in 2 population-based studies of middle-aged to older adults, and the possible causal influences between loneliness and depressive symptoms were examined longitudinally in the 2nd study. In Study 1, a nationally representative sample of persons aged 54 and older completed a telephone interview as part of a study of health and aging. Higher levels of loneliness were associated with more depressive symptoms, net of the effects of age, gender, ethnicity, education, income, marital status, social support, and perceived stress. In Study 2, detailed measures of loneliness, social support, perceived stress, hostility, and demographic characteristics were collected over a 3-year period from a population-based sample of adults ages 50-67 years from Cook County, Illinois. Loneliness was again associated with more depressive symptoms, net of demographic covariates, marital status, social support, hostility, and perceived stress. Latent variable growth models revealed reciprocal influences over time between loneliness and depressive symptomatology. These data suggest that loneliness and depressive symptomatology can act in a synergistic effect to diminish well-being in middle-aged and older adults. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Loneliness and social skill deficits.

Exp I compared conversational behaviors of 48 high-lonely and low-lonely college students (UCLA Loneliness Scale) during brief heterosexual interactions. Results indicate that the 2 loneliness groups differed significantly in their use of a specific class of conversational behaviors termed partner attention, with high-lonely as compared to low-lonely Ss giving less attention to their partners. Exp II directly manipulated the use of partner attention in a group of 18 high-lonely male undergraduates. For that group, increased use of partner attention during dyadic interactions resulted in a significantly greater change in loneliness and related variables relative to interaction-only and no-contact control groups. The utility of conceptualizing loneliness as a social skills problem is discussed. (28 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Genetic testing: Psychological aspects and implications.

As the number of genes associated with inherited disease continues to grow, researchers and practitioners in behavioral medicine will encounter complex psychological issues faced by individuals at risk for these diseases. A review of the literature concerning prenatal, carrier, and predictive genetic testing suggests that the severity of psychological risks posed by research-based genetic testing is not great. However, subgroups of individuals with particular psychological traits may be more vulnerable to adverse effects. Available data do not provide evidence that genetic testing promotes changes in health-related behaviors. Thus, although there may be less of a role for mental health professionals in the psychological counseling of genetic testing participants, there is a need for research and practice to facilitate health protective behaviors in response to genetic risk information. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)