Social network centrality is the social position of a person in a social network. The more friendships or social connections they have in the network, the higher the centrality. A low level of...Show moreSocial network centrality is the social position of a person in a social network. The more friendships or social connections they have in the network, the higher the centrality. A low level of social network centrality is often thought to be related to feelings of loneliness. Yet there is still a lot of discussion if this is also the case for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Thus, this study examined the level of loneliness as well as the level of social network centrality in children with ASD, compared to their peers without ASD, and the relation between these two aspects in special education settings. Children with ASD were expected to show a lower level of social network centrality than children without ASD. However it was expected that children with ASD would not feel lonelier than their peers without ASD. Thus, while it was expected that a lower level of centrality relates to a higher level of loneliness in children without ASD, this was not expected for children with ASD. This study compared a group of 47 children with ASD and a group of 52 children without ASD, aged from 8 to 13 years old (M= 10.806; SD = 1.266), in a special education primary school setting. Loneliness was measured with the Children’s Loneliness Scale, and the centrality was measured in a “Like to Play” measure and was based on the number of friendship nominations a child received. ANOVA showed that the children with ASD did not show a significantly lower level of social network centrality nor feel lonelier than their peers without ASD. A hierarchical regression showed no significant relations between social network centrality and the level of loneliness in the two groups. Based on the results of this study children with ASD in an inclusive environment might be more socially central and less lonely than expected.Show less
Prosocial behavior, defined as any action taken to benefit another, has maintained persistent interest in regarding its intricate relationship with loneliness and apathy. Loneliness, conceptualized...Show moreProsocial behavior, defined as any action taken to benefit another, has maintained persistent interest in regarding its intricate relationship with loneliness and apathy. Loneliness, conceptualized as a subjective feeling of social isolation is often found comorbid with apathy; one’s reduced motivation to put in effort for others’ benefit relative to one’s own benefit. Although all three variables demonstrate a relationship to one another, research remains scarce regarding their shared impact. However, findings show a positive influence of prosocial behaviors on social connections, consequently decreasing experiences of isolation as well as apathy. This investigation aims to uncover the potential mediating effect of prosocial behavior on the bidirectional relationship of loneliness and apathy. To fill the gap in the literature, assessing both models helps highlight intervention approaches aiming to effectively break the cycle – ultimately improving well-being. Higher levels of loneliness are expected to indicate higher levels of apathy, whereas prosocial behaviors may mediate and limit the negative affect. Ultimately, it is also expected higher levels of apathy lead to higher levels of loneliness, with prosocial behavior possibly mitigating this negative affect. 287 participants underwent a behavioral task assessing their prosocial tendencies, as well as questionnaires measuring their level of loneliness and apathy. Both mediation analyses revealed a significant total effect between the variables. This was indicative of a negligible mediating role of prosocial acts. These results underline the specific gaps left for future research, ranging from exploring the nuanced relationships and contextual factors involved affecting the constructs over time.Show less
Loneliness affects both autistic and non-autistic children. Nevertheless, differences exist in the prevalence and characteristics of loneliness experienced by these two groups, especially in school...Show moreLoneliness affects both autistic and non-autistic children. Nevertheless, differences exist in the prevalence and characteristics of loneliness experienced by these two groups, especially in school settings. This study investigated how four school environment factors, i.e., physical connection, perceived emotional connections, received emotional connections, and recess enjoyment impact loneliness in school-aged children, focusing on the differences between autistic and non-autistic children. Conducted in 2 Dutch special education primary schools, this cross-sectional, between-group study included 104 students (Μ age = 10.4, age range: 6.8 – 14 years): 47 autistic (Μ age = 10.2) and 52 non-autistic (Μ age = 11.4). Loneliness levels were measured with the self-report questionnaire Children’s Loneliness Scale (CLS). For physical connection, the total time children spent in social contact during school recess was measured with proximity sensors (Radio Frequency Identification Device, RFID). Perceived emotional connections was measured with friendship nomination and received emotional connections with the “Like to play” (LITOP) questionnaire. Recess enjoyment was measured with Lunchtime Enjoyment of Activity and Play Questionnaire (LEAP). A regression analysis measured the relationship between feelings of loneliness and the four school environment factors, and the moderating role of autism. An independent sample t-test compared differences between groups for all variables. The results showed a significant relationship between physical connection and loneliness (β = -.409, t = -3.040, p = .003) and recess enjoyment and loneliness (β = .333, t = 2.690, p = .009). Autism moderated the impact of physical connection on loneliness: increased physical connection is associated with reduced loneliness in non-autistic children but heightened loneliness in autistic children (β = .596, t = 2.236, p = .028). Lastly, levels of physical connection (t (97) = 3.393, p = .001) were significantly lower in autistic (M = .539, SD = .221) than in non-autistic children (M = .695, SD). Our findings highlight the importance of understanding the distinct social needs and experiences of social interactions of autistic children. Policymakers and educators should prioritize gaining a deeper understanding of these differences between autistic and non-autistic children in order to develop more effective programs. With this knowledge, tailoring interventions specifically for autistic children can more effectively address loneliness.Show less
Studying loneliness in autistic and non-autistic (allistic) children is a key component in fostering inclusive school environments for students. The current study investigated the effect of total...Show moreStudying loneliness in autistic and non-autistic (allistic) children is a key component in fostering inclusive school environments for students. The current study investigated the effect of total time spent in contact on loneliness in both autistic and allistic children. It was hypothesized that (1) more total time spent in contact would relate to fewer feelings of loneliness and that (2) autistic children would show a weaker association between loneliness and time spent in contact. Moreover, it was expected that autistic children would (3) spend less time in contact and (4) report more loneliness, compared to allistic children. To investigate this, children (N = 100) aged 8 to 14 years from two primary special education schools were included. Contact time measurements were conducted using the Open Beacon Radio Frequent Identification proximity tags, which were worn by students during recess time. Loneliness was measured by using the self-reported Children’s Loneliness Scale. Statistical analysis revealed that more total time spent in contact had different effects on loneliness in the two groups. While the allistic students were found to feel less lonely when spending more time in contact, autistic students were found to experience more feelings of loneliness when spending more time in social contact. Alongside this, the autistic students were found to indeed spend shorter time in social contact than the allistic students, yet no group differences in loneliness were found. This research has found autistic and allistic students to significantly differ in their experience of loneliness in relation to social contact during recess time. The findings of this thesis indicate that further research is required to understand what factors lessen loneliness in autistic students and what is necessary to create inclusive school environments.Show less
Suicide is among the leading causes of death for university students, particularly those with a history of mental health problems. Certain risk factors for suicidal ideation (SI) remain...Show moreSuicide is among the leading causes of death for university students, particularly those with a history of mental health problems. Certain risk factors for suicidal ideation (SI) remain underexplored, especially in the context of additional stressors introduced by the COVID-19 pandemic, such as social isolation and online education. International students may be affected to a greater extent due to further challenges. The study aimed to investigate how loneliness and academic stress relate to SI and how these effects differed between pre- and peri-pandemic periods and between domestic and international students. Thus, for a cross-sectional online survey data was collected across five cohorts (2018 n = 340, 2019 n = 116, 2020 n = 207, 2021 spring n = 139, 2021 fall n = 215). Participants (N = 1017) consisted of Leiden University students with self-reported mood and stress problems who were 18 years or older (M = 21.1). As hypothesized, both loneliness and academic stress positively predicted SI. Unexpectedly, effects were stronger pre-pandemic. Loneliness had a greater impact on SI among domestic students, despite international students experiencing more academic stress and loneliness. Academic stress was not moderated by student status. The outcomes of the study confirm that university students were affected differently across distinct phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although mental health outcomes worsened during later pandemic phases, SI rates decreased. Future studies should explore underlying mechanisms that remain unclear.Show less
Low peer acceptance in childhood can lead to negative outcomes, including loneliness. Autistic adolescents are known to experience social challenges, possibly indicating low peer acceptance and...Show moreLow peer acceptance in childhood can lead to negative outcomes, including loneliness. Autistic adolescents are known to experience social challenges, possibly indicating low peer acceptance and resulting in more loneliness. Therefore, the present study examined peer acceptance, loneliness, and the link between these two constructs, comparing autistic and non-autistic pre-adolescents. Data was collected from two special education schools in the Netherlands. We analysed 75 children aged 8-12 (mean 10.6), of which 34 where autistic and 41 non-autistic, including differential diagnoses. The Child Loneliness Scale measured loneliness. Peer nominations (playmate preferences and reciprocated friendships) and proximity sensors (centrality in playground peer networks) measured peer acceptance. A one-way ANOVA showed no significant difference in loneliness between autistic and non-autistic children. A one-way MANOVA showed no significant effect of autism on playmate preferences and playground centrality, but significantly fewer reciprocated friendships for autistic children. A Hierarchical Multiple Regression revealed that overall peer acceptance and autism did not significantly predict loneliness. The present study found that although autistic children had less reciprocated friendships, they did not feel lonelier and were similarly accepted in peer groups as non-autistic peers. Thus, being accepted by the group, although not necessarily with close individual friendships, could help mitigate loneliness in autistic pre-adolescents.Show less
South Korea, Japan, and China are struggling with loneliness in their respective societies. As prolonged feelings of loneliness can have large and lasting consequences for one’s health, it should...Show moreSouth Korea, Japan, and China are struggling with loneliness in their respective societies. As prolonged feelings of loneliness can have large and lasting consequences for one’s health, it should be avoided at all costs. People found solace in watching livestreams; the streams are very personal and it feels like the hosts are in the room with you. In South Korea, mukbangs became popular as more and more people are living in single-person households and therefore more frequently eat alone as well. VTubers made it possible for Japanese people to interact with anime characters, giving life to large communities as a growing number of people are looking at technology to fulfill their social needs. Nǚ zhǔ bō streams provided young Chinese men that are unable to find real girlfriends a virtual girlfriend experience. Livestreaming is a breeding ground for parasocial relationships, as the relationship between streamer and viewer feels very intimate and real. Ideally would viewers find comfort in the company not of the streamers, but in the community as a whole, in which actual meaningful relationships can be formed.Show less
Up to a third of children experience childhood maltreatment (CM), which is abuse and/or neglect by a caregiver. CM is a robust risk factor for depression, and adolescent depressive symptoms seem to...Show moreUp to a third of children experience childhood maltreatment (CM), which is abuse and/or neglect by a caregiver. CM is a robust risk factor for depression, and adolescent depressive symptoms seem to increase during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study therefore investigated whether childhood maltreatment was associated with a further increase in adolescent depression in response to the pandemic, and what role self-esteem and loneliness play in this association. We examined depressive symptoms before (up to March 2020) and during the pandemic (April 2020), in a sample of 79 adolescents (16-26 years old) of which 67.1% were female and non were non-binary (REACT study; Smith et al., 2021). We found that CM was predictive of depression during the pandemic, but not of depression before the pandemic, nor of an increase in depressive symptoms. Furthermore, we found that loneliness was a significant mediator of the relationship between CM and depression during the pandemic, whereas self-esteem was found to be an independent predictor of depression increase. Based on these findings depression prevention/intervention programs are advised to identify CM survivors and to target loneliness and low self-esteem.Show less
Autistic children tend to experience difficulties in interaction with peers, which makes them vulnerable to experience feelings of loneliness. This study investigates quantitative and qualitative...Show moreAutistic children tend to experience difficulties in interaction with peers, which makes them vulnerable to experience feelings of loneliness. This study investigates quantitative and qualitative variables related to friendship in relation to self-evaluated feelings of loneliness in both autistic and non-autistic children. Questionnaires and sensor data were used to examine the differences in quantity of friendships (network size, time spent in interaction, number of interaction partners and network centrality) and quality of friendship (reciprocal nominations and acceptance) between autistic and non-autistic children in special education as well as how the variables related to self-evaluated feelings of loneliness. No differences were found between feelings of loneliness in autistic and non-autistic children. Autistic children had fewer interaction partners and spent less time in interaction, but did not have a less central position in their networks or a smaller network size. Besides, autistic children might not have had a lower quality of friendships, as they did not have fewer reciprocal nominations than non-autistic children. Concerning the relationship between feelings of loneliness and quantitative variables, only a significant relationship was found between feelings of loneliness and network size for autistic children. No relationship was found for feelings of loneliness and quantitative variables for non-autistic children. No relationships were found between feelings of loneliness and qualitative variables for both autistic and non-autistic children. Further research should involve examining the differences in feelings of loneliness between autistic children in special and mainstream education.Show less
Research master thesis | Psychology (research) (MSc)
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Background: Loneliness is widely experienced by the population and is related to several negative health effects. These effects may be partly due to enhanced activation of the stress response,...Show moreBackground: Loneliness is widely experienced by the population and is related to several negative health effects. These effects may be partly due to enhanced activation of the stress response, despite the lack of frequently occurring stressors in loneliness that are commonly believed to explain stress responses. However, according to a new stress theory (GUTS), the stress response is a default response, which is only turned off when safety cues are present. In loneliness the primary source of social safety is missing, which might explain an increased stress response, which can be measured by looking at the cortisol awakening response (CAR). Purpose: Testing, using meta-analysis, the positive effect of loneliness on the CAR and whether this is moderated by age or duration of loneliness. Methods: Eligible studies were sought using a keyword profile in Web of Science. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed to study the relationship between loneliness and the CAR, meta-regression analyses were performed to study the effect of possible moderators. Results: Six studies (n = 1,396) were included in the meta-analysis. No significant positive relationship between loneliness and the CAR was found. Also, no moderating effect of age on the relationship was found. The moderating effect of duration of loneliness could not be studied due to missing information. The results suggested a negative relationship between loneliness and the CAR. Conclusion: Although the hypotheses were not confirmed, several important implications for future research are given, such as the need to incorporate duration of loneliness and conformation to general guidelines in assessing the CAR. Further research is needed to draw definite conclusions about the relation between loneliness and the CAR and about what it means for the GUTS.Show less
