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
