Authors: Rönkä, A. R.
Abstract
Loneliness is a negative, involuntary, subjective, relational, and sociocultural experience, necessitating research on multiple levels. This study draws from various human sciences disciplines and employs a mixed methods approach to contribute new insights into young people’s loneliness and its evolution over time. Data were sourced from the population-based Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 (NFBC1986) (N = 9,432).
In three of the four articles included, logistic regression analysis was conducted on samples of adolescents (aged 15-16; n = 5,817-7,014) who reported loneliness in the 2001-2002 adolescents’ questionnaire. The aim was to explore associations between loneliness and socioemotional, health, wellbeing, and contextual factors. Notably, girls reported loneliness more frequently than boys. Loneliness correlated with various adverse factors among adolescents, including deliberate self-harm, bullying, life dissatisfaction, and feelings of unhappiness, sadness, and depression. Additionally, school dislike was linked to loneliness, particularly among girls.
The findings from these quantitative articles, along with previous loneliness theories, guided the development of a semi-structured interview guide for the fourth article. Qualitative data were gathered through 35 interviews conducted in 2013, selected from the same participants who reported significant loneliness in the adolescents’ questionnaire. This qualitative investigation aimed to elucidate how young adults (aged 27-28) described loneliness, its sensations, and its meaning over time. Based on theory-guided content analysis, loneliness was characterized by five dimensions: Personal, Relational, Physical context, Life event, and Sociocultural. Loneliness duration and intensity fluctuated throughout life, leading to the identification of six loneliness trajectories.
(Hetero)gender norms and normativity played a pivotal role in shaping the experience of loneliness. Comparing the various findings highlighted convergences and divergences, enhancing the overall understanding of loneliness. This comprehensive insight would not have been achievable through a singular research approach.
Keywords: adolescence, gender, loneliness, mixed methods, normativity, trajectory, young adulthood
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