Loneliness is the painful discrepancy between the level of social connection a person desires and what they actually experience. It is not the same as being alone: one can be alone without feeling lonely (sought solitude) and accompanied and feel lonely (emotional loneliness). It is a subjective state, not an objective one.
Concept origin
Perlman D, Peplau LA. (1981). Toward a social psychology of loneliness. In Gilmour R, Duck S (Eds.), Personal relationships in disorder (pp. 31-56). Academic Press. · Cacioppo JT, Hawkley LC. (2009). Perceived social isolation and cognition. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 13(10), 447-454. doi:10.1016/j.tics.2009.06.005
How it manifests
- ▸ Persistent feeling of emotional emptiness
- ▸ Desire for connection not satisfied by current relationships
- ▸ Social hypervigilance and sense of threat
Therapeutic approach
Intervention combines psychotherapy (relational schemas, CBT focused on bonds) with active social network building (volunteering, interest groups, contact with non-intimate acquaintances). Chronic loneliness is associated with higher mortality, comparable to smoking.
Related concepts
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