Date
3-22-2024
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)
Chair
Brooke Snyder
Keywords
loneliness, loneliness experience, qualitative research
Disciplines
Psychology
Recommended Citation
Loehrig, Joni, "Conceptualizing Loneliness: Clinical Importance and Theraputic Approaches" (2024). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 5304.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/5304
Abstract
This study explored the lived experience and perceptions of loneliness among 41 young adults aged 18 to 25 who self-reported being lonely. Loneliness has reached epidemic levels, although its conceptual dimensions remain in their infancy. Loneliness leads to feelings of disconnection and emotional distress and is associated with chronic health issues and increased mortality rates; it is believed to carry health risks equivalent to or greater than heavy smoking, high alcohol consumption, and obesity. The pervasiveness of loneliness and its risks render it a critical problem to address in clinical practice. Participants were selected individuals whose stories of loneliness were voluntarily submitted and published by the Loneliness Project, an online platform developed to humanize the loneliness experience. The research utilized a qualitative phenomenological approach to gain insight into the participants' perceptions of loneliness and answer the central research questions of how participants describe their experience and what loneliness means. By examining the multidimensional and dynamic nature of loneliness through a qualitative approach, the study was structured to deepen the understanding of loneliness and enhance its clinical conceptualization. Loneliness was found to be a subjective experience based on self-perception primarily driven by feelings of being different from others, implying the need for clinical conceptualization to focus on how the lonely view themselves and others. Remarkably, some participants reported experiencing loneliness as young as age five. Recommendations for future research include the domains of the onset of loneliness in young children, neurobiological underpinnings, and loneliness within the framework of a defectiveness schema.
