Trajectories of Loneliness and Psychosocial Functioning

The present study examined the relationship between developmental patterns of loneliness and psychosocial functioning among adolescents (9-21 years; N = 110, 52% male). Four-wave longitudinal data were obtained from the Nijmegen Longitudinal Study (NLS) on Infant and Child Development. Loneliness was measured at 9, 13, 16, and 21 years of age and anxiety, depression and self-esteem at 9 and 21 years of age. Using k-means cluster analysis, three trajectories of loneliness were identified as stable low (56% of the subjects), high decreasing (22% of the subjects), and low increasing (22% of the subjects). Importantly, trajectories of loneliness across adolescence significantly predicted psychosocial functioning in young adulthood. Both the high-decreasing and low-increasing loneliness clusters were associated with higher risk of depression and lower self-esteem compared to the stable low loneliness cluster. The low-increasing loneliness cluster was associated with higher risk of anxiety compared to the stable low loneliness cluster. These results indicate that loneliness in adolescence is a vulnerability that manifests itself in higher levels of anxiety and depression and lower self-esteem in young adulthood.

Automated summary

This study found that developmental trajectories of loneliness in adolescence significantly predicted psychosocial functioning in young adulthood. Two different trajectories of loneliness were associated with risk of depression and self-esteem, while low-increasing loneliness was linked to risk of anxiety.