Trajectories of loneliness during adolescence predict subsequent symptoms of depression and positive wellbeing

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Hunter, Simon C. and Seth, Rebecca and Houghton, Stephen and Lawrence, David and Zadow, Corinne and Rosenberg, Michael and Wood, Lisa and Qualter, Pamela and Shilton, Trevor (2024) Trajectories of loneliness during adolescence predict subsequent symptoms of depression and positive wellbeing. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 53 (5). pp. 1078-1090. ISSN 1573-6601 (https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-023-01925-0)

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Abstract

There is a need to identify the outcomes of changes in loneliness during adolescence, and to consider this within a multidimensional framework of loneliness. This study considered the effects of different trajectories of change in Isolation Loneliness and in Friendship Loneliness upon both positive wellbeing and symptoms of depression. To achieve this, 1782 (43% female; 12.92 years old at the start of the study, SD = 1.60) young people took part in a longitudinal study with four data points across 2 years. Four Isolation Loneliness trajectories and five Friendship Loneliness trajectories were identified. Youth who experienced low levels of Isolation Loneliness that subsequently increased appear to be at particular risk for poor outcomes. Similarly, initially high levels of Friendship Loneliness that decreased rapidly, or which began at a low level and only increased marginally, seem to also be a risk. Loneliness is a multi-dimensional construct and its development during adolescence impacts upon young people’s depressive symptomatology and positive mental wellbeing.

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