Experiencing loneliness in parenthood: a scoping review

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Public Health
• Sociology

Background:

• Chronic loneliness affects approximately one-third of parents.
• Limited comprehensive reviews exist on the specific experiences, causes, and demographics of parental loneliness.
• Understanding parental loneliness is crucial for addressing its impact on families.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scoping review of existing literature on parental loneliness.
• To identify how, why, and which parents experience loneliness.
• To guide future applied and methodological research in this area.

Main Methods:

• Searched six major academic databases (PsycINFO, Medline, CINAHL, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus) from May 2019 to February 2020.
• Included English-language studies on loneliness during parenthood with children under 16 living at home.
• Excluded studies focused on pregnancy, childbirth, or immediate postpartum hospital care.

Main Results:

• Analyzed 133 studies out of 2566 retrieved.
• Most studies focused on specific parent groups (e.g., teenage parents, parents of disabled children).
• Parental loneliness may differ from other populations and impacts parent/child mental health; at-risk groups identified but evidence is not conclusive.

Conclusions:

• Identified significant gaps in the current understanding of parental loneliness.
• Further international, comparative, and conceptual research is necessary.
• This review provides a foundation for future studies on parental loneliness and its consequences.