Loneliness Is Associated With Decreased Support and Increased Strain Given in Social Relationships

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Psychophysiology
• Social Neuroscience

Background:

• Prolonged loneliness negatively impacts mental and physical health.
• Individual differences in responding to loneliness influence health outcomes.
• Perceptions of social support and strain are crucial in relationship evaluations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between loneliness and perceptions of support and strain in family and friend relationships.
• To examine whether resting high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) moderates these associations.
• To understand the psychophysiological underpinnings of loneliness and social relationship evaluations.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Midlife Development in the US (MIDUS) dataset.
• Included participants with measures of loneliness, perceived support/strain given, and resting HF-HRV.
• Employed statistical analyses to assess associations and moderation effects.

Main Results:

• Loneliness correlated with reduced perceived support and increased perceived strain in both family and friend relationships.
• Resting HF-HRV showed a trend-level moderation for strain given to family, particularly for individuals with lower HF-HRV.
• No significant moderation by HF-HRV was found for strain given to friends.

Conclusions:

• Loneliness is associated with more negative self-evaluations of social interactions.
• Resting HF-HRV may offer a partial buffer against negative relationship perceptions within family contexts.
• Findings highlight the complex interplay between loneliness, social perception, and physiological regulation.