Correlates of loneliness among midwestern adolescents

The extent of loneliness among midwestern adolescents was investigated in relation to depression, self-esteem, family strengths, parent-adolescent communication, age, and gender. The study sample consisted of 156 adolescents, ranging in age from 11 to 18 years, who were attending public schools in four midwestern communities. It was found that the subjects had high loneliness scores, and that older adolescents were lonelier than younger adolescents. There was a significant relationship between loneliness and depression. Loneliness was negatively related to self-esteem, family strengths, and mother-adolescent communication. The implications of these results for delineating the underlying dimensions of loneliness in adolescents are discussed.