Isolation and loneliness Distinct but related concepts Loneliness is the subjective feeling or mood different ways of referring to the emotional associated with actual or perceived isolation. and social aspects of isolation and loneliness. Loneliness occurs when there is something Nicholson suggests that social isolation is “a state missing or lacking in a person’s social in which the individual lacks a sense of belonging relationships or when there is a mismatch socially, lacks engagement with others, has a between a person’s actual social relations and minimal number of social contacts and they are the person’s needs or desires for social contact. deficient in fulfilling and quality relationships” Sometimes loneliness results from a shift in (Nicholson 2009: 1344). an individual’s social needs rather than from a This review maintains the distinction between change in their actual level of social contact. the social and emotional aspects of loneliness, Although it sounds counterintuitive, isolation and because this distinction can help improve our loneliness are not necessarily related. You can understanding of how loneliness develops within feel lonely without being isolated, or isolated individuals (van Baarsen et al. 2001), but it also without feeling lonely, as shown in the diagram important to consider the quality and quantity of below. The idea of feeling lonely even in the midst relationships that people hold. of a large social network can also be described Another important dimension of isolation or as “alienation”. loneliness is that it can be positive as well as Feeling lonely negative. For example, solitude may be an NOT ISOLATED ISOLATED important part of self-growth, allowing time for LONELY LONELY reflection and meditation. The literature reviewed ith othersNOT ISOLATED ISOLATED in this report refers only to isolation and loneliness W NOT LONELY NOT LONELY ithout othersin the negative sense, rather than solitude in the W positive sense. Not feeling lonely Part of the reason for this discrepancy is that The duration of loneliness over time is an isolation and loneliness may be more social important dimension and Young (1982) or emotional in nature. In his seminal work, distinguishes between three types of loneliness: Transient/everyday loneliness includes Weiss (1973) identified two types of loneliness: > loneliness through social isolation and loneliness brief and occasional lonely moods. These through emotional isolation. The former describes experiences have not been of much concern loneliness caused by a lack of social ties, social to researchers or clinicians. integration or sense of community, which might Situational/transitional loneliness involves > be experienced following relocation. The latter people who had satisfying relationships refers to an absence of a personal, intimate until some specific change occurred, such relationship or reliable “attachment figure”, as divorce, bereavement or moving to a such as a partner. While emotional isolation new town. seems to be linked with emotional loneliness, Chronic loneliness occurs when a person has social isolation has stronger associations with > social loneliness. lacked satisfactory social relations for a period of two or more years. On the other hand, Perlman and Peplau (1984: From the standpoint of intervention, greatest 15) describe loneliness as the “unpleasant attention should be directed at preventing experience that occurs when a person’s network situational loneliness from becoming a severe and of social relationships is significantly deficient chronic experience, as the health consequences in either quality or quantity”, although it could of chronic loneliness are more detrimental. be argued that quality and quantity are slightly Isolation and loneliness 6