Does loneliness lie within? Personality functioning shapes loneliness and mental distress in a representative population sample
Background: Loneliness is a major public health issue and the identification of risk factors is crucial for prevention and intervention. While previous research has often investigated sociodemographic and external factors (e.g., living situation), personality variables received less attention. This...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Journal of Affective Disorders Reports |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666915323000252 |
| _version_ | 1797845014695378944 |
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| author | M. Ernst E. Brähler J. Kruse H. Kampling M.E. Beutel |
| author_facet | M. Ernst E. Brähler J. Kruse H. Kampling M.E. Beutel |
| author_sort | M. Ernst |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Loneliness is a major public health issue and the identification of risk factors is crucial for prevention and intervention. While previous research has often investigated sociodemographic and external factors (e.g., living situation), personality variables received less attention. This study aimed to harness recent advances in the dimensional assessment of personality pathology to expand knowledge about psychological determinants of loneliness in the population. Methods: We surveyed a sample representative of the German population concerning age, gender, and level of education (N = 2412) using measures of loneliness (UCLA 3-item loneliness scale), personality functioning (12-item version of the OPD-Structure Questionnaire OPD-SQS), and mental distress (PHQ-4). We explored the relevance of personality functioning for loneliness in a multivariate linear regression analysis and in a theoretically-based path model in which we tested loneliness as the mediator between personality functioning and mental distress. Results: In the regression analysis, personality functioning showed strong associations with loneliness (β = 0.48, p < .001) (within a model that included gender, age, living situation, income, education, and partnership). The mediation model fit the data well and loneliness mediated 39.9% of the total effect of personality functioning on distress. Limitations: The present findings are based on cross-sectional survey data. Conclusions: This study gives insight into previously understudied individual differences shaping feelings of loneliness and mental health outcomes. It suggests that deficits in personality functioning independently aggravate the risk of experiencing loneliness, hence the conception of risk factors for loneliness should be expanded to include personality variables. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T17:32:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a441a62fcb1c4bfa99ca822e37bf9cc4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2666-9153 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T17:32:45Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Affective Disorders Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-a441a62fcb1c4bfa99ca822e37bf9cc42023-04-18T04:09:16ZengElsevierJournal of Affective Disorders Reports2666-91532023-04-0112100486Does loneliness lie within? Personality functioning shapes loneliness and mental distress in a representative population sampleM. Ernst0E. Brähler1J. Kruse2H. Kampling3M.E. Beutel4Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Untere Zahlbacher Straße 8, Mainz 55131, Federal Republic of Germany; Corresponding author.Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Untere Zahlbacher Straße 8, Mainz 55131, Federal Republic of Germany; Integrated Research and Treatment Center Adiposity Diseases, Behavioral Medicine Research Unit, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig Medical Center, Leipzig, Federal Republic of GermanyDepartment of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Federal Republic of GermanyDepartment of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Federal Republic of GermanyDepartment of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Untere Zahlbacher Straße 8, Mainz 55131, Federal Republic of GermanyBackground: Loneliness is a major public health issue and the identification of risk factors is crucial for prevention and intervention. While previous research has often investigated sociodemographic and external factors (e.g., living situation), personality variables received less attention. This study aimed to harness recent advances in the dimensional assessment of personality pathology to expand knowledge about psychological determinants of loneliness in the population. Methods: We surveyed a sample representative of the German population concerning age, gender, and level of education (N = 2412) using measures of loneliness (UCLA 3-item loneliness scale), personality functioning (12-item version of the OPD-Structure Questionnaire OPD-SQS), and mental distress (PHQ-4). We explored the relevance of personality functioning for loneliness in a multivariate linear regression analysis and in a theoretically-based path model in which we tested loneliness as the mediator between personality functioning and mental distress. Results: In the regression analysis, personality functioning showed strong associations with loneliness (β = 0.48, p < .001) (within a model that included gender, age, living situation, income, education, and partnership). The mediation model fit the data well and loneliness mediated 39.9% of the total effect of personality functioning on distress. Limitations: The present findings are based on cross-sectional survey data. Conclusions: This study gives insight into previously understudied individual differences shaping feelings of loneliness and mental health outcomes. It suggests that deficits in personality functioning independently aggravate the risk of experiencing loneliness, hence the conception of risk factors for loneliness should be expanded to include personality variables.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666915323000252Personality functioningLonelinessMental healthPopulationRepresentative surveySocial isolation |
| spellingShingle | M. Ernst E. Brähler J. Kruse H. Kampling M.E. Beutel Does loneliness lie within? Personality functioning shapes loneliness and mental distress in a representative population sample Journal of Affective Disorders Reports Personality functioning Loneliness Mental health Population Representative survey Social isolation |
| title | Does loneliness lie within? Personality functioning shapes loneliness and mental distress in a representative population sample |
| title_full | Does loneliness lie within? Personality functioning shapes loneliness and mental distress in a representative population sample |
| title_fullStr | Does loneliness lie within? Personality functioning shapes loneliness and mental distress in a representative population sample |
| title_full_unstemmed | Does loneliness lie within? Personality functioning shapes loneliness and mental distress in a representative population sample |
| title_short | Does loneliness lie within? Personality functioning shapes loneliness and mental distress in a representative population sample |
| title_sort | does loneliness lie within personality functioning shapes loneliness and mental distress in a representative population sample |
| topic | Personality functioning Loneliness Mental health Population Representative survey Social isolation |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666915323000252 |
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