Loneliness

Loneliness

NB. This documentation needs updating due to the introduction of a new concept: existential loneliness (LASAJ173).

LSN/LASA filenames:
LSNa073, LSNg073, LSNi073;
LASAB073, LASAC073, LASAD073, LASAE073, LAS2B073, LASAF073, LASAG073, LASAH073, LAS3B073, LASMB073, LASAI073, LASAJ073, LASAK073;
LASAdc25, LASAel01;
LASet606, LASet706;
LASAC606 , LASAD606, LASAE606;
LASAD706, LASAE706, LASAF706, LASAG706, LASAH706, LASAI706, LASAJ706;
LASAH712, LASAI712, LASAJ712, LASAK712;
LASAJ173;
LASEs816;
LASAge73, LSNa273, LSNg273, LSNi273;
LASAB273, LASAC273, LASAD273, LASAE273, LAS2B273, LASAF273, LASAG273, LASAH273, LAS3B273, LASMB273, LASAI273, LASAJ273;
LASAB025, LASAC025, LASAD025, LASAE025, LAS2B025, LASAF025, LASAG025, LASAH025, LAS3B025, LASMB025, LASAI025, LASAJ025;
LASEs806;
LASAbd20, LASAcdw1, LASAcdw2, LASAcdw3, LASAcdw4, LASAcdw5

Contact: Theo van Tilburg

Background
The conceptualization of loneliness drew upon the cognitive approach to loneliness. In this approach, loneliness is seen as a subjective experience and is, as such, not directly related to situational factors. Loneliness, or subjective social isolation, is defined as a situation experienced by the participant as one where there is an unpleasant or inadmissible lack of (quality of) certain relationships. The importance of social perceptions and evaluations of one’s personal relationships is emphasized. Loneliness includes situations where the number of existing relationships is smaller than desirable or acceptable, as well as situations where the intimacy wished for has not been realized (De Jong Gierveld, 1998).
An 11-item unidimensional scale was developed, which (1) assessed severe feelings of loneliness as well as less intense loneliness feelings; (2) consisted of negative as well as positive items; and (3) represented a latent continuum of deprivation. In addition, the scale met the criteria of the dichotomous logistic Rasch model (De Jong Gierveld & Kamphuis, 1985).

Two components of loneliness can be distinguished. Emotional loneliness relates to the absence of an intimate relationship (partner, best friend), and social loneliness relates to the absence of a broader, engaging social network (siblings, cousins, friends, and neighbors). Emotional loneliness arises, for example, when a partner relationship dissolves through divorce or being widowed, and is characterized by intense feelings of emptiness, abandonment, and forlornness. People who have moved to a place where they are newcomers frequently report social loneliness.

In addition to the item-scale direct questions to loneliness have been included.

Measurement instruments in LASA

11-item scale De Jong Gierveld

Possible answers are “yes”, “more or less”, “no” (“ja”, “min-of-meer”, “nee”).

Direct questions

• I sometimes feel lonely.
  Ik voel me soms wel eens eenzaam.
• If we divide people in: the not lonely, the moderately lonely, the severely lonely, and the extremely lonely, what would you consider yourself to be?
  Als we de mensen zouden indelen in niet eenzaam, matig eenzaam, sterk eenzaam en zeer sterk eenzaam, waar zoudt u zich dan nu toe rekenen?
• The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) includes an item on loneliness: “During the past week I felt lonely” (“De afgelopen week voelde ik me eenzaam”), with answering possibilities (1) “rarely or never”, (2) “sometimes”, (3) “occasionally” and (4) “mostly or always” (CESD14).

Questionnaires
LASAB073 / LASAC073 / LASAD073 / LASAE073 / LAS2B073 / LASAF073 /
LASAG073 / LASAH073 / LAS3B073 / LASMB073 / LASAI073 / LASAJ073 / LASAK073 (main interview, in Dutch);
LASAH712 / LASAI712 / LASAJ712 / LASAK712 (telephone interview with respondent, in Dutch);
LASAJ173 / LASAK173 (telephone interview with respondent, in Dutch);

Interim measurement:
LASEs816 (self-admin. questionnaire, in Dutch)

Variable information
LASAB073 / LASAC073 / LASAD073 / LASAE073 / LAS2B073 / LASAF073 /
LASAG073 / LASAH073 / LAS3B073 / LASMB073 / LASAI073 / LASAJ073 / LASAK073;
LASAB273 / LASAC273 / LASAD273 / LASAE273 / LAS2B273 / LASAF273 /
LASAG273 / LASAH273 / LAS3B273 / LASMB273 / LASAI273 / LASAJ273 / LASAK273 (scale scores)
(pdf);
LASAH712 / LASAI712 / LASAJ712 / LASAK712
(pdf);
LASAJ173
(pdf)

Interim measurement:
LASEs816
(pdf)

Note: for LASA*025, LASA*606, LASA*706 see documentation on: Depressive symptoms.

Availability of information per observation ¹

¹ More information about the LASA data collection waves is available here.

* A=Living arrangements and social networks of older adults (LSN);
2B=baseline second cohort;
3B=baseline third cohort;
MB=migrants: baseline first cohort

** see documentation on Depressive symptoms.

^† in C also with Respondent

Ma=data collected in main interview;
Me=data collected in medical interview;
Sa=data collected in self-administered questionnaire;
Tr=data collected in telephone interview with respondent;
Tp=data collected in telephone interview with proxy

References

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Date of last update: July, 2014