An Investigation of Social and Emotional Loneliness in Young Adults in terms of Difficulties in Emotion Regulation

Abstract

In this research, it was attempted to explain the predictive effect of difficulties in emotion regulation on social and emotional loneliness. It was especially aimed to investigate the effect on loneliness of difficulties in using the appropriate emotion regulation strategies in understanding, accepting and controlling the emotions and behaving accordingly. In this study where the correlational survey model was used, data was collected from 552 young adults studying in different faculties and departments of a private university located in the city of Istanbul. 354 participants (64.1%) were female and 198 participants (35.9%) were male young adults aged between 19-25. Measurement tools were Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale and the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale. Analysis results demonstrated that social and emotional loneliness exhibited a significant difference between genders while the difficulties in emotion regulation did not exhibit a significant difference between genders. Significant correlations were found between social and emotional loneliness and difficulties in emotion regulation and its subscales. The results of stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that difficulties in using the appropriate emotion regulation strategies, understanding the emotional reactions and awareness of emotional reactions were a predictor of social and emotional loneliness. Findings were discussed in accordance with the literature. Suggestions for researchers and field practitioners were listed.

Keywords

• Emotional loneliness
• Difficulties in emotion regulation
• Social loneliness

References

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