Peer and parent-related loneliness in Irish adolescents

Abstract

Using a cross-sectional design, adolescent loneliness was explored in a sample of 1090 Irish adolescents (396 male and 688 female) drawn from the 2nd year and transition/5^th year of 23 secondary schools from 8 counties across the Irish Republic. The Louvain Loneliness Scale for Children and Adolescents (LLCA) was administered to this sample and the results from the 4 sub-scales (Parent-Related and Peer-Related Loneliness, A version to and Affinity for Aloneness) compared across the age-groups and by gender. A significant drop in parent and peer-related loneliness across adolescence was found suggesting that early adolescence is a time of greater vulnerability for loneliness.