“When It's Just Me at Home, It Hits Me That I'm Completely Alone”: An Online Survey of Adolescents in Self-Care

ABSTRACT

The present study examined adolescents' experiences of loneliness and solitude in their responses to an online survey on self-care. Both quantitative (n = 272) and qualitative (n = 150) responses were coded for these feelings when home alone. Results indicate that adolescents experience the duality of aloneness, including both positive solitude and negative loneliness. Adolescents' responses range from embraced solitude and self-care to feelings of loneliness and rejection of time by themselves. Adolescents reporting loneliness were significantly less likely to enjoy being home alone during the day and at night (p ≤ .001). Also, gender, age, and emotions such as fear, boredom, and separation anxiety are associated with loneliness among adolescents in self-care. Interventions to increase connectedness and combat loneliness during out-of-school hours are recommended.

Keywords:

• adolescent
• home alone
• loneliness
• self-care
• solitude

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Kids Help Phone/Jeunesse J'Écoute staff for their support with this study and to Cécile Rousseau for early discussions on the conceptualization of this article.