Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 88-94).

The following report describes the pre-production, production, and post-production stages of the short film NIGHT OUT, a film set in the present day in Montreal, Quebec. The story follows a high school kid throughout one evening out on the town. Over the course of the night he meets an older man, Julian, who takes him to a bar where he meets an older woman, Patricia. NIGHT OUT explores the loneliness in urban landscapes, a young person’s relationship with strangers, and the risks and rewards of opening yourself to the world. The majority of this report consists of a first-person account of the entire process of making this project, from its inception to its completion. Supplemental materials include: character descriptions and synopsis, shot list, lined script, storyboards, and a props and costume list. / text

Studies over the past couple of decades have depicted loneliness as a significant concern to physical health, although its meaning for overall health outcomes is still unclear. The precise impact of loneliness on life expectancy and on specific disease processes remains unknown. With regression modeling techniques, this thesis uses data from the Alameda County Health and Ways of Living Study to characterize the impact of loneliness on self-rated health, mortality, and fatalities from specific diseases. A key hypothesis is that loneliness as a health problem hinges on its persistence over time. This hypothesis is also tested by examining the reliability of the loneliness measure across the full 34 years of the survey. A second test is to examine its interplay with marital status as a mutable social circumstance. Results show that loneliness is a risk factor for poor self-rated health, non-ischemic cardiovascular diseases, cerebrovascular diseases, infections, and overall mortality. Results also show that loneliness need not be a stable problem across the life span in order to pose health risks. The reliability of the loneliness measure fades across time and levels of loneliness also vary with changes in marital status. Loneliness did not clearly mediate the impact of marital status on self-rated health, mortality, or specific causes of death.

This study examined factors that influenced loneliness among rural elders in China. Data were collected from the latest wave of Living and Employment of Population Survey in 2005 (provided by Renmin University, China). The sample of this survey consisted of 284 rural elders in China. T‐tests was used to examine the influence of gender, marital status, health, financial support, and living arrangements differences in loneliness perception among Chinese rural elders. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to understand the influences of age and socio‐economic status on loneliness among the rural elders. This study provided insights for a better understanding of individual, social, and familial factors that influenced subjective loneliness in later life. Findings from this study might contribute to policymaking decisions regarding improvements of psychological well‐being among older adults in China.

The high school to college transition may be especially influential in creating feelings of social loneliness in adolescents. Failure to establish social structures may lead to feelings of loneliness and an increased need for social approval from their peers in the new environment. It was therefore predicted that the more lonely a student is, the more likely he/she would look for approval from others and the more likely he/she would acquiesce to a decision to participate in unethical actions proposed by peers. This prediction was tested in a sample of 158 female and 133 male college students. The evidence suggests that participants who were the most lonely were most likely to report a willingness to engage in unethical behaviors when encouraged by others. However, contrary to expectations, the need for approval did not mediate the relationship between loneliness and unethical behavior. Gender differences were found in the endorsement of unethical behaviors. Male participants were more likely to report a willingness to engage in unethical acts than were female participants. / Department of Psychological Science

Bakgrund: Att vara äldre innebär förluster av många olika slag, bland annat fysiska förmågor, förlust av närstående, och förmågan att upprätthålla eller skapa nya relationer. På ett äldreboende är den äldre inte objektivt sett ensam, utan har alltid andra människor omkring sig. Trots det är det många äldre som upplever ensamhet sin sista tid i livet. Tidigare forskning har visat att det är av betydelse att vårdaren är lyhörd, öppen och visar ömsesidighet i vårdrelationen. Problem: För många ensamma äldre är vårdrelationen den enda relationen de har. Syfte: Att beskriva vårdrelationens betydelse för den ensamstående äldre på äldreboende. Metod: En systematisk litteraturöversikt utfördes på elva kvalitativa studier som analyserades med en beskrivande syntes. Resultatet visade att upplevelserna på äldreboendet för de äldre utan närstående påverkades mycket av vårdrelationen. Trivsel och uppfattningar om vårdkvalitén påverkades av vårdrelationen. Vidare påverkades deras känsla av mening och tillhörighet, och vårdrelationen var betydande för huruvida de äldre upplevde sig respekterade och bekräftade som unika individer. Det är viktigt att vårdarna förstår hur mycket vårdrelationen betyder för de äldres upplevelser och vidare forskning om ensamstående äldres upplevelser av ensamhet på äldreboendet är av yttersta vikt. / Background: Being older means losses of many kinds, including physical abilities, loss o fkin, and the ability to maintain or establish new relationships. At a nursing home, the elderly are not objectively alone, there’s always other people around. Despite this there are many older people who experience loneliness their last time in life. Previous research has shown that it is important that the caregiver is responsive, open and show reciprocity in the caring relationship. Problem: For many lonely elderly the care relationship is the only relationship they have. Aim: To describe the care relationships importance for the single elderly in retirement homes. A systematic literature review was performed on eleven qualitative studies that were analyzed using a descriptive synthesis. The results showed that the experiences of the elderly without relatives at the nursing home were greatly affected by the care relationship. Thriving and perceptions of quality of care were affected by the care relationship. Furthermore their sense of purpose and belonging were affected, and the caring relationship was significant for whether the elderly felt respected and affirmed as unique individuals. It is important that caregivers understand how much the care relationship means for older people's experiences and further research on single older people's experiences of loneliness in retirement homes is of utmost importance.

The aim of the research was to explore the relationship between the use of SMS communication by adolescents and their perceived feelings of loneliness. The SMS seems to be the new communication medium for young people as they are most comfortable with and enthusiastic about this technology and its applications. The adolescent stage is characterised by the building of own social networks, the definition of boundaries between themselves and parents, self-presentation constructed on a social stage in relation to others and characterised by the development of romantic attachments, feelings of anxiety, self-esteem development and maintenance which may result in feelings of isolation and loneliness. Loneliness can be defined as an emotional and cognitive reaction to having fewer and less satisfying relationships than one desires. This includes the absence or self-perceived absence of satisfying social relationships and the unpleasant experience that occurs when a person's network of social relations is deficient in some important way. The motivation for this research was to get insight into the relationship between the use of SMS communication and loneliness in the South African context. An internet search on the 13th February 2006 indicated that no research has yet been done on the relationship between the use of the SMS and loneliness of adolescents in South Africa. An availability sample was used. One hundred and seventeen Grade 11 and 12 learners from two schools in the North West Province participated in the research project. An explanatory cross-sectional survey design with features of qualitative data analysis was used in this investigation. Three methods were used to obtain data, namely the UCLA Loneliness Scale (Version 3), Satisfaction with Life Scale as well as a self-compiled questionnaire. After scoring the UCLA scale the researcher determined which of the participants had the highest level of loneliness and the lowest level of loneliness. Two groups were chosen, each consisting or 15 learners, according to the highest and lowest scores on the loneliness scale respectively. These two groups represented the top and bottom 14% of the sample. The data obtained from the self-compiled questionnaire and Satisfaction with Life scale were qualitatively compared. Analysis of the data indicated that there might be a relationship between the experience of loneliness and the following: gender; number of siblings; involvement in romantic relationships; amount of money spent on bill (financial constraints); quantity of SMS messages sent and received; need to stay in contact with friends over the weekend; reasons for sending SMS messages; feelings regarding sending or receiving SMS messages; feelings regarding no response to SMS messages; feeling with regard to not receiving SMS messages from a friend for a long time; initiating of friendships via cellphone and the SMS rather than face-to-face communication. Suggestions for future research projects were made. / Thesis (M.A. (Clinical Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007

This research explores the meaning that older persons ascribe to the friendships in which they engage. Previous research mostly focuses on the strain that the older population places on the self-reliant community. The older person is faced by many challenges, such as sickness, loss of social and emotional support and death. Friendships serve as a support for physical and emotional needs which could not always be addressed by the family. The aim of this research is to explore the type of friendships in which older persons prefer to engage and the meanings they assign to it. A qualitative study was identified as the most appropriate method and focus groups and personal interviews were used as methods of data collection. Data was analysed by means of thematic content analysis. Findings indicated that different types of friendships exist and that different meanings were attached to friendships. Meaning in friendships is promoted by trustworthy friends who are able to form a deepened level of connection through the support and the compassion they are able to give each other. The experience of connection in friendships is furthermore enhanced through mobility, proximity and technology that facilitate better emotional as well as physical support for the older individual. Informal friendships with younger people ensure that older people are more mobile and are able to maintain their friendships. It is also a great source of support in cases where family members are not able to provide support, due to whatever reason. Further exploration of the value of friendships is recommended, so as to plan more specific intervention strategies. Some insights have already been gathered in this study concerning the way in which mobility, proximity and modern technology can make it possible to sustain a friendship. Further studies could explore ways to empower older people through providing better mobility, proximity and the use of modem technology. Such studies may also explore the needs which an old age home fulfils, such as improving the residents' access to one another, for mutual support. Proximity might be a solution for the immobility experienced in the older community, and when older people are taught to use modern technology they will be enabled to maintain their friendships better. / Thesis (M.A. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

Vienatvės, vienišumo šaknis turbūt reiktų sieti ne tik su homo sapiens pradžia, bet tam tikra prasme ir su gyvybės atsiradimu apskritai. Vienišumas – tai emocinė individo būsena, o kartu ir sociumo reiškinys, kurį būtų galima įvardinti kaip gana dažną šių dienų elementą. O vienatvė – daugiau fiziologinį atspalvį turintis reiškinys, tai padėtis (situacija), kuomet vienas objektas (šiuo atveju žmogus) yra atskirtas nuo kitų tokių pat objektų (t.y. kitų žmonių). Vienatvė gali būti „padiktuota“ aplinkybių, t.y. priverstinė, taip pat ji gali būti ir pasirinktinė, kuomet tai yra sąmoningas individo sprendimas (pvz. „savęs ieškojimas“, minčių „kristalizacija“, įkvėpimo bei kūrybinio potencialo generacija). Sąvoka vienišumas gali turėti kelis interpretavimo variantus: vienišas individas (žmogus) gali jaustis aplinkinių žmonių atžvilgiu (draugų bei bendraminčių neturėjimas, individualios jo pasaulėžiūros ignoravimas ir pan.); vienišas žmogus gali būti ir vertinant jo egzistavimą pasaulio masteliu (susvetimėjimas, prasmės neturėjimas ir pan.); vienišumas gali būti padiktuotas tam tikrų situacijų (netekus artimųjų, išsiskyrimas su brangiais žmonėmis). Darbe nagrinėjama mokslinę teorinę informaciją apie fizinį ir psichologinį būvį – savarankišką dvasinį stovį, vienišiaus psichinė ir socialinė egzistencija Kurią plačiai nagrinėja mokslininkai, psichologai. Pirmame teorinės dalies skyriuje nagrinėjamos vienišumo sąvokos, susijusios su vienišumo reiškiniu. Plačiau gilinamasi į vienatvės... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Solitude, loneliness root probably should be associated not only with homosapiens start, but in a sense, and the origin of life in general. Loneliness - is the emotional state of the individual, and thus the socium phenomenon, which could be described as fairly often these days element. And loneliness - with a shade more physiological phenomenon, this is the position (situation), where one object (in this case the human) is separated from the others of the same object (it is, other people). Loneliness can be "dictated" circumstances, it is enforced as well as it can be custom when it is conscious decision the individual (eg "self-seeking", thoughts "crystallization", inspiration and generation of creative potential). The concept of loneliness can have several versions of interpretation: individual (person) can feel lonely in relation to the surrounding people (friends and like-minded absence, self ignoring his worldview and the like.); lonely man can be also assessing his existence in the world scale (dissociation, meaning absence, etc.); loneliness may be dictated by certain situations (bereavement, separation from loved ones). This work examines the scientific, theoretical information about the physical and psychological state - an independent spiritual condition, single mental and social existence which is widely examined by scientists and psychologists. The first chapter deals with the theoretical part of loneliness concepts related to the phenomenon of loneliness. More... [to full text]

A rapidly growing senior population is facing loneliness, desolation andisolation in our ageist society. Age-linked detachment and a number of socialinteractors are closely related to general health, physical condition anddepression.Using standardized instruments, the UCLA Loneliness Scale (Russellet al., 1980), the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (Zimetet al., 1988), and the Geriatric Depression Scale (Brink et al., 1982), this nonexperimental-study investigated the level of perceived loneliness, socialsupport and the causative relationship of these factors to the presence ofdepression among 50 independent, relatively healthy elders in a Montrealsenior centre.Findings suggest that loneliness is a major predictor of elderdepression. Lack of perceived social support could contribute to sensedloneliness and that depression may be present in healthy, independentelderly.Intergenerational workshops for seniors are suggested to improve lifesatisfaction through social interaction. Further goals are to modify myths,stereotypes and contradictory attitudes inherent to the cohort. / fr