Correlates of Loneliness among Adolescents

Loneliness is a natural and integral part of human beings as are joy, hunger and self-actualization. For more than half a century, researchers have been interested in studying the correlates and consequences of loneliness. Loneliness represents a distressing situation in which one has limited social relationships and holds the perception of being isolated from others. Humans are born alone, and they experience the terror of loneliness in depth, and often much loneliness in between. Although loneliness is recognized as a socially prevalent phenomenon that has been described consistently as very painful, distressing and disturbing, a lonely individual is commonly regarded as deviant or someone who is spoiled or generally undesirable. The present study made an attempt to examine the correlates of loneliness among male and female adolescents. The Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale, Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale, Rotter's Internal External Scale were administered to 50 male and 50 female adolescents. The age range was from 15-18 years. The study revealed significant relationship of loneliness and depression as well as locus of control. The relationship of loneliness to depression remained significant even after partialling out the influence of locus of control. In addition male adolescents were found to be lonelier than female adolescents. Results further revealed significant gender differences in loneliness and its correlates.