Emotionele en sociale eenzaamheid en het verband hiermee met de relatiekwaliteit bij mensen met een partner; jong-volwassenen, volwassenen en oud-volwassenen vergeleken.

Abstract

Loneliness can decrease mental well-being and is therefore considered as clinical relevant. Most loneliness-studies focus solely on seniors and studies about loneliness through the lifespan are not unequivocal. Present study focuses on emotional and social loneliness, correlations between relationship quality and emotional as well as social loneliness added with gender differences within these correlations. Three age groups, all with life partner, were involved; young-adults, adults and old-adults. There seems no difference in emotional loneliness between the age groups. Young-adults seem less social lonely compared to adults and old-adults, t (179) = -2.69, p = .008. The strength of the negative relation between emotional as well as social loneliness and relationship quality is different for the age groups. Gender differences within these relations have not been found. Even after controlling for background variables, there seems no relation between age and loneliness. Explanations for the research results, recommendations and limitations are provided.