Loneliness in adolescents with mental health problems

Postgraduate Thesis uoadl:2866696 325 Read counter

Unit:
Κατεύθυνση Ψυχική Υγεία Παιδιών και Εφήβων
Library of the School of Health Sciences
Deposit date:
2019-03-22
Year:
2019
Author:
Saloustrou Romina
Supervisors info:
Βασιλική Μπενέτου, Αναπληρώτρια Καθηγήτρια, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Γεράσιμος Κολαϊτης, Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, ΕΚΠΑ
Ευαγγελία Γαλανάκη, Καθηγήτρια, Παιδαγωγικό Τμήμα Δημοτικής Εκπαίδευσης, ΕΚΠΑ
Original Title:
Η μοναξιά σε εφήβους με προβλήματα ψυχικής υγείας
Languages:
Greek
Translated title:
Loneliness in adolescents with mental health problems
Summary:
Introduction: The study of loneliness and its association with mental health has attracted considerable research interest. Most studies investigating this association have been conducted among adult and elderly general populations and few among children and adolescents. Moreover, there is no sufficient information based on the Greek population.
Objective: To explore loneliness among adolescents with mental health problems, as well as its possible correlation with the loneliness of their parents.
Material and Method: The sample consisted of 51 adolescents aged 13 to 18 years (average age: 14.71,6 years) with a diagnosed mental health problem, who visited the Child Mental Center during October 2018 - December 2018, as well as, their parents. The Loneliness and Aloneness Scale for Children and Adolescents (LACA) was used to measure the loneliness of adolescents and the UCLA Loneliness Scale to measure their parents’.
Results: Adolescents expressed an affinity for loneliness, which was associated with their emotional difficulties (p<0,001), difficulties in their relationships with peers (p<0,001), and their general difficulties (p=0,001). Older adolescents had a higher score of loneliness in peer relationships (p=0,002) compared to the youngest. Adolescents with emotional disorders scored higher in loneliness related to their peer relationships (p=0,003), while those with behavioral disorders higher in the relationships with their parents (p=0,023). Adolescents with a Greek mother compared to other nationalities, felt lonelier in their relationships with parents (p=0,025). The loneliness of adolescents was not associated with their parents’ loneliness.
Conclusions: The loneliness of adolescents with mental health problems was associated with the nationality of the mother, and depending on the mental health problem, loneliness was more pronounced in specific parameters. The loneliness of adolescents was not found to be related to the loneliness of their parents in this sample. More studies in larger samples with prospective methodology need to be conducted in order to explore further the loneliness of adolescents with mental health problems.
Main subject category:
Health Sciences
Keywords:
Loneliness, Adolescence, Mental health, Loneliness scale
Index:
No
Number of index pages:
0
Contains images:
Yes
Number of references:
81
Number of pages:
85
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