Social Withdrawal, Solitude, and Existential Concerns in Emerging Adulthood

Galanaki, Evangelia; Nelson, Lowry; Antoniou, Faye

doi:10.1177/21676968231170247

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 101 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…It is also robustly related to internalizing problems (e.g., negative affect, social anxiety, loneliness) and peer difficulties (e.g., rejection, victimization) from early childhood through emerging adulthood [31,33]. Among emerging adults, shyness has demonstrated associations with depressive symptoms, existential concerns, test anxiety, and lower levels of academic self-efficacy [16,34]. Indeed, Closson et al [35] found that shy young adults reported the lowest levels of social support, happiness, life satisfaction, and self-worth compared to other groups of withdrawn and non-withdrawn peers.…”

Section: Implications Of Motivations For Social Withdrawal In Emergin...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Motivations for Social Withdrawal, Mental Health, and Well-Being in Emerging Adulthood: A Person-Oriented Approach

Sette,

Pecora,

Laghi

et al. 2023

Behavioral Sciences

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Emerging adults seek solitude because of different underlying motivational and emotional processes. The current short-term longitudinal study aimed to: (1) identify subgroups of socially withdrawn emerging adults characterized by different motivations for solitude (shyness, unsociability, social avoidance) and affect (positive, negative); and (2) compare these subgroups in terms of indices of internalizing difficulties and life-satisfaction. Participants were N = 348 university students (Mage = 21.85 years, SD = 3.84) from Italy, who completed online questionnaires at two-time points separated by three months. Results from a latent profile analysis (LPA) suggested three distinct subgroups characterized by different social withdrawal motivations (i.e., shy, unsociable, and socially avoidant), as well as a non-withdrawn subgroup (characterized by low social withdrawal motivations, low negative affect, and high positive affect). Among the results, the socially avoidant subgroup reported the highest levels of social anxiety, whereas the avoidant and shy subgroups reported the highest loneliness and lowest life satisfaction. The unsociable subgroup appeared to be the most well-adjusted subgroup of socially withdrawn emerging adults and reported similar levels of life satisfaction as the non-withdrawn subgroup. Our findings confirmed the heterogeneity of emerging adults’ experiences of solitude, with different motivations for social withdrawal appearing to confer a differential risk for maladjustment.

show abstract

Section: Implications Of Motivations For Social Withdrawal In Emergin...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Motivations for Social Withdrawal, Mental Health, and Well-Being in Emerging Adulthood: A Person-Oriented Approach

Sette,

Pecora,

Laghi

et al. 2023

Behavioral Sciences

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

The Relationship Between Anti-Mattering Perceptions and Social Health Among University Students

Filiz,

Johnson

2024

Emerging Adulthood

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This study investigated the effect of anti-mattering perceptions on social health levels among university students in Turkey. A total of 494 university students, including 311 domestic and 183 immigrants from Syria, participated in the study. Anti-mattering and social health scales were used to collect data. The LIFESCREEN for College Students (TLS-C) is an 18-item scale that measures the social health needs of college students, the measure is guided by the five key areas of social determinants of health (SDOH) and asks questions related to topics such as safety and food security. Descriptive, difference, correlation, and regression analyses were conducted to analyze the data. The findings showed that anti-mattering perceptions had a significant impact on social health levels. Additionally, the immigrants and economically disadvantaged students had higher social health needs and behaviors. The study concluded that anti-mattering perceptions, which are shaped during childhood and adolescence, are an influential factor on social health behaviors and needs of university students.

show abstract

“It’s a feeling of complete disconnection”: experiences of existential loneliness from youth to older adulthood

McKenna-Plumley,

Turner,

Yang

et al. 2023

BMC Psychol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Existential loneliness is a feeling which stems from a sense of fundamental separation from others and the world. Although commonly mentioned in the loneliness literature, there is relatively little empirical work on this construct, and existing work tends to focus on older and seriously ill individuals. The present study aimed to understand how people experience existential loneliness without specific constraints on precipitating factors like illness or age. Methods A qualitative online survey collected data from 225 adults aged 16 to 72 years old. Participants were asked to write about their experiences of existential loneliness and how these experiences compared to non-existential loneliness. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results Of 225 participants, 51% knew the meaning of “existential loneliness” upon accessing the survey and in total, 83% had experienced existential loneliness. 93% of these participants had also experienced loneliness that was not existential in nature. 175 participants provided qualitative data regarding their experiences of existential loneliness, from which four themes were identified: Existential loneliness is (1) A deeper form of loneliness, and (2) A feeling of deep disconnection, in which (3) Cognitive evaluations and negative emotions are central elements, and (4) Stress and mental health issues are perceived as relevant factors. Conclusions Existential loneliness is a deeply rooted and impactful form of loneliness which involves feelings of profound separateness. This aspect of loneliness is deserving of further attention. Future research directions are suggested.

show abstract

Social Withdrawal, Solitude, and Existential Concerns in Emerging Adulthood

Cited by 3 publications

References 101 publications

Motivations for Social Withdrawal, Mental Health, and Well-Being in Emerging Adulthood: A Person-Oriented Approach

Motivations for Social Withdrawal, Mental Health, and Well-Being in Emerging Adulthood: A Person-Oriented Approach

The Relationship Between Anti-Mattering Perceptions and Social Health Among University Students

“It’s a feeling of complete disconnection”: experiences of existential loneliness from youth to older adulthood

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About