The development of adolescents’ loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic: The role of peer status and contact with friends

Abstract

The COVID-19 measures raised societal concerns about increases in adolescents’ loneliness. This study examined trajectories of adolescents’ loneliness during the pandemic, and whether trajectories varied across students with different types of peer status and contact with friends. We followed 512 Dutch students (Mage = 11.26, SD = 0.53; 53.1% girls) from before the pandemic (Jan/Feb 2020), over the first lockdown (March-May 2020, measured retrospectively), until the relaxation of measures (Oct/Nov 2020). Latent Growth Curve Analyses (LGCA) showed that average levels of loneliness declined. Multi-group LGCA showed that loneliness declined mostly for students with a victimized or rejected peer status, which suggests that students with a low peer status prior to the lockdown may have found temporary relief from negative peer experiences at school. Students who kept all-round contact with friends during the lockdown declined in loneliness, whereas students who had little contact or who did not (video) call friends did not.

A New School, a Fresh Start? Change and Stability in Peer Relationships and Academic Performance in the Transition from Primary to Secondary School

“…Students' lower levels of loneliness following a school transition were in line with some previous studies (Barber & Olsen, 2004;Lorijn et al, 2023). Yet, the results show a more positive view of school transitions than most previous studies (Jindal-Snape et al, 2020).…”

“…In a recent review on school transitions, ten studies reported a negative impact of the transition on their peer experiences, whereas seven studies reported an improvement in peer experiences (Jindal-Snape et al, 2020). For instance, in contrast to the previous mentioned study showing stability in loneliness (Kingery et al, 2011), other studies found that loneliness increased following a school transition (Benner et al, 2017;Benner & Graham, 2009), decreased (Lorijn et al, 2023), or increased or decreased depending on the school transition (i.e., elementary to middle school vs. middle to high school; Barber & Olsen, 2004). Moreover, whereas most students who structurally transitioned to high school in the U.S.A. were more likely to have fewer friends and become isolated than students who did not transition, some students gained friends (Felmlee et al, 2018;Temkin et al, 2018).…”

“…These aggressive actions can take different forms, including physical, relational, material, and cyber-victimization. Higher levels of attachment have been found to relate to lower levels of loneliness and victimization, whereas loneliness and victimization are generally positively related (Lorijn et al, 2023).…”

“…Loneliness was measured using five items of the peerrelated loneliness subscale of the Loneliness and Aloneness scale for Children and Adolescents (Lorijn et al, 2023;LACA;Marcoen et al, 1987). Sample items are 'I feel left out by my friends', 'I feel sad because I have no friends', and 'I feel alone at school'.…”