A1 Journal article (refereed)
Belongingness to groups, adolescent loneliness trajectories, and their consequences (2024)
Beattie, M., Kiuru, N., & Salmela-Aro, K. (2024). Belongingness to groups, adolescent loneliness trajectories, and their consequences. International Journal of Behavioral Development, Early online. https://doi.org/10.1177/01650254241294019
The research was funded by Strategic Research Council at the Research Council of Finland.
JYU authors or editors
Publication details
All authors or editors: Beattie, Marguerite; Kiuru, Noona; Salmela-Aro, Katariina
Journal or series: International Journal of Behavioral Development
ISSN: 0165-0254
eISSN: 1464-0651
Publication year: 2024
Publication date: 21/11/2024
Volume: Early online
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Publication country: United Kingdom
Publication language: English
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/01650254241294019
Publication open access: Openly available
Publication channel open access: Partially open access channel
Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/98605
Abstract
While loneliness for short periods of time is normal, prolonged loneliness has severe health risks. This study aims to discover what loneliness trajectories can be found in a cohort of adolescents, how belongingness to different groups may be associated with these trajectories, and the mental, physical, and academic consequences of these trajectories. Adolescents (N = 2,765) born in the year 2000 and attending Helsinki schools participated in annual surveys from 2013 to 2019. We conducted latent profile analyses and equality of means tests to find the number of trajectories and their associations with potential preventive and consequential factors. Our analyses resulted in six profiles: “Stable high” (4.8%), “Low becomes volatile (8.1%), “Moderates with a 7th-grade peak” (9.3%), “Winding down” (11.9%), “Winding up” (15.5%), and “Stable low” (50.5%). In general, trajectories that started with high loneliness reported lower belongingness to groups (i.e., friends, school, hobby, home, and society) than trajectories that started with low loneliness. Adolescents following the “Stable high” loneliness trajectory reported the worst mental well-being and school burnout outcomes, but there were no associations with drug use. Belongingness to friends, school, hobbies, home, and national and international society may be more protective against loneliness than belongingness to religious communities in some areas. It would behoove adolescent health experts to investigate how groups can prevent prolonged loneliness and its consequences.
Keywords: young people; loneliness; mental well-being; depression (mental disorders); strains and stresses; stress (biological phenomena); drug use
Free keywords: adolescent health; loneliness; group belongingness; psychological well-being; drug use
Contributing organizations
Related projects
- Copy/Kopio-Right to Belong: Tackling loneliness and ostracism during childhood and youth
- Kiuru, Noona
- Research Council of Finland
Ministry reporting: Yes
VIRTA submission year: 2024
Preliminary JUFO rating: 2
- Psychology (Department of Psychology PSY) PSY
- School of Wellbeing (University of Jyväskylä JYU) JYU.Well
- Behaviour change, health, and well-being across the lifespan (University of Jyväskylä JYU) BC-Well
- Multidisciplinary research on learning and teaching (University of Jyväskylä JYU) MultiLeTe
- Social Sustainability for Children and Families (University of Jyväskylä JYU) SOSUS
- Multidisciplinary research on learning and teaching (University of Jyväskylä JYU) MultiLeTe
- Behaviour change, health, and well-being across the lifespan (University of Jyväskylä JYU) BC-Well
- School of Wellbeing (University of Jyväskylä JYU) JYU.Well
- Social Sustainability for Children and Families (University of Jyväskylä JYU) SOSUS