Navigating loneliness: the interplay of social relationships and coping skills
This study explores the (characteristics of) social relationships and coping efforts that protect emerging adults from feeling lonely. The research question is ‘what do emerging adults need in order to not feel lonely?’. Semi-structured interviews with university students from the Netherlands (N = 2...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2024-12-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Adolescence and Youth |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/02673843.2024.2339300 |
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| _version_ | 1850137506564014080 |
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| author | Eric Cornelis Schoenmakers Tina ten Bruggencate |
| author_facet | Eric Cornelis Schoenmakers Tina ten Bruggencate |
| author_sort | Eric Cornelis Schoenmakers |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study explores the (characteristics of) social relationships and coping efforts that protect emerging adults from feeling lonely. The research question is ‘what do emerging adults need in order to not feel lonely?’. Semi-structured interviews with university students from the Netherlands (N = 29; 20–26 years) were conducted between November 2021 and February 2022. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. All participants had experiences with loneliness. In order to not feel lonely, participants needed functional, available social relationships with specific others. Quantitative and qualitative characteristics of social relationships were discussed. Furthermore, participants needed to know and accept themselves and to have realistic expectations about others. In terms of coping, participants made active efforts to improve social relationships and altered expectations about others. The results are discussed in line with social discrepancy theory, coping theory, and characteristics of the life phase of emerging adulthood. Implications for loneliness interventions are discussed. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9bb2d3e3203f425ca52b27b039ca0a07 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 0267-3843 2164-4527 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Adolescence and Youth |
| spelling | doaj-art-9bb2d3e3203f425ca52b27b039ca0a072025-08-20T02:30:49ZengTaylor & Francis GroupInternational Journal of Adolescence and Youth0267-38432164-45272024-12-0129110.1080/02673843.2024.2339300Navigating loneliness: the interplay of social relationships and coping skillsEric Cornelis Schoenmakers0Tina ten Bruggencate1Department of Applied Sciences, Fontys University, Eindhoven, The NetherlandsDepartment of Applied Sciences, Fontys University, Eindhoven, The NetherlandsThis study explores the (characteristics of) social relationships and coping efforts that protect emerging adults from feeling lonely. The research question is ‘what do emerging adults need in order to not feel lonely?’. Semi-structured interviews with university students from the Netherlands (N = 29; 20–26 years) were conducted between November 2021 and February 2022. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. All participants had experiences with loneliness. In order to not feel lonely, participants needed functional, available social relationships with specific others. Quantitative and qualitative characteristics of social relationships were discussed. Furthermore, participants needed to know and accept themselves and to have realistic expectations about others. In terms of coping, participants made active efforts to improve social relationships and altered expectations about others. The results are discussed in line with social discrepancy theory, coping theory, and characteristics of the life phase of emerging adulthood. Implications for loneliness interventions are discussed.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/02673843.2024.2339300Lonelinessemerging adulthoodsocial relationshipscoping |
| spellingShingle | Eric Cornelis Schoenmakers Tina ten Bruggencate Navigating loneliness: the interplay of social relationships and coping skills International Journal of Adolescence and Youth Loneliness emerging adulthood social relationships coping |
| title | Navigating loneliness: the interplay of social relationships and coping skills |
| title_full | Navigating loneliness: the interplay of social relationships and coping skills |
| title_fullStr | Navigating loneliness: the interplay of social relationships and coping skills |
| title_full_unstemmed | Navigating loneliness: the interplay of social relationships and coping skills |
| title_short | Navigating loneliness: the interplay of social relationships and coping skills |
| title_sort | navigating loneliness the interplay of social relationships and coping skills |
| topic | Loneliness emerging adulthood social relationships coping |
| url | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/02673843.2024.2339300 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ericcornelisschoenmakers navigatinglonelinesstheinterplayofsocialrelationshipsandcopingskills AT tinatenbruggencate navigatinglonelinesstheinterplayofsocialrelationshipsandcopingskills |