Loneliness is related to facial emotion perception in people with HIV
Abstract Loneliness, defined as unmet needs for intimate relationships (emotional loneliness) or larger social connections (social loneliness), is a risk factor for internalizing disorders common among people with HIV (PWH). While loneliness is associated with facial emotion perception (FEP)—the abi...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04237-4 |
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| author | Moka Yoo-Jeong Rebecca E. Easter Jennifer M. Coughlin Raha M. Dastgheyb Scott A. Langenecker Gabriela Molestina Juhi Patel Skylar Rucci Eran F. Shorer Isabelle Thompson Alejandra Woolsey Tracey E. Wilson Leah H. Rubin |
| author_facet | Moka Yoo-Jeong Rebecca E. Easter Jennifer M. Coughlin Raha M. Dastgheyb Scott A. Langenecker Gabriela Molestina Juhi Patel Skylar Rucci Eran F. Shorer Isabelle Thompson Alejandra Woolsey Tracey E. Wilson Leah H. Rubin |
| author_sort | Moka Yoo-Jeong |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Loneliness, defined as unmet needs for intimate relationships (emotional loneliness) or larger social connections (social loneliness), is a risk factor for internalizing disorders common among people with HIV (PWH). While loneliness is associated with facial emotion perception (FEP)—the ability to recognize others’ emotional expressions—research has focused on healthier, younger populations, limiting its generalizability to PWH. Further, the extent to which emotional and social loneliness is associated with FEP has not been examined. As such, this study assessed the relationship between loneliness subtypes and FEP in 75 PWH (mean age = 59.4; 56% male; 77% Black). Participants completed the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale and an FEP Task that measures recognition of happy, sad, angry, fearful, and neutral emotions. Emotional loneliness was associated with reduced neutral bias (r=− 0.28, P = 0.014) and lower overall accuracy (r=− 0.46, P < 0.001), including poorer recognition of fear, anger, happy, and neutral emotions. Social loneliness was related to greater inaccuracy in identifying negative emotions (r = 0.29, P = 0.011) and misperception of fear (r = 0.22, P = 0.049). Findings suggest that emotional and social loneliness are related to different aspects of FEP, underscoring the need for interventions targeting loneliness subtypes to improve FEP deficits and social-emotional functioning in PWH. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-eccb0e4c6b0542d39fb2bad36f515553 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-eccb0e4c6b0542d39fb2bad36f5155532025-08-20T03:03:33ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-07-0115111210.1038/s41598-025-04237-4Loneliness is related to facial emotion perception in people with HIVMoka Yoo-Jeong0Rebecca E. Easter1Jennifer M. Coughlin2Raha M. Dastgheyb3Scott A. Langenecker4Gabriela Molestina5Juhi Patel6Skylar Rucci7Eran F. Shorer8Isabelle Thompson9Alejandra Woolsey10Tracey E. Wilson11Leah H. Rubin12School of Nursing, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern UniversityDepartment of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDepartment of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, The Ohio State UniversityDepartment of Population, Family, and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthDepartment of Neurology, Johns Hopkins UniversityDepartment of Neurology, Johns Hopkins UniversityDepartment of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of MedicineDepartment of Neurology, Johns Hopkins UniversityDepartment of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDepartment of Community Health Sciences and Vice Dean for Faculty Affairs and Research, Downstate Health Sciences UniversityDepartment of Neurology, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Department of Molecular and Comparative Pathobiology, Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public HealthAbstract Loneliness, defined as unmet needs for intimate relationships (emotional loneliness) or larger social connections (social loneliness), is a risk factor for internalizing disorders common among people with HIV (PWH). While loneliness is associated with facial emotion perception (FEP)—the ability to recognize others’ emotional expressions—research has focused on healthier, younger populations, limiting its generalizability to PWH. Further, the extent to which emotional and social loneliness is associated with FEP has not been examined. As such, this study assessed the relationship between loneliness subtypes and FEP in 75 PWH (mean age = 59.4; 56% male; 77% Black). Participants completed the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale and an FEP Task that measures recognition of happy, sad, angry, fearful, and neutral emotions. Emotional loneliness was associated with reduced neutral bias (r=− 0.28, P = 0.014) and lower overall accuracy (r=− 0.46, P < 0.001), including poorer recognition of fear, anger, happy, and neutral emotions. Social loneliness was related to greater inaccuracy in identifying negative emotions (r = 0.29, P = 0.011) and misperception of fear (r = 0.22, P = 0.049). Findings suggest that emotional and social loneliness are related to different aspects of FEP, underscoring the need for interventions targeting loneliness subtypes to improve FEP deficits and social-emotional functioning in PWH.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04237-4LonelinessEmotional lonelinessSocial lonelinessFacial emotion perceptionFacial emotion processingPeople with HIV |
| spellingShingle | Moka Yoo-Jeong Rebecca E. Easter Jennifer M. Coughlin Raha M. Dastgheyb Scott A. Langenecker Gabriela Molestina Juhi Patel Skylar Rucci Eran F. Shorer Isabelle Thompson Alejandra Woolsey Tracey E. Wilson Leah H. Rubin Loneliness is related to facial emotion perception in people with HIV Scientific Reports Loneliness Emotional loneliness Social loneliness Facial emotion perception Facial emotion processing People with HIV |
| title | Loneliness is related to facial emotion perception in people with HIV |
| title_full | Loneliness is related to facial emotion perception in people with HIV |
| title_fullStr | Loneliness is related to facial emotion perception in people with HIV |
| title_full_unstemmed | Loneliness is related to facial emotion perception in people with HIV |
| title_short | Loneliness is related to facial emotion perception in people with HIV |
| title_sort | loneliness is related to facial emotion perception in people with hiv |
| topic | Loneliness Emotional loneliness Social loneliness Facial emotion perception Facial emotion processing People with HIV |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04237-4 |
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