Coping with Loneliness: Methods Young People Often Prefer1

Abstract

Loneliness is one of the most common distressing experiences that humans encounter and it is defined as “exceedingly unpleasant and driving experience connected with inadequate discharge of the need for human intimacy”. Although common to all people, it is accepted that the nature of loneliness is a subjective experience that varies from person to person, occurring under many conditions with a multitude of causes, results and consequences. The aim of this study is to understand how common loneliness is among university students and to reveal which methods they prefer in order to cope with loneliness. With this aim, the UCLA Loneliness Scale and Coping with Loneliness Scale developed by Rokach (1989) was implemented on 429 university students. The Coping with Loneliness Scale consists of six factors including creating a social support network, distancing, acceptance and transformation, self- development and gaining awareness, ignoring, taking shelter in religion and belief, and increasing the number of activities. Results show that students prefer methods such as acceptance and transformation, self-development, gaining awareness, and increasing the number of activities. Moreover, in the research, it has been found that there is a relationship between the loneliness and avoidance and negligence positively, while it is negatively with increasing activity and creating a social support network. Among the methods for dealing with the loneliness which are used by man and woman university students, it has been found that there is a meaningful difference in favour of the men in only the avoidance and negligence. The results have been considered with literature findings.

DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2014.v4n6p111