Emotional autonomy profiles: Separation, detachment and loneliness during adolescence

The present study assessed different profiles of emotional autonomy in relation to loneliness in a group of 1223 Italian adolescents (556 males and 667 females), ranging from 13 years to 20 years of age (M = 16.33; SD = 1.55). The Emotional Autonomy Scale (EAS - Steinberg & Silverberg, 1986) and the Louvain Loneliness Scale for Children and Adolescents (LLCA - Marcoen, Goossens & Caes, 1987) were administered to the participants. Five emotional autonomy profiles were constructed on the basis of percentile scores: adolescents not yet separated, detached, typical, separated and ambivalent. Detached showed higher scores of peer-related loneliness, than the not yet separated, the typical and the separated adolescents. Adolescents not yet separated showed lower scores of parent-related loneliness than the detached, the typical, the separated and the ambivalent adolescents. Data supported the link between emotional autonomy as Detachment and maladaptive outcomes, suggested by the difficulties in relationships with peers