Exploring loneliness in emerging adulthood: A qualitative study

Loneliness, the distressing feeling that accompanies the perception of a person’s social relationships as inadequate, is common in emerging adulthood. This qualitative study explored the experiences and views of loneliness, and the causes of loneliness from the perspective of emerging adults. A youth Research Advisory Group was consulted during the design of the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 27 emerging adults (18–25 years old, M = 20.81, SD = 1.78). Using framework analysis, two key themes were identified; loneliness and development “a part of growing up”, and expectations about a typical emerging adult’s life “that’s how my life should be”. Results suggested that social transitions and expectations for an emerging adults’ life contributed to feelings of loneliness. Our findings suggest that future efforts to understand and prevent loneliness in emerging adulthood should consider that loneliness may be transient in nature and a more complex experience during this life-stage.