New study links psychological traits to loneliness and negative coping behaviors in young adults

A new study published in Psychological Reports has found that certain psychological traits—such as insecure attachment, emotional instability, and unclear self-concept—are strongly associated with loneliness. The research also shows that young adults experiencing loneliness tend to withdraw from social situations, particularly following stressful life events. These findings shed light on the internal psychological factors that may cause loneliness to become chronic and suggest that cognitive-based therapies targeting these traits could be more effective than traditional social interventions.

Loneliness is often described as a mismatch between the social connections a person has and the connections they desire. Although most people experience loneliness occasionally, for some, it becomes a persistent and harmful condition. Social loneliness, in particular, refers to the lack of a broader sense of community or meaningful social group membership. Unlike emotional loneliness, which stems from the absence of a close personal attachment, social loneliness reflects a wider social disconnection.

The researchers conducted the study in response to growing concerns about the rising rates of loneliness, particularly among young adults. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, loneliness has been on the rise in Australia, with nearly half of individuals aged 18–22 reporting regular feelings of loneliness. While interventions have typically focused on increasing social contact, this approach has had limited success. Recent perspectives suggest that loneliness, like hunger or sadness, is a normal emotional signal that can become problematic when chronic. This shift has led researchers to investigate the internal traits and coping styles that may cause loneliness to persist over time.

“The study was my honors thesis, and I wanted to explore an important topic and add to the existing body of research,” said study author Mark Facey of Edith Cowan University. “I completed my research in 2023. Leading up to that time, there was not much new research or findings. Most of the seminal research on loneliness and belonging was conducted last century. So, I felt it was either such an aversive topic that it became unpalatable to explore, or it was assumed that there was nothing new. I was therefore hopeful I could add something meaningful to the research base.”

The study examined four key psychological traits: attachment style, emotional regulation (specifically expressive suppression), neuroticism, and self-concept clarity. The researchers also investigated two behavioral coping styles: withdrawal and ignoring. Their aim was to determine which of these factors were linked to higher levels of social loneliness and whether these relationships were influenced by recent stressful events or demographic variables such as gender, income, and relationship status.

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The study involved 96 psychology undergraduates, the majority of whom were female and between 18 and 34 years old. Participants completed a battery of validated psychological questionnaires online. These included the UCLA Loneliness Scale to measure loneliness, the Adult Attachment Scale to assess secure and anxious attachment, the Emotional Regulation Questionnaire, the Big Five Inventory for personality traits, the Self-Concept Clarity Scale, and the Behavioral Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. Participants also answered questions about recent life events, such as moving to a new location or experiencing a major personal loss.

The results showed that one trait stood out above all others: secure attachment. Individuals with secure attachment styles were less likely to report feelings of social loneliness. In fact, secure attachment alone explained about one-third of the differences in loneliness across participants. On the other hand, people with anxious attachment styles, high levels of neuroticism, and unclear self-concepts were more likely to feel socially lonely. These three traits combined accounted for a substantial portion of the variation in loneliness levels.

In addition to these psychological traits, the researchers found that certain coping behaviors were also linked to loneliness. Specifically, people who frequently withdrew from social situations—either by avoiding others or pulling back emotionally—tended to report higher levels of loneliness.

The tendency to withdraw was especially pronounced in those who had recently experienced significant life changes, such as moving or losing a close relationship. Interestingly, the other negative coping style examined in the study, ignoring (or pretending a problem does not exist), did not significantly predict social loneliness.

The findings suggest that loneliness is not only shaped by a person’s current social circumstances but also by how they manage their emotions and relationships. People who lack a clear sense of self or who suppress their emotions may struggle to form or maintain social connections, while those who feel emotionally vulnerable may avoid social situations altogether, reinforcing their sense of isolation.

“Loneliness has not effectively been treated using external treatments,” Facey told PsyPost. “Typically, in clinical settings, a patient will be directed to expand their social circles; i.e., join a social club or reach out to people they know etc. But these methods are widely regarded as ineffective, because loneliness is not the same as social isolation. A person may be isolated, but not necessarily lonely.”

“Rather, Loneliness appears to rely on internal process, namely; insecurity, expressive suppression (a reluctance to express oneself), and neuroticism (emotional volatility). Further, loneliness was associated with social withdrawal, suggesting that maintaining social interactions are akin to a greater sense of belonging.”

“The final, and most important take-away, is that left untreated, loneliness leads to serious long-term effects including depression, addiction, and suicide. If you have experienced loneliness long-term, don’t delay treatment, and link with a therapist who can effectively deal with the underlying issues.”

The researchers also found that demographic factors such as gender, income, education, and marital status did not significantly moderate the relationship between psychological traits and loneliness. This suggests that social loneliness may be a universal experience across different backgrounds, driven more by internal dispositions than external circumstances. However, the authors acknowledge that their sample, which was heavily skewed toward young adult psychology students, may not fully capture population-level differences.

When it came to coping strategies, the researchers found partial support for the idea that lonely individuals are more likely to adopt negative behaviors. Withdrawal was linked to loneliness, but only when not accounting for both recent life events and moving. This suggests a threshold effect: people may initially withdraw when lonely, but after a certain point, the drive for social connection could push them to reengage. This interpretation aligns with prior research suggesting that loneliness, like hunger, may eventually prompt adaptive behavior.

“I was surprised that, among those participants higher in loneliness, coping by withdrawing socially was associated with loneliness, but not when controlling for recency effects; i.e., moving house and changing life events,” Facey said. “In other words, more lonely individuals would cope by withdrawing or disengaging socially, but not those who moved to a new town or location, separated from their partner, experienced the death of a significant other, or had a child move out of home in the past six months. In these extreme cases, participants tended to engage more, not less, than usual. It’s these quirks, and the specificity of them, that pique my interest in psychology.”

Despite these insights, the study has limitations. Its sample was small and demographically narrow, which limits the generalizability of the findings. The use of self-report measures also raises the possibility of social desirability bias or inaccuracies in self-perception. Additionally, the study focused solely on social loneliness, leaving out emotional loneliness, which may be influenced by different factors. Future research could explore how these two types of loneliness interact across different age groups and life stages.

“While the study was conducted with all due care, and was peer reviewed, all participants were third year psychology undergraduates,” Facey noted. “In addition, there were only 96 participants, which is statistically sound, but not a lot for a quantitative study. Future studies are called upon to verify and build on the findings. ”

The study, “Determinants of Social Loneliness and Negative Coping Styles of the Socially Lonely,” was authored by Mark A. Facey and Craig P. Speelman.