"I am a Lonely Bird:" Psalm 102 and the Psychology of Loneliness

Already an urgent issue before the Covid-19 pandemic, the reality of loneliness became plain to see especially during the lockdowns and social protocols of those years. What we understand about this social phenomenon, however, is often as vague as the biblical assessment that lonely living is "not good" (Genesis 2:18). My study expands and explains what the Bible has to say on the topic (1) by identifying other relevant texts about loneliness, (2) by studying the imagery of the "lonely bird" in Psalm 102, and (3) by bringing these insights into conversation with contemporary psychological research. Their differences notwithstanding, I will show that the ancient psalm and modern psychology join their voices in portraying loneliness as a liminal and lethal force. Inasmuch as the struggle of articulation and acknowledgement hinders many from seeking support, the first-person poetry of the "lonely bird" in Psalm 102 can give language to human experience, break false assumptions, provide companionship, and pave the way towards a new-found freedom. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Biblical Theology Bulletin is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Examining the Public Messaging on 'Loneliness' over Social Media: An Unsupervised Machine Learning Analysis of Twitter Posts over the Past Decade.

Loneliness is an issue of public health significance. Longitudinal studies indicate that feelings of loneliness are prevalent and were exacerbated by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. With the advent of new media, more people are turning to social media platforms such as Twitter and Reddit as well as online forums, e.g., loneliness forums, to seek advice and solace regarding their health and well-being. The present study therefore aimed to investigate the public messaging on loneliness via an unsupervised machine learning analysis of posts made by organisations on Twitter. We specifically examined tweets put out by organisations (companies, agencies or common interest groups) as the public may view them as more credible information as opposed to individual opinions. A total of 68,345 unique tweets in English were posted by organisations on Twitter from 1 January 2012 to 1 September 2022. These tweets were extracted and analysed using unsupervised machine learning approaches. BERTopic, a topic modelling technique that leverages state-of-the-art natural language processing, was applied to generate interpretable topics around the public messaging of loneliness and highlight the key words in the topic descriptions. The topics and topic labels were then reviewed independently by all study investigators for thematic analysis. Four key themes were uncovered, namely, the experience of loneliness, people who experience loneliness, what exacerbates loneliness and what could alleviate loneliness. Notably, a significant proportion of the tweets centred on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on loneliness. While current online interactions are largely descriptive of the complex and multifaceted problem of loneliness, more targeted prosocial messaging appears to be lacking to combat the causes of loneliness brought up in public messaging.

Consumer loneliness: A systematic review and research agenda.

Treading on the heels of the spread of the coronavirus, the "loneliness virus" has been capturing territories globally. Consumers are not immune to loneliness. Although academics and the general public have recognized the devastating effects of loneliness, the academic attention given to consumer loneliness (CL) is scattered and fragmentary. The purpose of this article is to systematically review the antecedents (predictors and alleviators) and consequences (consumer behaviors, emotions, preferences, attitudes, and cognition) of CL in various consumption contexts. This review also presents findings on CL as a mediator and moderator in consumer studies. This work adds to the growing body of CL literature by synthesizing the existing findings and knowledge. More importantly, we present a future research agenda by linking CL to significant research lines and detailed implications for practitioners in the marketplace.

Virtual Intervention for Caregivers of Persons With Lewy Body Dementia: Pilot Quasi-Experimental Single-Arm Study.

BACKGROUND: Compared to other types of dementia, family caregivers of people with Lewy body dementia (LBD) report higher stress levels and more severe depressive symptoms. Although several digital support interventions for caregivers of persons with dementia exist, few target LBD specifically or leverage a fully remote and asynchronous approach suitable for pandemic circumstances. OBJECTIVE: We performed a pilot evaluation of a digital intervention designed to help caregivers of people with LBD address challenges they have experienced, with the end goal of reducing psychological distress in this population. METHODS: We recruited 15 family caregivers of people with LBD to participate in the quasi-experimental, single-arm, mixed methods study titled Virtual Online Communities for Aging Life Experience-Lewy Body Dementia (VOCALE-LBD). The study offers an 8-week web-based intervention that uses a digital discussion platform and involves moderation, peer-to-peer support, didactic training, and problem-solving skill enactment. RESULTS: Participants' baseline characteristics were the following: mean age 66 (SD 8) years; 14 of 15 (93%) of them were female; all (15/15, 100%) were White; and 8 (53%) of them had at least a postgraduate degree. Throughout the intervention, participants engaged in weekly web-based discussions, generating a total of 434 posts (average 4 posts per week). Attrition was 20% (3/15). Upon study exit, participants showed the following average improvements: 3.0 (SD 6.0) in depression, 8.3 (SD 16.7) in burden, 2.9 (SD 6.8) in stress, and 0.3 (SD 0.8) in loneliness. When looking at the proportion of participants with clinically significant improvement versus those with a worsening of ≥0.5 SD for each outcome, we observed net improvements of 50% (6/12), 33% (4/12), 25% (3/12), and 25% (3/12) in depression, loneliness, burden, and stress, respectively. In terms of the benefits of participation, participants reported that participation helped them "a great deal" to (1) improve their understanding of LBD (9/12, 75%), (2) gain confidence in dealing with difficult behaviors of the care recipient (6/12, 50%), and (3) improve in one's abilities to provide care to the care recipient (4/12, 33%). CONCLUSIONS: The study generated promising feasibility and preliminary efficacy data for a low-cost, web-based intervention designed for caregivers of persons with LBD. Though the study was not powered for significance, we observed nominal average and net improvements in important psychological outcomes. Moreover, many caregivers reported that study participation helped them better understand the disease, feel more confident in dealing with difficult behaviors of the care recipient, and improve their ability to care for the care recipient. If validated in future studies, the intervention could be an accessible, on-demand resource for caregivers, enabling them to engage in moderated remote discussions with peers at their own convenience in terms of location, time of the day, and frequency.

The Factors Associated With Nonuse of Social Media or Video Communications to Connect With Friends and Family During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Older Adults: Web-Based Survey Study.

BACKGROUND: Digital technologies have enabled social connection during prolonged periods of physical distancing and travel restrictions throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. These solutions may exclude older adults, who are at higher risk for social isolation, loneliness, and severe outcomes if infected with SARS-CoV-2. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated factors associated with nonuse of social media or video communications to connect with friends and family among older adults during the pandemic's first wave. METHODS: A web-based, cross-sectional survey was administered to members of a national retired educators' organization based in Ontario, Canada, between May 6 and 19, 2020. Respondents (N=4879) were asked about their use of social networking websites or apps to communicate with friends and family, their internet connection and smartphone access, loneliness, and sociodemographic characteristics. Factors associated with nonuse were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression. A thematic analysis was performed on open-ended survey responses that described experiences with technology and virtual connection. RESULTS: Overall, 15.4% (751/4868) of respondents did not use social networking websites or apps. After adjustment, male gender (odds ratio [OR] 1.60, 95% CI 1.33-1.92), advanced age (OR 1.88, 95% CI 1.38-2.55), living alone (OR 1.68, 95% CI 1.39-2.02), poorer health (OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.04-1.71), and lower social support (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.20-1.71) increased the odds of nonuse. The reliability of internet connection and access to a smartphone also predicted nonuse. Many respondents viewed these technologies as beneficial, especially for maintaining pre-COVID-19 social contacts and routines, despite preferences for in-person connection. CONCLUSIONS: Several factors including advanced age, living alone, and low social support increased the odds of nonuse of social media in older adults to communicate with friends and family during COVID-19's first wave. Our findings identified socially vulnerable subgroups who may benefit from intervention (eg, improved access, digital literacy, and telephone outreach) to improve social connection.

Association between loneliness and acceptance of using robots and pets as companions among older Chinese immigrants during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVES: To examine loneliness experienced by middle-aged and older Chinese immigrants and its association with accepting technology as a companion (apps, Internet and robots) versus owning pets, when social distancing measures were implemented in New Zealand during the first COVID-19 outbreak. METHODS: This study conducted a community-based cross-sectional survey. Chinese immigrants who were 45-87 years old (n = 173) were invited to answer an online survey in the Chinese language, collecting demographic data, responses to the 6-item De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale and experiences in using technology and pet ownership. Descriptive analyses and inferential statistics tests were utilised in the data analysis. RESULTS: A moderate level of overall loneliness with a mean score of 3.68 (SD 1.84), ranging from 0 to 6, was reported by participants. Emotional and social loneliness ranged from 0 to 3 with mean scores of 1.69 (SD 0.98) and 1.99 (SD 1.24), respectively. Self-reported health, financial status, English language abilities, transportation and experiences of using the Internet and apps were significantly related to experiencing loneliness. Loneliness had a weak association with acceptance of robots and pets, but 67.8% and 58.3% of participants who felt lonely, accepted companionship of robots and pets, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The level of loneliness among older and middle-aged immigrants increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further evidence of the specific dimensions of loneliness and the utility of technology to alleviate loneliness among immigrant groups is needed. Interventions tailored for older people with specific cultural requirements to address loneliness are needed.

Loneliness in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic: Prevalence, correlates and association with mental health.

Loneliness, which is increasingly recognised as an important public health problem, may have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic in the wake of social distancing measures. This study examined loneliness in Japan during the ongoing pandemic and its association with mental health. Cross-sectional online survey data that were collected at monthly intervals from April to December 2020 were analysed. Loneliness was assessed with the Three-Item Loneliness Scale. Information was also obtained on depressive (PHQ-9) and anxiety (GAD-7) symptoms. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine associations. For the combined sample (N = 9000), 41.1% of the respondents were categorised as lonely when using ≥ 6 as a cutoff score, and 16.5% when the cutoff was ≥ 7. The prevalence of loneliness changed little across the period. Younger age, male sex and socioeconomic disadvantage (low income, deteriorating financial situation, unemployment) were associated with loneliness. In fully adjusted analyses, loneliness was linked to depressive (odds ratio [OR]: 5.78, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.08-6.57) and anxiety symptoms (OR: 5.34, 95% CI: 4.53-6.29). Loneliness is prevalent in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic and associated with socioeconomic disadvantage and poorer mental health. A focus on loneliness as a public health issue in Japan is now warranted.

Influence of Attachment Anxiety on the Relationship between Loneliness and Depression among Long-Term Care Residents.

BACKGROUND: Attachment styles influence an individual's ability to maintain relationships throughout their lifespan. Insecure attachment has been associated with many aspects of mental health. The study aimed to explore the influence of attachment on loneliness and depression among old-age residents in long-term care facilities. METHODS: A survey was conducted among residents from long term care facilities (LTC) in Thailand during the COVID-19 pandemic; 221 older people participated in the study. The mean aged was 73.60 ± 7.45 years old, and 57.5% female. All participants completed the Geriatric Depression Scale, the six-item revised version of the University of California Los Angeles Loneliness Scale, and the Revised Experience of Close Relationships questionnaire to measure depressive symptoms, loneliness, and attachment style. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was performed to find the predictors for depressive symptoms. RESULTS: In all, 40.7% of residents in LTC facilities experienced depression. Male sex, education, loneliness, and attachment anxiety predicted the increased level of depressive symptoms. CONCLUSION: Loneliness was confirmed to be significantly associated with depressive symptoms, and attachment anxiety was found to be a strong predicting factor of depressive symptoms. Intervention and research regarding reducing loneliness and attachment anxiety should be promoted in LTC settings.

Are biased interpretations of ambiguous social and non-social situations a precursor, consequence or maintenance factor of youth loneliness?

Loneliness is common in youth, with suggestions that these negative emotions confer vulnerability for anxiety and depression. Here, we investigated for the first time whether, consistent with psychological models of loneliness, biased interpretations of social situations could prospectively predict loneliness in youth. 104 young people completed measures of loneliness and interpretations of ambiguous social and non-social (bodily or health-related) situations at three time-points with intervals of three months between each. As government-imposed social distancing measures (to control the COVID-19 outbreak) occurred between Times 2 and 3 (but not between Times 1 and 2), this enabled us to assess whether restricted social activity could provoke greater predictive power of biased interpretational styles on loneliness. Using cross-lagged panel models, we showed that after estimating paths representing within-time across-variable ("concurrent") paths and across-time within-variable ("stability") paths, there were no significant cross-lag 'causal' paths between earlier interpretational style and later loneliness. Between Time 2 and 3, we demonstrated a significant cross-lag 'consequential' path between earlier loneliness and later threatening interpretations of social situations, but this became non-significant after controlling for concurrent anxiety and depression. Biased interpretational style may reflect a concurrent maintenance factor of youth loneliness.

The Impact of a Digital Intervention (Happify) on Loneliness During COVID-19: Qualitative Focus Group.

BACKGROUND: Loneliness is a growing area of concern, attracting attention as a public health concern due to its association with a variety of psychological and physical health problems. However, interventions targeting loneliness are less common than interventions for other mental health problems, such as depression and anxiety, and existing interventions focus primarily on building social skills and increasing opportunities for social interaction despite research suggesting these techniques are not the most effective. Furthermore, although there is an increasing need for scalable and convenient interventions, digital interventions for loneliness are even less common. OBJECTIVE: Using a qualitative approach, we explore how adults (18-64 years of age) who express wanting to be more connected to others experience loneliness and react to a digital mental health intervention targeting loneliness. METHODS: A total of 11 participants were recruited from a pilot randomized controlled trial exploring the impact of a digital mental health intervention, Happify Health, on loneliness among adults aged 18-64 years who indicated wanting to feel more connected to others when signing up for the platform. Participants were invited to participate in a 3-day asynchronous focus group about their experiences with loneliness, with Happify Health, and with social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. All 11 participants completed the focus group in May 2020. RESULTS: Participants' responses were coded using thematic analysis, which led to identifying five themes, each with separate subthemes, that could be applied across the 3-day focus group: loneliness, relationships, social distancing, skill acquisition, and coping. Overall, we observed variability across participants in terms of the source of their loneliness, their perceptions of their social connections, and their motivation to reduce feelings of loneliness; however, participants commonly referred to negative self-perceptions as a cause or consequence of loneliness. Participants also varied in the extent to which they felt social distancing increased or decreased feelings of loneliness. In regard to the intervention, participants showed evidence of adopting skills they used to address their loneliness, particularly mindfulness and gratitude, and then using these skills to shift toward more active coping strategies following the intervention, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: The heterogeneity in participants' experiences with loneliness described during this focus group emphasizes the subjective and complex nature of loneliness. This highlights the importance of developing loneliness interventions that use a variety of strategies, including both direct and indirect strategies for reducing loneliness. However, based on our data, a key component to loneliness interventions is incorporating strategies for addressing underlying negative self-perceptions that stem from, but also contribute to, loneliness. This data also provides preliminary evidence that digital platforms may be an effective tool for disseminating loneliness interventions while providing the added benefit of offering a productive distraction when feeling lonely.

Mental health problems and social supports in the COVID-19 healthcare workers: a Chinese explanatory study.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread rapidly in China and other overseas areas, which has aroused widespread concern. The sharp increase in the number of patients has led to great psychological pressure on health care workers. The purpose of this study was to understand their mental health status and needs, so as to provide a scientific basis for alleviating the psychological pressure of health care workers. METHODS: Using a cross-sectional study design, 540 health care workers were randomly selected from two designated tuberculosis medical institutions in Anhui Province. The basic situation, perceived social support, depression level, loneliness and COVID-19 related knowledge were collected and analyzed by questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 511 valid questionnaires were finally retrieved. There were 139 people in epidemic prevention and control positions (27.20%). Depression level: People in isolation ward, fever clinic and pre-check triage were at the level of mild to moderate depression. Female was higher than male; nurse was higher than doctor; middle and junior job titles were higher than senior titles; junior college degree or below were higher than bachelor's degree, master's degree and above; isolation ward, fever clinic and pre-check triage were significantly higher than those of non-prevention and control positions (p < 0.05). Loneliness scores: Doctors were higher than that of medical technicians, and isolation ward, fever clinic and pre-check triage were higher than those of other medical departments (p < 0.05). Social support: Doctors were lower than that of medical technicians, and isolation ward, fever clinic and pre-check triage were significantly lower than those of other departments (p < 0.05). The score of social support was negatively correlated with depression and loneliness (p < 0.001), while depression was positively correlated with loneliness (p < 0.001). Health care workers most want to receive one-to-one psychological counseling (29.75%), and provide crisis management (24.07%). The awareness rate of health care workers on COVID-19's knowledge was relatively high. CONCLUSIONS: The psychological problems of health care workers, especially women, nurses with low educational background, low professional title, and staff in the epidemic prevention and control positions are relatively serious.

Rise of 'Lonely' Consumers in the Post-COVID-19 Era: A Synthesised Review on Psychological, Commercial and Social Implications.

Loneliness is a pervasive problem recognised as a serious social issue, and the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated loneliness to greater prominence and concern. We expect a rise of a massive group of 'lonely' consumers who are deeply entrenched in the social isolation caused by COVID-19. There is an urgent need to revisit the phenomenon of lonely consumers to better prepare academic researchers, public policy makers and commercial managers in the post-COVID-19 era. Thus, this study conducts a synthesised review on past studies of lonely consumers. Based on an inductive analysis of 56 articles, 74 key themes are identified. These key themes are further categorised into five major clusters by way of a co-occurrence network analysis. Respectively, the five clusters address the psychological implications related to the dynamics between nonhuman attachment and consumers' loneliness, the commercial implications related to the paradoxical motivations of affiliation and self-affirmation in product selection and the dual information processing mechanism in response to advertisement appeals, and the social implications related to consumers' well-being in an ageing society and the anthropomorphic companionship in a virtual world. A list of research questions is proposed that concludes the review study.

Loneliness and COVID-19 preventive behaviours among Japanese adults.

BACKGROUND: There is some evidence that loneliness may be linked to poorer health behaviours. Despite this, there has been little research to date on the relationship between loneliness and COVID-19 preventive behaviours. We studied these associations in a sample of the Japanese population. METHODS: Data were analysed from an online survey of 2000 adults undertaken in April and May 2020. Loneliness was assessed with the Three-Item Loneliness Scale. Information was also collected on 13 COVID-19 preventive behaviours. Regression analyses were used to examine associations. RESULTS: In linear regression models adjusted for demographic and mental health variables, both dichotomous and continuous loneliness measures were negatively associated with engaging in COVID-19 preventive behaviours. Logistic regression analyses further showed that loneliness was also associated with reduced odds for a variety of individual preventive behaviours including wearing a mask (odds ratio [OR]: 0.77, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.62-0.95), disinfecting hands (OR: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.67-0.94) and social distancing when outdoors (OR: 0.75, 95% CI: 0.61-0.92). CONCLUSIONS: Loneliness is associated with lower engagement in COVID-19 preventive behaviours. Interventions to prevent or ameliorate loneliness during the ongoing pandemic may be important in combating the spread of the coronavirus.