Associations between crowded loneliness, difficulties in emotion regulation, and individual–social responsibility

This study investigates how crowded loneliness influences difficulties in emotion regulation and individual–social responsibility among employees working in non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Istanbul. Crowded loneliness, which gained national attention after being selected as Türkiye’s Word of the Year in 2024, reflects the growing impact of digital environments that foster superficial connections and deepen emotional isolation. Using a relational survey model, data were collected from 385 NGO employees in 2025. Findings indicate that crowded loneliness is positively associated with both difficulties in emotion regulation and individual–social responsibility, although the relationships are weak in magnitude. Younger participants reported higher levels of crowded loneliness and greater difficulties in emotion regulation. In addition, male participants reported higher levels of difficulties in emotion regulation. Overall, the study shows that crowded loneliness contributes to meaningful yet limited variations in key psychosocial characteristics among NGO employees.