Loneliness and Social Dissatisfaction in Irish Children

Loneliness is a common condition that whilst being widely experienced is neglected as a focus for research. Perceived by many as a problem experienced by the elderly, scant attention has been paid to the preponderance and severity of this condition amongst other population groups, such as children. The past decade has however seen a growing body of research into loneliness experienced by persons with learning disabilities, whom have been found to report greater levels of both loneliness and peer rejection than their non-disabled peers (Pearl, 1992; Marglit & Ben Dov, 1995). It has been defined as "a sense of deprivation in one's social relationships " (Murphy and Kupshik, 1992, p3) and as the psychological state that results from discrepancies between a person's desired and actual relationships (Peplau & Periman, 1982). Rook (1984), on the other hand defined it as "an enduring condition of emotional distress that arises when a person feels estranged from, misunderstood, or rejected by others and/or lacks appropriate social partners for desired activities, particularly activities that provide a sense of social integration and opportunities for emotional intimacy"(p1391). Beck & Young (1978) identified three types of loneliness, chronic, arising from social