Self, Social, and Family Perceptions in Relation to Loneliness Controlling for Depression among Individuals with Schizophrenia

Objective: To examine if self, social, and family perceptions would be related to and predicting loneliness independently, as a measure of depression is statistically controlled among 35 hospitalized Filipino adult men (27-44 years old) with schizophrenia. Method: Partial correlations, simple linear regression, and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used. Results: Significant and positive relationships were found among negative self, social, and family perceptions and loneliness without controlling for depression. Depression was the best predictor that explained 25% of the variation in the degree of loneliness and the second best predictor variable was negative self-perceptions, by explaining 24% of the change in loneliness. Based on hierarchical multiple regression analysis holding depression as a covariate, none of the variables including depression indicated a significant predictive relationship to loneliness. Conclusion: Only negative perceptions of self and loneliness were significantly and positively correlated even after controlling for depression. This suggests that negative self-perceptions contribute more to loneliness than depression. This could strengthen the need to focus on self-related issues in the interventions to treat loneliness among persons affected by schizophrenia.