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This paper aims to understand loneliness with a special focus on perceived loneliness using a multifaceted approach.

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this appears to be the first paper dedicated to investigating the perception of loneliness as its primary topic. Unfortunately, not much work is available on this specific focus. However, various facets and dimensions can be integrated to gain a better understanding. Therefore, the author has carefully selected four sections, each focusing on different aspects of loneliness. These sections can contribute to a better understanding of loneliness, keeping in mind its perception.

Section one examines the cognitive processes and self-assessment mechanisms that set lonely individuals apart from their non-lonely counterparts. These include heightened awareness, negative social cue interpretation and increased sensitivity to social threats. Section two examines the predictors of loneliness and associated emotional responses. This includes factors such as emotional responses, attributions, duration and situational variables. Section three challenges conventional definitions of loneliness by introducing social asymmetry. Within this framework, personality traits such as extraversion emerge as resilient against loneliness, even in social isolation. Section four discusses the significant influence of cultural diversity on perceptions of loneliness. Collectivist cultures rely on familial and community support to combat loneliness, whereas individualistic cultures require interventions that promote independence.

This comprehensive examination contributes insights for informing targeted interventions, reinforcing support systems and enhancing our understanding of human connectivity in an increasingly isolated world.

In this chapter, the authors explore the notion of loneliness in the CEO role. Traditionally, leaders are portrayed as possessing plentiful personal and social resources whereas lonely people are portrayed as socially and personally lacking, and so the notion of being lonely in a leadership position seems counterintuitive. The authors explore the elements of the CEO role and discuss the various ways the position can induce or perpetuate loneliness. The authors review the research on loneliness in relation to the CEO role and lay the foundation for future research in this underdeveloped area. The authors propose that loneliness is likely to develop when CEOs either are new to the leadership role or enact negative individual behaviors and might be felt more acutely during times of poor performance, criticism, and difficult decisions. The authors discuss implications and suggestions for future research.

The purpose of this study was to obtain valuable insights into students’ engagement and experiences within the virtual learning environment, especially in the context of crises. Among the innumerable challenges people throughout the world faced during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, those of students in institutions of higher education needing to engage in online academic studies are of special interest. Using an online survey, this study could predict students’ online engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic through three theoretical frameworks: the students’ academic motivation to study, the Big Five personality traits, and loneliness, and with a new tool measuring the participation in the Zoom platform.

To examine the psychological and technological factors predicting the students’ engagement, this study surveyed 547 students from different academic institutions of higher learning.

Findings show that the less lonely the students felt, the less neurotic they were, and the higher they scored in levels of extroversion, agreeableness, consciousnesses and openness to experience, the greater their engagement in their academic studies. In addition, students who were older, more educated, with higher intrinsic motivation and lower lack of motivation were more engaged in their online academic studies. Finally, participating in classes through the Zoom platform and experiencing it positively was a significant predictor of higher academic engagement.

Recognizing these factors can enable educators, institutions of higher learning, counselling services and students to obtain tools for higher engagement in online learning.

Loneliness is widely prevalent in modern society. Despite the growth in studies, very limited studies so far have attempted to systematically review the literature. This study aims to consolidate the antecedents of loneliness by reviewing the literature.

The systematic literature review method is adopted to identify the antecedents. Full texts of each article were taken for analysis which was published from 2002 to 2022. Multiple databases were examined and total of 60 articles were included for systematic literature review.

The study presents the descriptive analysis of the articles. Also, the paper thematically presents the key antecedents of loneliness in three themes (a) Loss of love, (b) Individual cognitive and personal factors and (c) Childhood experiences and parenting practices. The study also highlights the moderating effect of demographic factors and lifestyle changes.

The current study is the first systematic literature review to present the antecedents of loneliness. The study contributes by offering an enhanced understanding of loneliness. Also, the study presents contemporary understanding of loneliness and proposes a conceptual framework. The findings are useful to academicians as well as policymakers.

The entrepreneurial intention of employees refers to the motive of those who work in a company to resign and start their businesses instead of continuing to be wage earners. It is one of the under-studied aspects of entrepreneurship research. Accordingly, this research paper aimed to find out whether perceived person–organization fit was related to the entrepreneurial intentions of employees and whether perceived workplace ostracism and loneliness mediated this process.

A cross-sectional study was conducted to achieve the purpose. The data were collected through a questionnaire technique from a total of 572 employees. Participants were from 20 different provinces of Turkey and 27 different sectors. Hypotheses were tested through the structural equation modeling technique.

Findings indicated that a lack of perceived person–organization fit resulted in entrepreneurial intention. Workplace ostracism resulted in workplace loneliness. Workplace ostracism and loneliness significantly mediated the relationship between perceived person–organization fit and entrepreneurial intention.

To the best of authors’ knowledge, this study was the first to establish and test the relationships between person–organization fit, entrepreneurial intention, workplace ostracism and loneliness. In this regard, findings can benefit researchers and practitioners in better figuring out why some employees leave their companies to start their businesses while others do not.

This paper aims to explore the protective and risk factors involved in student loneliness after the lockdown measures taken limiting social contact during the COVID-19 pandemic in France.

Using a cross-sectional survey methodology, the authors collected data on a sample of 546 students pursuing management education in a French business school in several campuses. Loneliness was measured by the three-item UCLA loneliness scale. Logistic regression analysis examined the factors influencing student loneliness.

The prevalence of loneliness was 23.4%. Risk factors for loneliness were social isolation especially in terms of intensity and isolation from friends (OR: 5.40), having a regular paid activity (OR: 1.62) and not getting academic help from other students (OR: 2.11) or taking meals alone during the lockdowns (OR: 1.94). Being a male student (OR: 0.47), practicing a sport (OR: 0.64) and studying at a specific campus (OR: 0.43) were protective factors.

Understanding protective and risk factors affecting student loneliness helps higher education decision-makers to take the necessary actions to enhance student well-being which have an effect on learning processes.

Loneliness is a major public health concern among students. Knowledge of the determinants for loneliness are limited and this article attempts to augment this by exploring several protective and risk indicators of loneliness among French students.

This study aims to measure the impact of loneliness, physical activity (PA) and self-esteem on the health of retired people and also checks the moderating role of living arrangements and gender of the elderly people on this relationship.

Four standardized scales were used in the study to measure four different constructs: Self-Worth Questionnaire, UCLA Loneliness Scale Version 3, General Health Questionnaire-28 and Physical Activity Scale for Elders. Structural equation modelling was applied to the four constructs.

The study concluded that loneliness has a negative and significant impact on the health of retired people, while self-esteem and PA have a positive and significant impact on their health.

The study is among the few to include multiple instruments to measure abstract parameters in the field of health care. The paper brings out implications not just for academicians but also for policymakers, considering the complex situation prevailing in the emerging economy.

For Lusophones, saudade is a common psychological experience related with the physical separation from loved ones and/or familiar locations. This study aims to examine the relationships between perception of discrimination, adaptation and saudade.

The sample consisted of 655 African migrants from Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau and Mozambique living in Portugal with a mean age of 38 years. The average duration of stay in Portugal was 22 years.

Results indicated that length of residence impacted the difficulties experienced with saudade: respondents with longer lengths of stay in the society of settlement experienced less difficulty with saudade. As predicted, the results indicated that higher perceptions of discrimination and loneliness correlated positively with experienced saudade, while sociocultural adaptation correlated negatively with experienced saudade.

Path analysis was conducted to investigate mediation impacts of sociocultural adjustment and loneliness on the relationship between perception of discriminatory events and difficulty with saudade. This study suggests that sociocultural adaptation and loneliness partially mediated the relation between perception of discrimination and saudade. Notwithstanding the low level of perceived discrimination found in this African background sample, this antecedent plays a relevant role in the saudade experienced. This evidence may be useful in targeting programs to improve sociocultural adjustment and to reduce loneliness which may help to alleviate the difficulty with feeling saudade among African migrants.

The purpose of this paper is to report on a study into the lived experience of skin picking disorder (SPD) and to explore the psychological impact of the disorder.

Researchers employed a qualitative phenomenological approach, using Interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA).

The study found that the sense of shame, common among participants, led to self-stigma, hiding, concealing and avoidance. Shame of SPD also interplayed with and compounded the shame of loneliness.

Limitations included a lack of a longitudinal component to the work. This is deemed important, as both the SPD and the experience of loneliness can shift over time as circumstances change, and individuals develop strategies for coping or, conversely, experience a worsening of the condition and the shame, loneliness and social isolation it can induce.

This study draws attention to the complex nature of both SPD and loneliness. It highlights how those living with the disorder are reluctant to seek help, resulting in low rates of treatment access and distrust in health providers.

As SPD is little understood, it can be erroneously deemed a “choice”; seldom discussed as a condition, it can lead to exclusion and withdrawal. The sense of shame of both appearance and behaviour interplays with and compounds the shame of loneliness and can force the individual into a further cycle of withdrawal and isolation.

While research suggests SPD should be acknowledged as a public health issue, research and literature is still relatively limited, and there are no qualitative phenomenological studies as yet that report on the lived experience of SPD.