Researching loneliness : the relevance of mixed-methods approaches

Abstract

The Faculty for Social Wellbeing has recently embarked on a number of initiatives to explore the phenomenon of loneliness in Malta. Following a conference where the Faculty’s documentary, “The Wound of Loneliness” was presented, a research group is preparing to conduct a national study to further investigate the phenomenon. Adopting a mixed-methods approach to researching loneliness is critical, in order to understand both the magnitude of the issue, as well as the personal and contextual factors that are implicated in the experience of loneliness. However, researching such a complex and subjective theme is not without its difficulties. Loneliness has been defined by prominent researchers in the area as “a distressing feeling that accompanies the perception that one’s social needs are not being met by the quantity or especially the quality of one’s social relationships” (Hawkley & Cacciopo, 2010, p. 218). The phenomenon has been largely neglected by social science researchers until the mid-20th century, yet has recently seen a rise in interest due, in part, to studies demonstrating the many negative implications - both physical and psychological - that are associated with prolonged or high levels of loneliness in people’s lives.