How Childhood Neglect Affects Later Life Loneliness

Sample size: 169 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Tavares Karina, Barbera Gina, Tsotsoros Cindy

Primary Institution: University of Rhode Island

The type of neglect experienced in childhood and the age at which it occurs affects later-life loneliness.

Experiencing both emotional and physical neglect in childhood significantly increases the risk of loneliness in later life.

Individuals who experience neglect within the first eighteen years of life are at increased risk for loneliness later in life.
Neglect was categorized into three groups: emotional neglect, physical neglect, and both emotional and physical neglect.
Age of first experienced neglect was categorized into three groups: ages 0−5, 6−11, and 12−18 years.
Those who experience both emotional and physical neglect experience the highest levels of later-life loneliness.
The model accounted for 9.8% of the variance in loneliness when including both age and neglect.

If kids are neglected, especially in both emotional and physical ways, they might feel very lonely when they grow up.

The study used a subsample of women who reported experiencing neglect and assessed their loneliness using questionnaires.

Women aged 18−86 who reported experiencing at least one form of neglect.

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