Who are the lonely? A typology of loneliness in New Zealand

Background: Loneliness has many negative physical and mental health ramifications and is most prevalent among vulnerable social groups. However, little is known about how loneliness is grouped within the population and the characteristics of those groups. Methods: We conducted a Latent Profile Analysis on 18,264 participants from the fifth wave of the New Zealand Attitudes and Values Study to identify the number of distinct loneliness profiles in the population. Secondary analyses then determined the representation of various demographic and psychosocial characteristics of participants within each profile. Results: Analyses identified four distinct loneliness profiles: ‘high-loneliness’ (5.7%), ‘low-loneliness’ (57.9%), ‘appreciated outsiders’ (29.1%; who received acceptance from others but felt like social outsiders) and ‘superficially connected’ (7.2%; who showed the opposite pattern). ‘High-loneliness’ were the most introverted, emotionally unstable and poorest in wellbeing. ‘Appreciated outsiders’ and ‘superficially connected’ had moderate wellbeing, but ‘appreciated outsiders’ were relatively higher in wellbeing despite greater introversion and neuroticism. Conclusion: This research provides a typology of loneliness in New Zealand and identifies groups more likely to experience loneliness. The ‘appreciated outsiders’ and ‘superficially connected’ profiles provide fresh insight into how loneliness may manifest and the relative influences of quality and quantity of social contacts on wellbeing.