The Effect of Self-Esteem on Loneliness in Individuals With Schizophrenia

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of self-esteem on loneliness in persons with schizophrenia. This study was conducted between August 2020 and August 2021 at a community mental health center affiliated with a research and training hospital in Turkey. This was a cross-sectional study that included 100 individuals with schizophrenia. A Descriptive Characteristics Form (DCF), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), and the University of California Los Angeles Loneliness Scale (UCLA-LS) were used for data collection. The individuals' total mean scores were 2.47 ± 1.24 for RSES and 56.42 ± 10.00 for UCLA-LS. A moderate negative correlation was found between these scores ( r = −0.526, P < 0.01). The results revealed that the persons with schizophrenia had a moderate level of self-esteem and a high level of loneliness, possibly indicating that as self-esteem increases, loneliness levels may decrease. [ Psychiatr Ann . 2023;53(9):419–424.]