Loneliness in Indonesian adolescents: Associations with quantity and quality of friendship and status within and between peer groups

Abstract

Loneliness is a perceived discrepancy between desired and experienced social relationships that may arise from lack of intimate attachment to another person (e.g., friend) or lack of involvement in larger networks (e.g., peer groups). This study assessed how multiple aspects of friendship and peer group involvement were associated with Indonesian adolescents’ self‐reported loneliness. Participants were 754 twelfth‐grade Indonesian students (413 girls, Mage = 16.5 years). Reciprocated friendships were calculated from within‐grade nominations and both dyadic members rated the quality of their friendship. Peer groups were generated from Social Cognitive Mapping (SCM) and within‐group centrality and group visibility were determined using SCM. Group popularity was derived using peer nominations. A Structural Equation Model revealed that multiple aspects of friendship and group involvement, except for friend‐rated friendship quality, were concurrently associated with loneliness. An interaction between within‐group centrality and group popularity was found for boys, suggesting that being central in a group may be more important for boys in low‐status than those in high‐status groups. The results revealed that quantity and quality of friendship as well as position in the peer group and status of the peer group were associated with loneliness. The comparable associations of loneliness with aspects of friendship and group involvement may be a function of Indonesian culture in which both group involvement and friendships are valued.