title: Contact difficulties and experience of loneliness in depressed patients and non-psychiatric controls.
abstract: Contact difficulties and the experience of loneliness have been studied in a sample of 110 depressed patients and in non-psychiatric controls (n = 98). The results indicate significant differences between these groups. Furthermore, significant correlations between loneliness, contact difficulties and social network variables occurred. The patient sample showed relationships between loneliness and severity of the depressive syndrome.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008132:Loneliness; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012931:Social Environment; D012934:Social Isolation; D012944:Social Support