title: Investigating insomnia as a cross-sectional and longitudinal predictor of loneliness: Findings from six samples.
abstract: Loneliness has been repeatedly associated with sleep problems; however, there is a dearth of research examining the prospective relationship between insomnia and loneliness, as well as this association controlling for other psychiatric symptoms. This study evaluated the cross-sectional and prospective relationship between insomnia and loneliness using six samples: 666 undergraduates; 2785 Army recruiters; 208 adults with a history of suicidality and/or depression; 343 adult psychiatric outpatients; 326 young adults at elevated suicide risk; and 183 undergraduates. A meta-analysis also was conducted to examine the magnitude of the relationship between insomnia and loneliness across the six studies. More severe insomnia symptoms were significantly associated with greater feelings of loneliness while accounting for some (e.g., anxiety, nightmares) but not all (i.e., depression) psychiatric covariates. Findings underscore the strength of the association between insomnia and loneliness and suggest that depression may account for this relationship. Additional studies are needed to further establish the temporal relationship between these variables, delineate the role of depression in the association between insomnia and loneliness, and test whether insomnia may confer unique risk for subsequent loneliness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States. Electronic address: hom@psy.fsu.edu.
authors.forename: Melanie A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hom
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, United States.
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Hames
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States.
authors.forename: Lindsay P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Bodell
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States.
authors.forename: Jennifer M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Buchman-Schmitt
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States.
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States.
authors.forename: Megan L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chiurliza
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States.
authors.forename: Matthew S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Michaels
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States.
authors.forename: Jessica D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Ribeiro
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, United States.
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Nadorff
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, United States.
authors.forename: E Samuel
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Winer
authors.affiliation: Office of the Army Surgeon General, Falls Church, VA, United States.
authors.forename: Ingrid C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, United States.
authors.forename: M David
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Rudd
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, United States.
authors.forename: Thomas E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Joiner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D004325:Dreams / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008132:Loneliness / Q000523:psychology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology; D010045:Outpatients / Q000523:psychology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Insomnia; Loneliness; Sleep disturbances; Sleep problems; Thwarted belongingness