‘Lonesome town’? Is loneliness associated with the residential environment, including housing and neighbourhood factors?

Kearns, A. , Whitley, E. , Tannahill, C. and Ellaway, A. (2015) ‘Lonesome town’? Is loneliness associated with the residential environment, including housing and neighbourhood factors? Journal of Community Psychology, 43(7), pp. 849-867. (doi: 10.1002/jcop.21711) (PMID:26740728) (PMCID:PMC4699260)

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Abstract

This article considers whether feelings of loneliness are associated with aspects of the home and neighborhood of residence. Multinominal logistic regression models were used to explore associations between residential environment and loneliness in 4,000 residents across deprived areas of Glasgow. People who rated their neighborhood environment of higher quality and who used more local amenities were less likely to report loneliness. Respondents who knew more people within the local area were less likely to report loneliness. Those who reported more antisocial behavior problems, who had a weak perception of collective efficacy, and who felt unsafe walking alone at nighttime were more likely to report loneliness. Length of residence and dwelling type were not associated with reported loneliness. The findings indicate the potential importance of several dimensions of the neighborhood physical, service, and social environment, including aspects of both quality and trust, in protecting against or reducing loneliness in deprived areas.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Ellaway, Dr Anne and Kearns, Professor Ade and Whitley, Dr Elise and Tannahill, Dr Carol
Authors: Kearns, A., Whitley, E., Tannahill, C., and Ellaway, A.
College/School:College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Health & Wellbeing > MRC/CSO SPHSU
College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Health & Wellbeing > Mental Health and Wellbeing
College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Urban Studies
Journal Name:Journal of Community Psychology
Publisher:Wiley Periodicals Inc.
ISSN:0090-4392
ISSN (Online):1520-6629
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2014 Wiley Periodicals Inc.
First Published:First published in Journal of Community Psychology 43(7):849-867
Publisher Policy:Reproduced under a Creative Commons License

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Project CodeAward NoProject NamePrincipal InvestigatorFunder's NameFunder RefLead Dept
656631Neighbourhoods and HealthAnne EllawayMedical Research Council (MRC)MC_UU_12017/8IHW - MRC/CSO SPHU