Qualitative and output data on loneliness among young adults

Young adults between the ages of 18-24 are the loneliest age-group in the UK and other Western countries yet little is known about the causes and experiences of their loneliness. In particular, young adults of lower socio-economic status (SES) living in the most deprived areas are loneliest in the United Kingdom. Therefore, the aim of the data collected included exploring the causes and experiences of loneliness in young adults with these qualities and circumstances from their own perspective (part 1). The data also includes exploration of how these young adults conceptualise and experience their neighbourhood and how they impact upon their loneliness and social connectedness (part 2). This is qualitative data collected from forty-eight participants between June and August 2019 from 48 participants. A recruitment agency was employed to access the quota sample required. Participants were living in/recruited from four of the most deprived boroughs of London, UK: Newham (n = 16), Hackney (n = 16), Tower Hamlets (n = 16), and Barking & Dagenham (n = 16). There were two parts to the study. Part 1 included the free association task, in which participants were first presented with a piece of paper that contained a grid of four empty boxes and asked to express what they associated with “the experience of loneliness” by way of images and/or words. They were further instructed to elaborate one image/idea per box. After completion of the free association task, participants were asked to elaborate on the content of each box, in turn, in an interview. This started with “can we talk about what you have put in box 1, please?” Prompts such as “can you tell me more about that?” were used to ensure thoughts and feelings about the experience of loneliness were fully explored and emerged naturalistically without injection of content via researcher questioning. The interviews lasted for an average of 60 min. Most interviews took place at the participants’ homes though some at a local café, park or similar places if home was not an option. As for part 2, which was immediately after part 1, participants were asked to write or draw one place in their neighbourhood where they feel most socially connected and one where they feel most lonely. Beneath each of the two places they were further instructed to write what it is about that place that makes them feel the way they do. Participants were then asked to elaborate on the content of the association they had produced in an interview. This began with “can we talk about what you’ve put in box one (for the most socially connected place), please?” Prompts including “can you tell me more about that?” and “how does that make you feel in this space?” were used to ensure respondents’ thoughts and feelings about their chosen places were fully explored and emerged naturalistically without input from the researcher questioning. The same process ensued for the second box asking about the loneliest place. Each interview lasted between 20 and 30 minutes. The corresponding image/output for each participant for both parts 1 and 2 is presented.

18至24岁的青年群体在英国及其他西方国家中，是孤独感最为突出的年龄段，然而关于他们孤独成因与体验的了解却相对匮乏。特别是那些生活在社会经济地位较低、居住条件最恶劣地区的青年，在英国的孤独感尤为强烈。因此，所收集数据的目的是深入探究具有此类特质与背景的青年群体对孤独成因与体验的自我认知（第一部分）。数据还涵盖了这些青年如何构建和体验他们的社区环境，以及这些体验如何影响他们的孤独感和社交联系（第二部分）。这是一项定性研究，数据来源于2019年6月至8月期间招募的48位参与者。为获取所需的配额样本，我们聘请了一家招聘机构。参与者居住在英国伦敦四个最贫困的行政区：新汉姆（n = 16）、哈克尼（n = 16）、塔沃尔哈姆莱特（n = 16）以及贝肯与达根汉姆（n = 16）。研究分为两个部分。第一部分包括自由联想任务，其中参与者首先被呈现一张包含四个空白格子的纸，并被要求通过图像和/或文字表达与“孤独体验”相关的联想。他们被要求在每个格子里表达一个图像/想法。自由联想任务完成后，参与者被要求逐一详细阐述每个格子的内容，通过访谈进行。访谈从“我们可以谈谈您放在第一个格子里的内容吗？”开始。使用如“您可以告诉我更多关于那方面的信息吗？”这样的提示，以确保对孤独体验的思考和感受得到全面而自然的探究，而不受研究者提问的干扰。访谈平均持续60分钟。大多数访谈是在参与者的家中进行的，部分在当地的咖啡馆、公园或其他类似场所进行。至于第二部分，紧随第一部分之后，参与者被要求描绘或描述他们在社区中感到最具社会联系和最孤独的两个地方。在每个地方描述下方，他们被进一步指示写下是什么使得他们产生这样的感受。随后，参与者被要求在访谈中详细阐述他们的联想内容。访谈从“我们可以谈谈您放在第一个格子（最具社会联系的地方）里的内容吗？”开始。使用包括“您可以告诉我更多关于那方面的信息吗？”和“那个空间是如何让您产生这种感觉的？”在内的提示，以确保对所选地点的思考和感受得到全面而自然的探究，而不受研究者提问的干扰。对于第二个格子（最孤独的地方）的询问也遵循同样的流程。每个访谈的时长在20至30分钟之间。每个参与者两部分（第一部分和第二部分）对应的相关图像/输出均予以展示。