Üsküdar University NP Etiler Medical Center Specialist Clinical Psychologist Uluğ Çağrı Beyaz made an assessment on the subject of “loneliness of the youth”, which is one of the results of the Loneliness and Family Research in Turkey conducted by Üsküdar University.
In the survey in which a total of 81 people aged 18-70 participated in 6 provinces of Turkey in November, 100 percent of the young people aged 18-24 stated that they often felt lonely. Specialist Clinical Psychologist Uluğ Çağrı Beyaz said that the feeling of loneliness, which is actually a very subjective experience, is a very nice feeling for some and may mean freedom, while for others, on the contrary, it causes hopelessness and expresses a helpless situation.
“There are many reasons for feeling lonely”
Specialist Clinical Psychologist Uluğ Çağrı Beyaz stated that there may be various reasons for young people to feel lonely, and said, “The inability of the individual to adapt to his/her environment in the face of their expectations, their self-emotions that can change and develop, inability to adapt to transitional periods, problems in family and social life, fear and anxiety of rejection, and traumatic experiences cause them to feel lonely. may cause. Psychological factors such as beliefs of worthlessness and inadequacy, shyness, and social skills are among the important reasons for feeling lonely.
“The feeling of trust in parents is very important”
Noting that modern life can affect individuals' family lives negatively, Uluğ Çağrı Beyaz said, "Working parents may not have enough time to take care of their children and spend time with them, and they may not find enough energy to spare for this. The feeling of trust is one of the most basic needs of the child, which can be formed primarily in the family and on the relationships established with the parents. Disruption of this situation can cause a feeling of loneliness in children.
Uluğ Çağrı Beyaz stated that the researches revealed that loneliness causes many devastating results in young people and said, “This situation affects the instant and long-term adaptation of young people. Young people who feel lonely may experience anxiety and depression as a result of low self-esteem and thoughts about ending their lives. Lonely children may also have difficulties in adapting to life in the later stages of their lives. On this occasion, only children are at risk in terms of getting involved in illegal activities and committing crimes in the future.”
“How to learn to cope with loneliness?”
Noting that loneliness is a feeling that almost everyone can experience, Uluğ Çağrı Beyaz said, "When this situation is noticed, the methods that people put forward to cope with it are very important." said.
While these coping strategies may differ from person to person, Specialist Clinical Psychologist Uluğ Çağrı Beyaz drew attention to the strategies that can be suggested to increase the ability to cope with loneliness, even at a young age, and made the following recommendations:
While these coping strategies may differ from person to person, Specialist Clinical Psychologist Uluğ Çağrı Beyaz drew attention to the strategies that can be suggested to increase the ability to cope with loneliness, even at a young age, and made the following recommendations:
- Directing the child to regular physical or social activities,
- Encouraging and supporting the child who feels lonely so that he can renew his social environment,
- Helping the child's social needs and desires-expectations to be reviewed by talking.
- Planning activities that will enable the child to engage in a creative activity when alone, or demonstrating active solitude by exemplary behavior.
“A supportive and democratic attitude should be taken”
Specialist Clinical Psychologist Uluğ Çağrı Beyaz, who also touched upon the responsibilities of both the family and the teachers regarding the elimination of the loneliness of the child, concluded his words as follows:
“In this regard, it is very important that families and teachers adopt a supportive and democratic attitude instead of a critical, oppressive or protective style in their attitudes and behaviors, so that young people do not feel alone and can be more free and participatory. We can recommend that children gain their social interaction skills, taking the necessary care and preparing the environment for them to interact, planning activities, and increasing their self-esteem by giving children tasks and responsibilities that will enable them to take initiative.”
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