Loneliness in North American and Spain

In the present study we examined the influence of cultural background on the experience of loneliness. A total of 637 participants from North America and 454 from Spain volunteered to answer an 82-item questionnaire which examined the quality of their loneliness experiences. The factors which comprise the experience of loneliness are Emotional distress, Social inadequacy and alienation, Growth and discovery, Interpersonal isolation, and Self alienation. Results indicated that cultural background, indeed, affects the experience of loneliness.