LONELINESS, DURATION OF LONELINESS, AND REPORTED STRESS SYMPTOMATOLOGY

The correlations between intensity of loneliness, duration of loneline ss, and reported psychological and somatic stress symptoms were examin ed in 195 undergraduate students (100 women and 95 men). Analysis indi cated that intensity and duration of loneliness were significantly cor related and both were also significantly positively correlated with su bjects' reported psychological and somatic stress symptoms. In a force d-entry multiple regression equation predicting over-all stress sympto matology, only duration of loneliness emerged as a significant predict or, while intensity of loneliness did not add significant predictabili ty. For college students, loneliness may be related to a wide array of reported psychological and somatic stress symptoms. It is also sugges ted that the duration of a lonely experience is perhaps a better predi ctor for symptoms of stress than intensity of loneliness.