Socio-Emotional Loneliness Among Alcoholics and Non-Alcoholics

Abstract

Loneliness is an integral part of human existence, with socio-emotional loneliness being one of its distinct dimensions. Easy availability of Alcohol and peer pressure contributes to the progression of alcohol consumption and its associated problems. However, the role of socio-emotional loneliness in the context of alcoholism has not been thoroughly investigated; a few studies have directly compared the loneliness between alcoholics and non-alcoholics. This research paper explores the prevalence of socio-emotional loneliness among individuals undergoing addiction treatment, with a particular focus on alcoholics and compares it to a non-alcoholic group. A total of 100 participants (50 male alcoholics and 50 male non-alcoholics) aged between 20 and 65 were selected using a purposive sampling method. Percentage analysis and the Mann-Whitney U test were used to analyse the data. The results indicated a significant difference in loneliness between alcoholics and non-alcoholics; however, there was no significant difference in loneliness based on marital status. It’s noteworthy that mean scores for loneliness were higher for singles in both alcoholics and non-alcoholics.