Degree

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Psychology

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

Depression and loneliness are among the most pressing mental health concerns in the United States, yet their relationship remains incompletely understood. Research has extensively examined social-emotional, or general, loneliness. However, existential loneliness (EL), the felt sense of being fundamentally alone in one's existence, has remained on the theoretical periphery. This study examined EL as a meaningfully distinct dimension of loneliness and explored its unique relationship with depressive symptoms in a sample of 301 U.S. adults recruited via Prolific. A joint exploratory factor analysis confirmed that EL and general loneliness are empirically separable dimensions of loneliness. Regression analyses revealed that EL and general loneliness were both strong predictors of depressive symptoms. However, when both variables were entered into a regression model simultaneously, EL effectively suppressed the association between general loneliness and depression. The differentiation between EL and general loneliness carries important theoretical and applied significance. Loneliness is typically conceptualized as a problem of social disconnection or dysfunction, but the current study suggests that for many people, the distress that accompanies loneliness may reflect deeper existential experiences. Expansion of loneliness models to address EL directly may better capture the complexity of loneliness, inform the development of more effective interventions, and ultimately reshape how we conceptualize and respond to deeper dimensions of human distress.

Date

2-6-2026

DOI

https://proquest.com/docview/3347843193

First Committee Chair

David Perkins

First Committee Member

Emily Sandoz

Second Committee Member

Mark LaCour

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