Determination of the Relationship between Family Function and the Loneliness of Children Admitted to Imam Jafar Sadegh Meybod Hospital in 2018

Loneliness is associated with the loss of positive feelings and the emergence of more negative ones during social interactions, as well as poor family functioning.

This study aimed to determine the relationship between family functioning and the loneliness of children admitted to Imam Jafar Sadegh Meybod Hospital in 2018.

This descriptive correlational study was performed on 94 children aged 7-14 years admitted to Imam Jafar Sadegh Meybod Hospital with their mothers. Children were selected through purposeful sampling, and data were collected using the Questionnaire of Family Functioning and the UCLA Loneliness Scale. Data were analyzed using the Pearson correlation coefficient test and the SPSS software (version 22) at a significance level of 0.05.

The results of the Pearson correlation test showed significant negative relationships between loneliness and the problem-solving component (P=0.003, r=-0.30), the relationship component (P=0.012, r=-0.26), the component of emotional companionship (P=0.006, r=-0.28), the component of emotional intercourse (P=0.001, r=-0.43), behavior control component (P=0.001, r=-0.57), and overall family functioning (P=0.001, r=-0.54). On the other hand, there was a significant positive relationship between feelings of loneliness and the roles assigned to children in the family (P=0.001, r=43).

In general, the findings revealed that family functioning and its components are inversely related to children’s sense of loneliness. In other words, the better the family functions, the less children feel loneliness. The results also showed that roles in the family have a direct and strong effect on children’s feelings of loneliness. Therefore, to improve children’s loneliness, we should pay more attention to family functioning.