PREDICTING LONELINESS IN UNIVERSITY ENTRANTS: THE ROLE OF PERSONALITY DYSFUNCTION

Abstract

The study aimed at analyzing the correlation between loneliness and dysfunction in personality of the first-year university students’ adjustment from outside of secondary school and enrolling in university. The study utilized a cross-sectional design and recruited 300 first-year university students (i.e., mean age of 18.34 years). Sample size was selected through convenient sampling technique. The students completed the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 Brief Form (PID-5-BF) to assess rates of personality dysfunction and the UCLA Loneliness Scale to measure levels of social isolation. Result for Pearson’s correlation analysis revealed a significant positive relationship between levels of personality dysfunction and loneliness (r = 0.720; p < 0.001) and linear regression analysis of the data showed that personality dysfunction was a predictor of loneliness (β= 0.720; p < 0.001), accounting for 51.8% of the explained variance in loneliness scores. The result of the investigation showed that deterred internal psychological structure and maladaptive traits of personality, including detachment from affect and negative affect, significantly hinder one’s ability to integrate socially within the institution of university. The findings of this research implicate the need for universities to implement frequent targeted psychological screenings and individualized treatments/services designed to reduce feelings and experiences of chronic loneliness and the co-occurring psychiatric comorbidities.