2017 Theses Doctoral

Loneliness and Emotional Flexibility Deficits in Bereavement

Yan, Oscar Hsin-dar

The current study investigates whether the ability to enhance and suppress emotional facial expressions display cross-sectional associations with feelings of loneliness among spousal bereaved individuals 1.5 to 3 years after a loss. We compare bereaved individuals to a demographically similar married control group to examine whether the relationship between loneliness and emotional expression regulation is moderated by grief after controlling for the effects of relationship satisfaction and symptoms of PTSD/depression. We evaluate three dimensions of loneliness: emotional loneliness, social loneliness, and collective loneliness.