# Loneliness and depressive symptoms in institutionally isolated Polish adolescents explored through network psychometrics

## TL;DR

This study explores how loneliness relates to depression in Polish adolescents in correctional centers, finding that loneliness is linked to emotional symptoms like sadness and worthlessness.

## Contribution

The study introduces a simplified loneliness measurement method and reveals the unique role of loneliness in the depression symptom network among isolated adolescents.

## Key findings

- Loneliness is directly related to four affective depression symptoms: sadness, worthlessness, anhedonia, and restlessness.
- Loneliness has the least central role in the depression symptom network, differing from prior research findings.
- The method of measuring loneliness (direct/indirect) does not significantly affect its relationship with depressive symptoms.

## Abstract

This research investigates the link between depression and loneliness in 311 adolescents (87.8% boys; Mage=15.8) in Polish Youth Correctional Centres. It focuses on identifying depression symptoms associated with loneliness, understand the centrality of loneliness in the depression symptoms network and examine the effect of various loneliness measurement methods on this relationship. The study reveals that loneliness is directly related to four affective depression symptoms: sadness, worthlessness, anhedonia and restlessness, which subsequently influence somatic symptoms. Unlike in prior research, loneliness has the least central role in the depression symptom network. The loneliness measurement method (direct/indirect) does not significantly impact its relationship with depressive symptoms. The study suggests using a simple loneliness question in network research, which is less burdensome for respondents, and discusses the reasons for the low centrality of loneliness in the network. The results underscore the significance of emotion regulation interventions for isolated adolescents’ well-being.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-025-06541-5.