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Reducing Loneliness through the Power of Practicing Together: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Online Dyadic Socio-Emotional vs. Mindfulness-Based Training

Author

Listed:
  • Hannah Matthaeus

    (Social Neuroscience Lab, Max Planck Society, 10557 Berlin, Germany
    Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 12489 Berlin, Germany)

  • Malvika Godara

    (Social Neuroscience Lab, Max Planck Society, 10557 Berlin, Germany
    Institute of Medical Psychology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany)

  • Sarita Silveira

    (Social Neuroscience Lab, Max Planck Society, 10557 Berlin, Germany)

  • Martin Hecht

    (Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Helmut Schmidt University, 22043 Hamburg, Germany)

  • Manuel Voelkle

    (Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 12489 Berlin, Germany)

  • Tania Singer

    (Social Neuroscience Lab, Max Planck Society, 10557 Berlin, Germany)

Abstract

Loneliness has become a pressing topic, especially among young adults and during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a randomized controlled trial with 253 healthy adults, we evaluated the differential efficacy of two 10-week app-delivered mental training programs: one based on classic mindfulness and one on an innovative partner-based socio-emotional practice (Affect Dyad). We show that the partner-based training resulted in greater reductions in loneliness than the mindfulness-based training. This effect was shown on three measures of loneliness: general loneliness assessed with the 20-item UCLA Loneliness Scale, state loneliness queried over an 8-day ecological momentary assessment in participants’ daily lives, and loneliness ratings required before and after daily practice. Our study provides evidence for the higher efficacy of a mental training approach based on a 12 min practice conducted with a partner in reducing loneliness and provides a novel, scalable online approach to reduce the increasing problem of loneliness in society.

Suggested Citation

  • Hannah Matthaeus & Malvika Godara & Sarita Silveira & Martin Hecht & Manuel Voelkle & Tania Singer, 2024. "Reducing Loneliness through the Power of Practicing Together: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Online Dyadic Socio-Emotional vs. Mindfulness-Based Training," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(5), pages 1-14, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:21:y:2024:i:5:p:570-:d:1386017
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