Mapping Existential Loneliness: A Scoping Review on Existential Loneliness/Isolation Conceptualizations and Operationalizations

Mapping Existential Loneliness : A Scoping Review on Existential Loneliness/Isolation Conceptualizations and Operationalizations

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oai:researchportal.hkr.se/admin:publications/24776ed3-e255-4ed2-81fb-3a0dbdd9a9c2URI
https://doi.org/10.1177/00221678231193780DOI

Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2023.
In the last decade, there has been a renewed interdisciplinary interest in the study of existential loneliness (EL) or existential isolation (EI). However, to date, there is still no consensus in the literature on what exactly EL/EI is and how should be measured, resulting in a wide variety of definitions and operationalizations of the experience. Therefore, this scoping review provides an overview of the available terminology, definitions, and operationalizations of EL/EI. As part of the review corpus, a total of 121 reports out of 12 databases were included. In the text, first, an examination of the terms and conceptualizations commonly used to discuss EL/EI is provided. Second, key components of the available definitions in the literature are listed. Third, most common operationalizations of EL/EI are described. Taking this into account, this scoping review sheds light on how the variety of conceptualizations of EL/EI leads to significant differences in the operationalization of the experience, fostering the development of academic niches and the fragmentation of EL/EI scientific knowledge. Thus, this review is an attempt to map commonalities in the EL/EI literature that may enable the reader to understand what exactly it means to explore the existential dimension of loneliness.

Haugan, GørillNorwegian University of Science and Technology,Nord University (author)
Larsson, HelenaFaculty of Health Science,Man - Health - Society (MHS),Department of Nursing and Integrated Health Sciences,Fakulteten för hälsovetenskap,Människa - Hälsa - Samhälle (MHS),Avdelningen för sjuksköterskeutbildningarna och integrerad hälsovetenskap (author)
Saarelainen, Suvi MariaUniversity of Eastern Finland (author)
Duppen, DaanKU Leuven (author)
Dezutter, JessieKU Leuven (author)
KU LeuvenNorwegian University of Science and Technology (creator_code:org_t)

oai:researchportal.hkr.se/admin:publications/24776ed3-e255-4ed2-81fb-3a0dbdd9a9c2
https://doi.org/10.1177/00221678231193780

By the author/editor: Gil Álvarez, Mar; Haugan, Gørill; Larsson, Helena; Saarelainen, Suv ...; Duppen, Daan; Dezutter, Jessie

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