Hyland, Philip and McGinty, Gráinne and Karatzias, Thanos and Murphy, Jamie and Vallières, Frédérique and McHugh Power, Joanna (2018) Can the REBT Explain Loneliness? Theoretical and clinical applications. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 48 (1). pp. 38-59. ISSN 1650-6073

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Abstract

Loneliness is a common psychological experience affecting a significant minority of the general population. Loneliness may in part be related to the existence of dysfunctional cognitive evaluations. To date, however, loneliness has yet to be explicitly assessed within a cognitive-behavioural theoretical framework. The current study sought to determine the association between negative cognitions, within the context of Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT), and the experience of loneliness. A multinational sample of university students (n = 397) completed self-report assessments of rational and irrational beliefs, and loneliness. Structural equation modelling results found that the REBT model of psychopathology, and the REBT model of psychological health, provided satisfactory representations of loneliness, explaining 36% and 23% of variance in loneliness, respectively. Several dysfunctional (“Demandingness”, “Catastrophising” and “Self-Downing” beliefs) and functional (“Preferences” and “Self-Acceptance” beliefs) cognitions were directly and indirectly associated with loneliness. These results highlight that cognitions and loneliness are meaningfully related, and indicate that cognitive-behavioural models may be useful in understanding loneliness. More specifically, current results suggest that REBT may offer a viable psychotherapeutic approach to treating loneliness.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	This is the postprint version of the published article, which is available at: Philip Hyland, Gráinne McGinty, Thanos Karatzias, Jamie Murphy, Frédérique Vallières & Joanna McHugh Power (2019) Can the REBT theory explain loneliness? Theoretical and clinical applications, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 48:1, 39-51, DOI: 10.1080/16506073.2018.1475505
Keywords:	Loneliness; cognitive behaviour therapy; CBT; Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy; REBT; structural equation modelling; SEM;
Academic Unit:	Faculty of Science and Engineering > Psychology
Item ID:	13725
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1080/16506073.2018.1475505
Depositing User:	Philip Hyland
Date Deposited:	04 Dec 2020 16:29
Journal or Publication Title:	Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
Publisher:	Routledge
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	Publisher
Use Licence:	This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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