Existential isolation, loneliness, depression, and suicide ideation in young adults

Introduction: The relationships between loneliness, depression, and suicide ideation have been well established in the literature. Yet almost no research has examined how feelings of existential isolation (EI; Yalom, 1980), a form of interpersonal isolation conceptually similar, but distinct from loneliness, relates to depressive symptomology or suicide ideation. Method: Four independent samples of undergraduates completed measures of loneliness, depression (which included a suicide ideation item), and EI. Results: We find EI and loneliness both independently predict depression and suicide ideation, as well as interact to predict greater depression, such that those who are both existentially isolated and lonely report the greatest depression. Moreover, those with both high loneliness and high EI report an average depression that qualifies them for mild clinical depression according to established clinical cutoffs. Discussion: Our findings suggest EI and loneliness may be independent antecedents for depression. Implications for interventions are discussed.