Estimation of loneliness in students with visual impairments

Background/Aim. Loneliness is becoming more frequent, especially in young people. Some authors believe that visual impairments increase the risk of loneliness. Empirical data on its manifestation in persons with visual impairments are contradictory. The aim of this research was to determine the degree of loneliness in students with visual impairments and their peers from general population. Methods. A comparative research was conducted on a sample consisting of 36 visually impaired students and 101 students without visual impairments (control group). Students with visual impairments were divided into 3 subgroups with regard to the degree of visual impairments (students with low vision, legally blind, and totally blind students). University of California Los Angeles Loneliness Scale (which assesses the general loneliness) and Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale (which assesses social loneliness, family loneliness, and romantic loneliness) were used in our investigation. Results. The results showed that the general loneliness was significantly lower in the group of students with visual impairments than in the control group (t = 2.121; p = 0.036). There were no significant differences in the Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale between the group with visual impairments and the control group. No significant differences were determined in the level of loneliness among students with a different degree of visual impairments. There are significant differences in the manifestation level of social loneliness, family loneliness, and romantic loneliness (Wilk's lambda = 0.604; p <= 0.000) in the group of students with visual impairments. Romantic loneliness was manifested the most, followed by social loneliness, while family loneliness was the least manifested. Conclusion. With regard to the results of our research, visual impairment alone is not a crucial factor of loneliness in students with visual impairments. Further studies on protective factors of loneliness can contribute to its prevention in young people with visual impairments.