Friday (17/12) Faculty of Psychology UGM in collaboration with the Center for Public Mental Health (CPMH) held an Online Lecture with the topic “Loneliness and Mental Health”. The topic was brought up by two resource persons who have often filled CPMH Online Lectures, namely Nurul Kusuma Hidayati, M.Psi., Psychologist and Wirdatul Anisa, M.Psi., Psychologist. “The theme has actually been discussed by many parties, especially when we surf on Instagram,” said Nurul at the beginning of the event.
The reason the topic of loneliness is being discussed at this Online Lecture event is because loneliness is not a trivial thing even though it is not a mental disorder. However, loneliness if not taken seriously does not rule out the possibility that it will lead to mental health problems. “Loneliness and mental health are two interrelated things,” explained Nurul.
Loneliness can impair mental health and mental health problems lead to loneliness. There have been many previous studies that have proven that loneliness and mental health have a relationship with each other. Loneliness is always associated with poor sleep quality, depression, personality disorders, until the higher the perceived loneliness, the lower a person’s quality of life.
Loneliness, especially during this pandemic is a phenomenon that often appears, “even an introvert feels lonely in the midst of this pandemic because after all, everyone needs things and wants to develop”, said Nurul.
There are many phenomena of loneliness in various countries, including in Indonesia which reports that students aged 19-22 years feel lonely consequently during isolation during the pandemic.
According to the American Psychological Association or APA, loneliness can be defined as discomfort or anxiety caused by loneliness or the individual’s perception of himself or herself or being alone on an affective and cognitive level. “So, the feeling of loneliness is related to a person’s perception of the relationship they have,” explained Wirdatul. This can explain the phenomenon where a person feels lonely even though he has many friends around him.
There are several things that can be done to overcome loneliness, such as reconstructing negative thoughts behind feelings of loneliness, improving social skills, increasing social support, increasing interactions, including nostalgia. “This is just some advice, if friends have other ways beyond what has been described in overcoming loneliness, then it’s not a problem,” explained Nurul