Loneliness, Stress and Well-Being: A Helper's Guide

137 Pages·1992·1.03 MB·English

by  P. M. Murphy

Loneliness, stress and well-being
Loneliness can be a terrible experience and can often contribute to a range of
psychological difficulties. Yet, surprisingly, counsellors, therapists and other professional
helpers are rarely taught how to help their clients cope with loneliness. Written specially
for professional helpers, Loneliness, Stress and Well-being provides a thorough
background to theories concerning the nature of loneliness and a basic introduction to its
management.
The authors, who have extensive experience of treating both interpersonal and
psychological difficulties, provide a new hierarchical perspective on the nature of social
difficulties and describes a simple method of assessing the degree and nature of the
client’s loneliness. They provide the helper with practical strategies for helping clients
manage their social problems, going beyond the traditional skills training approaches by
introducing a multi-level intervention, including thought management and interpersonal
problem-solving.
Essential reading for anyone whose clients have difficulties in establishing or
maintaining social relationships, the book will be of particular value to counsellors,
community nurses, psychologists and social workers.
P.M.Murphy and G.A.Kupshik are both chartered psychologists. They have
extensive clinical experience in treating interpersonal and psychological difficulties.
Loneliness, stress and well-being
A helper’s guide
P.M.Murphy and G.A.Kupshik

Tavistock/Routledge
London and New York
First published 1992 by Routledge 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2006.
“To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s collection of
thousands of eBooks please go to http://www.ebookstore.tandf.co.uk/.”
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge a division of Routledge,
Chapman and Hall, Inc. 29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001
© 1992 P.M.Murphy and G.A.Kupshik
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or
by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission
in writing from the publishers.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data Murphy, P.M. 1957– Loneliness, stress and well-
being: a helper’s guide. 1. Loneliness I. title II. Kupshik, G.A. 1959– 158.2
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Murphy, P.M. (Philip Michael), 1957–
Loneliness, stress and well-being: a helper’s guide/ P.M.Murphy and G.A.Kupshik. p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Loneliness. 2. Adjustment (Psychology) 3.
counseling. I. Kupshik, G.A. (Gary Allan), 1959– . II. Title. III. Title: Loneliness, stress, and well-
being. BF575.L7M87 1991 91–12539 155.92–dc20 CIP
ISBN 0-203-13626-8 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN 0-203-17771-1 (Adobe e-Reader Format)
ISBN 0-415-01450-6 (hbk)
ISBN 0-415-07032-5 (pbk)
To friends and family who help us to cope
Contents

List of figures and tables viii
Preface x

Duncan Cramer

Part I Theoretical perspectives

1 What is loneliness? Defining a model 3

2 Why people need people 12

3 Inter-personal and intra-personal differences in social needs 26

4 Loneliness and social support theory 37

5 Loneliness and health 44

6 Measuring loneliness 48

Part II Practical approaches

7 Helping people to overcome loneliness 62

8 Teaching new social rules 70

9 Maintaining and deepening relationships 78

10 Managing the thoughts that promote loneliness 86

Appendices 96
References 106
Index 114
Figures and tables
FIGURES
1 Three factor model of loneliness 11
2 Sample of the hierarchy of social needs and its resources 23
3 Conceptual framework for exploring social support: Model One 40
4 Conceptual framework for exploring social support: Model Two 41
5 Conceptual framework for exploring social support: Model Three 42
6 Conceptual framework for exploring social support: Model Four 42
7 Simple longitudinal design for investigating the effect of loneliness 44

on subsequent well-being
8 Interactive and direct-effect models of the influence of social 47

support on well-being
9 Sample of the hierarchy of social needs and its resources 51
10 The MSW loneliness scale 56
11 Actual and presumed progress in counselling 65
TABLES
1 List of social factors which British people consider important in 28

providing a satisfactory relationship
2 Questions comprising the UCLA loneliness scale 31
3 Correlations among items (from the MSW loneliness scale) which 100

refer to similar types of relationship
4 Correlation of discriminant measures with MSW loneliness scale 102

scores