Document Type : Review Article
Authors
1
PhD student in counseling, Aras International Campus, University of Tehran, Iran.
2
Associate Professor, Division of Research and Assessment, Faculty of Psychology and Education, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
3
Associate Professor of Counseling Department, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, University of Tehran, Iran.
4
Assistant Professor of Counseling Department, Faculty of Educational Sciences and Psychology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
Background: Women's mental health is the cornerstone of sustainable development. As the backbone of families and architects of future generations through child-rearing, neglecting their psychological well-being is not just a personal issue—it is a critical threat to societal vitality and survival.
Objective: This study aimed to identify factors associated with women's loneliness.
Materials and methods: Between April 2014 and July 2024, a systematic review of documents was conducted using four national and international databases(Magiran, SID, PubMed, and Scopus).From an initial pool of 559 articles, documents underwent preliminary review and evaluation using PRISMA, including 19 studies in the final analysis.
Findings: Factors associated with women's loneliness can be classified into three dimensions: individual (which includes physical, emotional, and existential-spiritual symptoms), familial (which involves relational, emotional, and sexual dynamics), and socio-environmental (which encompasses cultural norms, support systems, and occupational/educational) challenges). Physical manifestations such as the onset or exacerbation of somatic illnesses, chronic fatigue, appetite loss, and sleep deprivation were observed within the individual dimension.Emotional symptoms included aggression, hypersensitivity, anxiety, and cognitive rumination, while existential-spiritual symptoms highlighted purposelessness, existential void, eroded self-worth, and a disconnect from divine values or spiritual beliefs. Notably, the absence of spirituality and existential meaning emerged as the most pervasive issue, with cross-cultural studies in Iran, India, Japan, China, Canada, and European nations consistently reinforcing this finding.
Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the factors related to women's feelings of loneliness can differ according to cultural, social, and geographical conditions. Secondly, women can experience loneliness from different angles according to their conditions and roles. Finally, all the factors related to women's feelings of loneliness can be categorized into three categories: personal, family, and environmental. At a macro level, the emergence and intensification of pathological feelings of loneliness, along with the resulting social isolation, can be viewed as one of the pervasive crises of modern humanity. Several factors contribute to this phenomenon, including a growing and dangerous spread of depraved materialistic ideologies. Furthermore, there is a concern about the neglect of the meaningful connections between contemporary humans and Allah, the sole authentic source of true tranquility and assurance.
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