Loneliness Among Secondary School Students in Malaysia: The National Prevalence and Associated Factors

ABSTRACT Adolescents frequently face emotional and social challenges that make them particularly vulnerable to feelings of loneliness. This study aimed to determine the national prevalence of loneliness among Malaysian secondary school students and to identify the psychosocial and familial factors associated with it. A cross‐sectional study was conducted using a multi‐stage stratified cluster sampling design to ensure the representativeness of all secondary school students from Form 1 to Form 5 in Malaysia. A total of 239 secondary schools were chosen, and 33,523 students participated. The Malaysia Global School‐based Student Health Survey (GSHS) 2012 self‐administered questionnaire was used. The students who responded “most of the time” or “always” to feeling lonely during the past 12 months were categorized as lonely. Multiple logistic regression was used to identify the associated factors. The prevalence of loneliness among secondary school students in Malaysia was 16.2%, with females having the highest prevalence at 20.8%. Multiple logistic regression revealed that students with depression symptoms had a ninefold higher likelihood of feeling lonely. Poor parental or guardian connectedness and bonding were significantly associated with feeling lonely. Furthermore, students whose parents are separated had a 40% higher risk of experiencing loneliness. Loneliness among secondary school students was more evident in those with depression symptoms. Addressing loneliness among secondary school students in Malaysia necessitates a concerted effort to prevent the occurrence of all modifiable factors contributing to this issue.