Disconnected and doubtful? Self-efficacy and Big Five personality traits relate to current and chronic loneliness in the German and Austrian general population

Loneliness threatens mental and physical health. While previous research has identified various social and demographic correlates, there is limited knowledge of how individual differences relate to loneliness severity and persistence. This study investigates the role of self-efficacy and personality traits, including their relevance for differentiating between transient and chronic loneliness. Data from two studies were analyzed: a representative German population survey ( N = 2527) and an Austrian-German online sample ( N = 553). Loneliness was assessed using the UCLA 3-item Loneliness Scale, and chronic loneliness was defined based on reported duration. Self-efficacy was measured using the German ASKU (Allgemeine Selbstwirksamkeit Kurzskala). Personality traits were assessed with the Big Five Inventory (BFI-10). Correlational analyses, regression models, and multinomial logistic regressions were used to examine associations between individual differences and loneliness. Lower self-efficacy was associated with higher loneliness across both studies. Chronically lonely individuals reported lower self-efficacy than those with temporary loneliness. Among the Big Five traits, higher neuroticism and lower extraversion showed the strongest associations with current loneliness, and there were interaction effects with openness. The findings highlight self-efficacy as a potential protective factor against loneliness. Interventions aimed at strengthening self-efficacy could help mitigate long-term loneliness. • Individual differences contribute to the frequency and duration of loneliness • Big Five traits differ between not, temporarily, and chronically lonely people • Low self-efficacy triples the odds of chronic loneliness • Neuroticism and introversion, also interacting with openness, pose loneliness risks • Findings support strength-based prevention strategies for chronic loneliness