Qualità della relazione fraterna e gemellare come fattore protettivo rispetto alla solitudine

Only in last years the interest of researchers has been focused on relational dynamics of siblings and twins in adulthood (Riggio, 2000; Tancredy, Fraley, 2006). Literature shows the need to evaluate in depth the role of the sibling relationship with respect to loneliness in adults. In this perspective, the study aims to investigate, in 300 Italian adult subjects (singletons and twins), the characteristics of adult and child fraternal relationship and their impact on the experience of loneliness. We used a self-report questionnaire consisting of: personal information, LSRS (Riggio, 2000) and UCLA Loneliness Scale (Version 3) (Russell, 1996). The results underline the peculiarity of the twin relationship, confirming its high intensity and importance. In addition, loneliness seems to have as predictors the affective and behavioral component of the fraternal bond, indicating that having current high levels of emotional sharing and fraternal support may be protective against feelings of loneliness.