City and social relationships: A Study of the relationship between social isolation and level of received social support with the experience of loneliness (Case Study: Tehran residents)

Social isolation and loss of social support due to the liquidity and the weakening of social ties in modern society are among the problems that undermine the quality of social relationships, which in turn are associated with the spread and development of the loneliness. Therefore, this study aims to study the relationship between social isolation and the level of received social support with the experience of loneliness. The research population consisted of all the 18+ year's residents of Tehran, of which 384 individuals were chosen as the sample through multiple cluster sampling. This was a survey research and needed data were collected via a questionnaire. The research tool had face validity and its reliability was ensured through Cronbach's alpha. Data processing was done by spss16 software that showed that the average for variables social isolation, social support and loneliness in the sample were, respectively, 62/94, 61/60‌ and 36/13‌‌‌‌ percent. Statistical analysis also showed a significant and negative relationship between social isolation and the levels of received social support and between the level of received social support and the experience of loneliness. Moreover‌ these results indicated that with increasing levels of objective social isolation, the level of subjective loneliness experienced will also increase. And the results of multivariable regression analysis of factors affecting loneliness also showed that the variable family relationships had the most direct impact on loneliness.