Loneliness and non-loneliness in long-term marriage: Continuous transformation through meaningful life events
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Objective: This qualitative phenomenological study examines how loneliness and non-loneliness are experienced within long-term marriages in Israel, where marriage is the most common relationship status among adults in the third age. Background: Previous research on loneliness within long-term marriage has focused on quality of life, relationship quality, security, belonging, and intimacy, typically examining the presence or absence of these dimensions at specific points in time. The phenomenological trajectory of loneliness and non-loneliness as a continuous, transformative experiential sequence across long-term marriage remains largely unexplored. In this study, non-loneliness refers to participants’ descriptions of togetherness, not being alone, belonging, security, protection, feeling understood, and being “as one body.” Method: Ten couples (aged 60–74) married for 30–53 years participated in filmed joint interviews (n=10; audio and video) and individual audio-recorded interviews (n=20), yielding 30 interviews in total. Data were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) and dyadic interview analysis. Results: Four distinct themes concerning the dynamics of loneliness/non-loneliness within couplehood emerged based on three inductively derived parameters: (1) fundamental experiences of loneliness/non-loneliness within couplehood, (2) their transformation through meaningful life events, and (3) their emotional intensity. The analysis revealed that loneliness and non-loneliness can coexist within a shared relational space despite incongruence, differing emotional intensities, or contradictory experiences. Conclusion: Methodological triangulation enriched the phenomenological understanding of couples’ experiences. The findings advance a theoretical understanding of couplehood as a dynamic process in which experiences of loneliness/non-loneliness are continuously reshaped, particularly at existentially significant junctures.
Source: Journal of Family Research
DOI: 10.20377/jfr-1470
Authors: Ronit Avni, Chaya Koren
Institution: University of Haifa
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7223405700