Researching social and emotinal loneliness of gay i̇ndividuals

The main purpose of this research is to look into the social and emotinal loneliness of gay individuals, the assigned meaning of their loneliness, their coping strategies and social supports. In this research, as research methods, mixed model which bases on the use of both qualitative and quantitative methods and embedded pattern design, which is the sub-pattern of this research, had been used. Qualitative research methods had been mostly used, while quantitative methods had generally been used to promote and assert the data that had been collected.Research data had been collected a semi-structured interview form which had been developed by the researcher and Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults (SELSA-S). Because of the difficulties of reaching gay individuals and the reality of being in need of a deep focus for a qualitative research purposeful sampling method had been used and the sample size had been restricted with 10 gay individuals. For data analysis, content analysis method had been aplied and themes, sub-themes and categories had been set. By determining frequency values of the codes that had been obtained by content analysis, datas had been digitisized. In discussion, to promote the quantitative data, findings of SELSA-S and digitisized datas had been compared. According to the results, that had been explained in conclusion, gay individuals experience less loneliness when they are with their close friends and partners or a part of a LGBTI assosiation than when they are with their parents, in social communities or at work.