중년 1인 가구의 사회적 고립 양상과 관계 경험의 이질성: 외로움, 단독시간, 교류시간의 결합 유형과 관련 요인을 중심으로

초록

This study identifies heterogeneous patterns of social isolation and relational experiences among middle-aged single-person households based on the combined patterns of loneliness, time spent alone, and time devoted to voluntary social interaction, and examines differences in subjective well-being and factors associated with each pattern. Data were drawn from the third wave of the 2023 Korean Happiness Survey. The analytic sample consisted of 327 single-person households aged 40 to 59. K-means cluster analysis, analysis of variance, and multinomial logistic regression were conducted. The results identified four types: the low-interaction type, the weekend solitude–interaction coexistence type, the high-interaction–low-loneliness type, and the high-activity–high-loneliness type. The high-interaction–low-loneliness type reported the highest level of overall happiness and the lowest level of depression, whereas the other three types showed higher levels of depression despite their different time structures. Multinomial logistic regression results indicated that better self-rated health was associated with a lower likelihood of belonging to the low-interaction type and the high-activity–high-loneliness type. In addition, residents of non-capital and non-metropolitan areas were less likely than those living in capital and metropolitan areas to belong to the weekend solitude–interaction coexistence type and the high-activity–high-loneliness type. These findings demonstrate that the lives of middle-aged single-person households are characterized by heterogeneous combinations of loneliness, time spent alone, and voluntary social interaction, and that greater time spent in social interaction does not necessarily lead to lower loneliness or higher subjective well-being. The findings suggest that policies for middle-aged single-person households should move beyond simply expanding opportunities for social interaction and adopt type-specific approaches that jointly consider loneliness, time structure, health status, and regional living environments.

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