Editing Solitude (section)

===Negative effects===
Negative effects have been observed in prisoners. The behavior of prisoners who spend extensive time in solitude may worsen.<ref name="third"/> Solitude can trigger physiological responses that increase health risks.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.psypost.org/2015/11/loneliness-triggers-cellular-changes-that-can-cause-illness-study-shows-39407|title=Loneliness triggers cellular changes that can cause illness, study shows|website=PsyPost|date=24 November 2015 |language=en-US|access-date=2016-04-03|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160601175404/http://www.psypost.org/2015/11/loneliness-triggers-cellular-changes-that-can-cause-illness-study-shows-39407|archive-date=2016-06-01}}</ref>

Negative effects of solitude may also depend on age. Elementary age school children who experience frequent solitude may react negatively.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Larson|first=R. W.|date=1997-02-01|title=The emergence of solitude as a constructive domain of experience in early adolescence|journal=Child Development|volume=68|issue=1|pages=80–93|issn=0009-3920|pmid=9084127|doi=10.2307/1131927|jstor=1131927}}</ref> This is largely because often, solitude at this age is not the child's choice. Solitude in elementary-age children may occur when they are unsure of how to interact socially, so they prefer to be alone, causing shyness or [[social rejection]].

While teenagers are more likely to feel lonely or unhappy when not around others, they are also more likely to have a more enjoyable experience with others if they have had time alone first. However, teenagers who frequently spend time alone do not have as good a global adjustment as those who balance their time of solitude with their time of socialization.<ref name=":0" />