Theme | Frequency | Examples |
Limited social network
| 100%
| “I only have, I would say, two friends.” |
“I don’t really have a close friendship with any friend.” | ||
“(I’ve) been on my own most of the time.” | ||
“I don’t think I make friends easily.” | ||
Lack of personal contact or communication
| 86%
| “I don’t see her that often.” |
“We contact each other quite a lot via email and things.” | ||
“Sometimes if I’m wondering if they’re ok I’ll probably just give them a message and see if they’ll get back to me.” | ||
“When she’s home I usually see her or text her a bit.” | ||
Difficulty understanding the concept of friendship
| 57%
| “Umm…I don’t know because I’ve never really had a good friend. But I think a friend would be someone you could talk to.” |
“Someone…who’s kind and considerate.” | ||
“A friend…maybe you might want to actually ring your friend, once in a while.” | ||
“I don’t know really…just to go out with someone.” | ||
Focus of attention away from the self
| 43%
| “I don’t really know (what they like about me).” |
“You’d have to ask them (what they like about me).” | ||
“(Being a friend) means caring about someone else, taking an interest in them, wanting to spend time with them.” | ||
“She likes French films so we might go to see a French film.” |