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Abstract: This article is devoted to the study of the interrelation between psychological loneliness and significant personal qualities that affect the process and results of adaptation. The theoretical aspects of psychological loneliness and adaptation are considered. On the basis of the methodology of the phenomenological approach to the study of loneliness, the authors see one of the key reasons for the study of the problem of loneliness in more complex adaptation processes. Low level adaptation or disadaptation lead to alienation from the social environment, other people, oneself, and result in subjective feelings of loneliness. The results of empirical study of the problem are presented. The main types of loneliness, which are often faced by first-year students – alienating and dissociated loneliness, are indicated. Types of loneliness are identified in connection with imbalance of the processes of identification and isolation. A study of the interrelation between loneliness and adaptability in first-year students was conducted and described. As a result of the correlation analysis, significant negative correlations of the scale of general loneliness with adaptability, emotional comfort, self-acceptance, acceptance of others, internality, domination are recorded. The authors come to the conclusion that personal qualities, which complicate adaptability, enhance the risks of intense loneliness. In turn, psychological loneliness to a large extent interferes with a person's adaptive potential. In addition to the correlation analysis, analysis of differences is described. On the level of subjective experience of loneliness, subgroups of psychologically lonely and not lonely students are identified. Credible differences in the majority of the basic characteristics of adaptability between psychologically lonely and not lonely students are revealed. This means that low rates of adaptability contribute to the development of psychological loneliness.