Loneliness: contemporary insights into causes, correlates, and consequences

Loneliness and its associations with demographic, lifestyle, social and parental factors among adolescents in Timor-Leste

Adolescent loneliness is prevalent and has serious adverse impacts on mental and physical health outcomes. This study aimed at examining factors associated with loneliness among school-going adolescents. The country of interest is a low-income country, Timor-Leste, where empirical studies are lacking. Data from the Global School-Based Student Health Survey Timor-Leste 2015 (n = 3455) were used for secondary analyses. An ordered probit model was utilized to assess demographic, lifestyle, social, and parental factors correlated with different levels of loneliness (no loneliness, moderate loneliness, and severe loneliness). Approximately 46.3% of adolescents felt moderately lonely and about 13.5% felt severely lonely. Older adolescents were more likely to experience severe and moderate loneliness than younger adolescents. Going hungry and being bullied were associated with an increased likelihood of being severely and moderately lonely. Adolescents had a higher probability of experiencing moderate and severe loneliness if they had sleep difficulties and were physically active. Having understanding parents was positively associated with the likelihood of severe loneliness. In conclusion, a large proportion of adolescents in Timor-Leste have feelings of loneliness, which have been found to be associated with demographic, lifestyle, social, and parental factors. Policymakers should recognize the correlated factors of loneliness in order to formulate a more effective intervention strategy.

The Relationship between Family Functioning, Emotional Intelligence, Loneliness, Social Support, and Depressive Symptoms among Undergraduate Students

The transition from adolescence to college is a significant developmental stage marked by challenges such as high academic pressure, changes in living environments, and social support systems. These challenges can lead to increased rates of depression among college students. This study investigates the relationships between family functioning, emotional intelligence, loneliness, social support, and depressive symptoms in Chinese college students. A cross-sectional design was employed, with data collected via questionnaires from undergraduate students at Xi'an Jiaotong University. Variables such as family functioning, emotional intelligence, loneliness, social support, and depressive symptoms were assessed. Statistical analyses, including correlation and hierarchical regression, were conducted to explore these relationships. The study found a diverse distribution of depressive symptoms among students, with significant gender differences indicating higher depression rates in females. No significant differences were observed across academic disciplines, grades, or between only children and non-only children. Family functioning, emotional intelligence, and social support were negatively correlated with depressive symptoms, while loneliness was positively correlated. Hierarchical regression analysis confirmed that social support significantly moderated the relationship between family functioning and depressive symptoms. Mediation analysis showed that emotional intelligence and loneliness mediated this relationship. The findings highlight the complex interplay between family dynamics, emotional capabilities, social connectedness, and mental health. Enhancing family functioning, emotional intelligence, and social support can effectively reduce depressive symptoms among college students. These results underscore the need for holistic interventions that address multiple aspects of students' social and emotional lives.

The loneliness factor in eating disorders: Implications for psychopathology and biological signatures

OBJECTIVES

Eating disorders (ED) are severe psychiatric conditions. While the biological consequences of EDs are well established, including an increase in inflammatory biomarkers, the influence of psychological factors, such as loneliness, has only recently gained attention in research. Loneliness has been associated with more severe psychopathology in ED patients, while its association with inflammatory biomarkers has only been explored in the general population. For these reasons, we aimed to investigate any possible associations between psychological features, trauma, and inflammatory biomarkers with loneliness in people with ED.

METHODS

This study examined the interaction between loneliness, eating psychopathology, and biological markers in people with EDs. A group of 97 female patients with various diagnoses of ED was assessed for loneliness, general and eating psychopathology, traumatic history during childhood, and clinical biomarkers such as C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and urinary-free cortisol (UFC).

RESULTS

The results indicated that individuals with ED who reported moderate to severe loneliness also displayed greater general psychopathology (p = 0.001), weight concerns (p = 0.007), and physical neglect during childhood (p = 0.006). Furthermore, people with higher levels of loneliness also had higher inflammatory indexes (ESR p = 0.001, CRP p = 0.027) and were positively correlated with markers of stress reaction such as UFC (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The findings underscore the importance of considering loneliness in the assessment of individuals with an ED. We observed notable associations between loneliness and increased psychopathology (both general and specific to eating), as well as higher levels of inflammation and childhood physical neglect. Addressing loneliness may contribute to improving overall well-being and potentially support recovery. This consideration encompasses both psychological and physical factors that interplay in the clinical presentation of individuals.

Young people's views on the acceptability and feasibility of loneliness interventions for their age group

BACKGROUND

Loneliness is a frequently reported problem for young people aged 16 to 24 years old. A variety of interventions have been developed (but in most cases not extensively evaluated) to try and tackle loneliness in this age group. These include interpersonal, intrapersonal, and social approaches that vary in their content and mechanisms of action. The current study aimed to qualitatively examine young peoples' views on the acceptability and feasibility of different loneliness interventions.

METHODS

Young people from 16 to 24 years old living in the United Kingdom who self-identified as having experienced loneliness were recruited to participate in this study. We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews to assess their views on the acceptability and feasibility of loneliness interventions for their age group. Interviews were analysed using inductive reflexive thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Our analysis of 23 individual interview transcripts identified six themes. These related to the appropriate stage for intervention and how different types of strategies may be best suited to particular contexts; the key facilitators and barriers to engaging young people in an intervention; considerations for optimising the delivery of an intervention; divergent views on technology use in strategies to manage loneliness; the scope of an intervention and whether it takes a targeted or general approach; and the idea of combining different options within an intervention to allow tailoring to individual preferences and nature of loneliness.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings demonstrate the need for continued development of individualised interventions designed to help manage loneliness in this age group. Future loneliness strategies should be co-produced with young people to ensure that they suit the varying needs of this population.

A Short-Form Measure of Loneliness to Predict Depression Symptoms Among Adolescents

The purpose of this study was to produce a short-form measure of loneliness and assesses its prediction of depressive symptoms relative to a comprehensive measure. Western Australian adolescents completed the Friendship Related Loneliness and Isolation subscales of the Perth Aloneness Scale (PALs) three times over 18 months (T 1 n = 1538; T 2, n = 1683; T 3, n = 1406). Items were reduced while preserving predictability. Follow-up confirmatory factor analyses and predictive models with the reduced and full PALs were then tested. A reduced six-item scale (PALs-6) preserved the two-factor structure of the PALs and showed strong prediction of very elevated depressive symptoms (Sensitivity = 0.70, Specificity = 0.78, AUC = 0.81); it was less successful in predicting future symptoms (Sensitivity = 0.67, Specificity = 0.64, AUC = 0.74). The PALs-6 provides a brief measure of adolescent loneliness for clinicians and researchers that also predicts very elevated levels of depression.

Adolescents' loneliness in European schools: a multilevel exploration of school environment and individual factors

BACKGROUND

Loneliness has been recognized as a public health issue and has moved into a number of European countries' policy agendas. Literature examining loneliness in young people (and especially in adolescents) is scarce, but it does show that at this age feelings of loneliness have been increasing in recent decades and are detrimental for both adolescents' current and future well-being. In order to explain loneliness, current literature focuses generally on individual, rather than on broader, environmental characteristics. This study examines school associates of loneliness and compares their importance to those at the individual level because schools are the most important places in which adolescents are socially embedded. In addition, policy interventions on loneliness might be more feasible at the school than the individual level.

METHODS

This study uses a single-item measure of adolescents' loneliness feelings in schools and exploits rich data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA 2018) on 23 European countries covering 118,698 students (50.2% female) in 4,819 schools. This study applies multi-level models to investigate school level factors jointly with those at the individual level.

RESULTS

Differences between European schools can explain a 20% variation in feelings of loneliness, thereby indicating the importance of the school environment. Furthermore, adolescents' bullying experiences and a bullying climate in school more than doubles incidences of loneliness. In addition, a cooperative climate as well as teacher support can considerably decrease school loneliness. Cross-level interactions do exist: being from a lower socioeconomic background for instance, while not important generally, increases loneliness feelings if most of the school peers are from a better socioeconomic background. School factors appear to be more important for explaining young people's loneliness incidence than individual characteristics.

CONCLUSION

This is the first study to compare school level and individual level factors relating to youth loneliness in schools throughout Europe. Results emphasizing the importance of school environment for explaining adolescents' loneliness suggest that school level initiatives may be most appropriate in tackling loneliness when compared to wider and less contextualized national policies that focus on adolescents outside of school.

Married women's decision to delay childbearing, and loneliness, severe psychological distress, and suicidal ideation under crisis: online survey data analysis from 2020 to 2021

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every aspect of our lives, including the decision to become pregnant. Existing literature suggests that infertility and the decision to delay childbearing at a younger age are associated with a lower level of well-being and regrets when women start to desire a baby. Thus, the decision to delay childbearing due to the pandemic could negatively affect the well-being of women. This study focuses on how pregnancy decisions affect the well-being of women during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

From the Japan COVID-19 and Society Internet Survey, a nationally representative web-based survey, 768 observations of married women aged 18 to 50 years who had the intention of getting pregnant during the pre-pandemic period (conducted in 2020 and 2021) were used. Loneliness, severe psychological distress, and suicidal ideation were used as well-being indicators. For pooled data, a generalised estimated equation (GEE) model was used to estimate how pregnancy decision related to well-being indicators. For a sub-analysis, the sample was divided by the survey year and a Poisson regression model was used.

RESULTS

The GEE analysis showed an association between delaying childbearing and severe psychological distress, with the prevalence ratio (PR) being 2.06 [95% CI (1.40-3.03)]. Furthermore, loneliness and suicidal ideation that occurred after the beginning of the pandemic were significantly related to the decision to delay childbearing-1.55 [95% CI (1.03,2.34)] and 2.55 [95% CI (1.45-4.51)], respectively. Moreover, these PRs were larger for 2021 compared to 2020.

CONCLUSION

During the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately one-fifth of married women who had childbearing intentions before the pandemic decided to postpone pregnancy. They exhibited a deteriorated mental health state. Furthermore, the negative associations were larger in 2021 compared to 2020. Loneliness has negative consequences for both mental and physical health, as well as elevated severe psychological distress and suicidal ideation among those who decided to postpone pregnancy. Therefore, the current results should not be overlooked by society.

Protocol for a Scalable StoryListening Intervention for Grief-Related Loneliness During COVID-19

Background

Social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic limited how family, friends, and clinicians physically interacted with people who were dying and decreased communal opportunities for processing grief. These barriers can cause or exacerbate suffering due to loneliness while grieving.

Purpose

In this article, we describe the protocol for a brief storytelling intervention designed to reduce loneliness among families, friends, and clinicians grieving the death of a person during the time of COVID-19.

Methods

We trained four StoryListening doulas (SLDs) to hold a welcoming space and listen to stories with curiosity and openness. The intervention included a video StoryListening session and two brief questionnaires, filled out before and two weeks after the encounter, assessing loneliness and quality of life. During sessions, SLDs invited participants to share their story of loss in their own words and in as much detail as preferred. When participants felt a sense of story completion, SLDs shared validating statements and expressed gratitude to the participant for sharing. The video and audio for each participant's StoryListening encounter were recorded and the participant was offered an audio copy of their session.

Evaluating the impact of loneliness and social isolation on health literacy and health-related factors in young adults

Objectives

In current study, we aim to extend previous research by investigating the unique impact of loneliness on health literacy and health-related factors of young adults, after controlling for social isolation, depressive symptomology, and social anxiety, as well as evaluate how social isolation and loneliness differ in their impact on health literacy, and health-related factors among young adults, after accounting for abovementioned concomitant variables.

Methods

Using a cross-sectional study design, 521 young adults completed an online survey in 2020, where they self-reported their loneliness, social isolation, health-related factors, and health literacy data.

Results

Increased loneliness was associated with decrease in several health literacy domains (e.g., poorer social support for health, lower appraisal of health information, among others) and increase in some health-related factors (e.g., higher perceived stress, higher negative affect), among young adults, even after controlling for social anxiety, depressive symptomology, and social isolation. Contrastingly, increase in social isolation was associated with changes in some health-related factors - more somatic health complaints, higher alcohol use, poorer cognitive and physical functioning, and lower scores for only one health literacy domain (i.e., social support for health) among young adults, after adjusting for the influence of social anxiety, depressive symptomology, and loneliness.

Conclusion

Even after accounting for the influence of several co-occurring social and mental health symptoms, higher loneliness was associated poorer health literacy and health-related factors in young adults. We also found loneliness and social isolation may differ in the mechanisms through which they impact health literacy and health-related factors in young adults.

Screening for loneliness in representative population samples: Validation of a single-item measure

BACKGROUND

Loneliness is a highly relevant public mental health issue. This work presents the validation of a single-item measure of loneliness and its subjective experience: "I am frequently alone/have few contacts". It can be used in large-scale population surveys where an economical assessment is of key importance.

METHODS

Data was drawn from two representative German population surveys conducted in early and late 2020 (combined N = 4,984; 52.9% women; age: M = 48.39 years (SD = 17.88)). We determined the prevalence of loneliness in men and women across different age groups. In order to test concurrent validity, bivariate correlation analyses and Chi-square tests were performed. Convergent and discriminant validity were tested by investigating intercorrelations of the single-item measure of loneliness with another loneliness measure, other mental health outcomes, and associations with sociodemographic characteristics.

RESULTS

Based on the single-item measure, 23.4% of participants reported some degree of loneliness, 3.4% among them severe loneliness. Comparisons with the LS-S showed similar prevalence rates of loneliness. A moderately positive relationship between the two loneliness measures was found by bivariate correlation analysis (ρ = .57, p < .001), but results indicated only weak convergent validity. Construct validity was supported by associations with depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, satisfaction with life, household size, and partnership.

CONCLUSIONS

Loneliness is frequently reported in the general population. The single-item measure of loneliness is suitable as a brief screening measure in population-based assessments.

Social capital and wellbeing among Australian adults' during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

COVID-19 has created global disruption, with governments across the world taking rapid action to limit the spread of the virus. Physical distancing and lockdowns abruptly changed living conditions for many, posing specific challenges of social isolation and lack of connectedness due to being physically and socially isolated from family and friends. Social capital is the bonding of individuals within a society that facilitates and shapes social interactions. The aim of this study was to qualitatively explore the impact that existing social capital has on Australians' experience of lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic and the effect this has had on their wellbeing and quality of life.

METHODS

Participants from various socioeconomic areas within Australia were purposively selected to participate in semi-structured interviews conducted via videoconferencing or telephone. Inductive thematic analysis of the data was undertaken.

RESULTS

A total of 20 participants were interviewed ranging in age from 21 to 65 years, including 50% (n = 10) females, 40% (n = 8) males, 5% (n = 1) non-binary and 5% (n = 1) transgender. Three main themes emerged from the analysis of the data: No person is an island; Social engagement; and Loneliness and isolation. Individuals who resided in low socioeconomic areas, those who lived alone and had reduced social support expressed feelings of poorer wellbeing.

CONCLUSIONS

This study describes the lived-experiences of the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on Australians' social capital and wellbeing. The findings highlight the need for interventions to increase social support, social cohesion, and social connectedness, especially among Australians from low socioeconomic areas, to enhance their overall wellbeing.

Head versus heart: social media reveals differential language of loneliness from depression

We study the language differentially associated with loneliness and depression using 3.4-million Facebook posts from 2986 individuals, and uncover the statistical associations of survey-based depression and loneliness with both dictionary-based (Linguistic Inquiry Word Count 2015) and open-vocabulary linguistic features (words, phrases, and topics). Loneliness and depression were found to have highly overlapping language profiles, including sickness, pain, and negative emotions as (cross-sectional) risk factors, and social relationships and activities as protective factors. Compared to depression, the language associated with loneliness reflects a stronger cognitive focus, including more references to cognitive processes (i.e., differentiation and tentative language, thoughts, and the observation of irregularities), and cognitive activities like reading and writing. As might be expected, less lonely users were more likely to reference social relationships (e.g., friends and family, romantic relationships), and use first-person plural pronouns. Our findings suggest that the mechanisms of loneliness include self-oriented cognitive activities (i.e., reading) and an overattention to the interpretation of information in the environment. These data-driven ecological findings suggest interventions for loneliness that target maladaptive social cognitions (e.g., through reframing the perception of social environments), strengthen social relationships, and treat other affective distress (i.e., depression).

Loneliness Versus Distress: A Comparison of Emotion Regulation Profiles

Loneliness, a negative emotion stemming from the perception of unmet social needs, is a major public health concern. Current interventions often target social domains but produce small effects and are not as effective as established emotion regulation (ER)-based interventions for general psychological distress (i.e., depression/anxiety). Given that loneliness and distress are types of negative affect, we aimed to compare them within an ER framework by examining the amount of variance ER strategies accounted for in loneliness versus distress, and comparing the ER strategy profiles characterising them. Participants (N = 582, Mage = 22.31, 77.66% female) completed self-report measures of loneliness, distress, and use of 12 cognitive (e.g., cognitive reappraisal) or behavioural (e.g., expressive suppression) ER strategies. Regression analyses revealed that ER explained comparable variance in these constructs. Latent profile analysis identified seven profiles differing in ER patterns, with no distinct loneliness or distress profile identified. Rather, similar patterns of ER characterised these two constructs, involving the greater use of generally maladaptive strategies and the lesser use of generally adaptive strategies. However, loneliness was additionally characterised by less use of strategies involving social connection/expression. Overall, our study supports the utility of ER for understanding loneliness. Established ER-based frameworks/interventions for distress may have transdiagnostic utility in targeting loneliness.

How (Not) to Measure Loneliness: A Review of the Eight Most Commonly Used Scales

Loneliness affects well-being and has long-term negative impacts on physical and mental health, educational outcomes, and employability. Because of those current and long-term impacts, loneliness is a significant issue for which we need reliable and appropriate measurement scales. In the current paper, psychometric properties of the eight most commonly used loneliness scales are reviewed both descriptively and meta-analytically. Results suggest that for many of the scales, the psychometric properties are promising. However, for some psychometric features, especially test-retest reliability and measurement invariance, evidence is rather scarce. Most striking, however, is the fact that all of the scales included items that do not measure loneliness. Surprisingly, for many (sub)scales, this was even the case for about half of the items. Because our measures are the foundation of our research work, it is crucial to improve the way loneliness is being measured.

Loneliness and depressive symptoms among Australian female boarding school students

Loneliness in adolescence is a risk factor for the development and maintenance of a myriad of mental health conditions, especially among females. Adolescent females in boarding schools spend prolonged periods away from family and may therefore be more prone to experiencing loneliness and depression. Research into this significant issue is limited, however. The present study compared the levels of loneliness and depressive symptoms of 403, 13–17 year old adolescent females from a range of boarding and non-boarding secondary schools. Confirmatory Factor Analyses established the fit of the loneliness and depressive symptom measures. Multivariate Analysis of Variance revealed boarding school students scored significantly higher than non- boarding school students on levels of depressive symptoms and having a positive attitude to being alone. These differences remained significant when age was covaried. There were no differences in quality of friendships, feelings of isolation, and having a negative attitude to being alone. The implications of these findings for boarding schools are discussed.

Affective Neuroscience of Loneliness: Potential Mechanisms underlying the Association between Perceived Social Isolation, Health, and Well-Being

Loneliness, or the subjective feeling of social isolation, is an important social determinant of health. Loneliness is associated with poor physical health, including higher rates of cardiovascular disease and dementia, faster cognitive decline, and increased risk of mortality, as well as disruptions in mental health, including higher levels of depression, anxiety, and negative affect. Theoretical accounts suggest loneliness is a complex cognitive and emotional state characterized by increased levels of inflammation and affective disruptions. This review examines affective neuroscience research on social isolation in animals and loneliness in humans to better understand the relationship between perceptions of social isolation and the brain. Loneliness associated increases in inflammation and neural changes consistent with increased sensitivity to social threat and disrupted emotion regulation suggest interventions targeting maladaptive social cognitions may be especially effective. Work in animal models suggests the neural changes associated with social isolation may be reversible. Therefore, ameliorating loneliness may be an actionable social determinant of health target. However, more research is needed to understand how loneliness impacts healthy aging, explore the role of inflammation as a potential mechanism in humans, and determine the best time to deliver interventions to improve physical health, mental health, and well-being across a diverse array of populations.

Trajectories of change in internalizing symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal population-based study

BACKGROUND

Longitudinal data indicates that the mental health of the general population may not have been as badly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as some had feared. Most studies examining change in mental health during the pandemic have assumed population homogeneity which may conceal evidence of worsening mental health for some. In this study, we applied a heterogeneous perspective to determine if there were distinct groups in the population characterised by different patterns of change in internalizing symptoms during the pandemic.

METHODS

Self-report data were collected from a nationally representative sample of Irish adults (N = 1041) at four time-points between April and December 2020.

RESULTS

In the entire sample, mean levels of internalizing symptoms significantly declined from March to December 2020. However, we identified four distinct groups with different patterns of change. The most common response was 'Resilience' (66.7%), followed by 'Improving' (17.9%), 'Worsening' (11.3%), and 'Sustained' (4.1%). Belonging to the 'Worsening' class was associated with younger age, city dwelling, current and past treatment for a mental health problem, higher levels of empathy, and higher levels of loneliness.

LIMITATIONS

Sample attrition was relatively high and although this was managed using robust statistical methods, bias associated with non-responses cannot be entirely ruled out.

CONCLUSION

The majority of adults experienced no change, or an improvement in internalizing symptoms during the pandemic, and a relatively small proportion of adults experienced a worsening of internalizing symptoms. Limited public mental health resources should be targeted toward helping these at-risk individuals.

Compensatory Connections? Living Alone, Loneliness, and the Buffering Role of Social Connection among older American and European Adults

OBJECTIVE

The growth of solo living has important implications for the rising "loneliness epidemic" among older adults. This study considered whether two forms of social connectedness-extra-household core discussion networks and social participation-buffer the loneliness associated with living alone.

METHOD

Our study used data from two surveys (National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project; Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe) encompassing 20 developed Western countries in 2009/2010 and 2015/2016 (n = 110,817). Harmonizing measures across data sets, we estimated survey-specific and pooled longitudinal regression models with interaction terms.

RESULTS

High levels of social connectedness only moderately buffered the loneliness associated with living alone in later life. Findings were largely consistent across regions of Europe and the United States, though the buffering patterns were most robustly identified for widowed solo dwellers.

DISCUSSION

Extra-household connections are partial compensators, but do not seem to fully replace the ready companionship afforded by residential co-presence in later life. Future research is needed to understand whether the efficacy of compensatory connections differs by gender, race/ethnicity, and across more diverse global regions.

Social and emotional loneliness among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic: The predictive role of coping behaviors, social support, and personal resilience

OBJECTIVE

To determine the influence of coping behaviors, resilience, and social support on students' emotional and social loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic.

DESIGN AND METHODS

A cross-sectional research design was used to gather data from 303 college students from the Central Philippines using four standardized scales through an online survey.

FINDINGS

Loneliness among students was high during the coronavirus pandemic. Resilience, coping behaviors, and social support were identified as protective factors against loneliness.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Interventions directed toward increasing resilience, social support, and coping behaviors may help decrease emotional and social loneliness caused by the mandatory lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A genetic screen for Drosophila social isolation mutants and analysis of sex pistol

Prolonged periods of forced social isolation is detrimental to well-being, yet we know little about which genes regulate susceptibility to its effects. In the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, social isolation induces stark changes in behavior including increased aggression, locomotor activity, and resistance to ethanol sedation. To identify genes regulating sensitivity to isolation, I screened a collection of sixteen hundred P-element insertion lines for mutants with abnormal levels of all three isolation-induced behaviors. The screen identified three mutants whose affected genes are likely central to regulating the effects of isolation in flies. One mutant, sex pistol (sxp), became extremely aggressive and resistant to ethanol sedation when socially isolated. sxp also had a high level of male–male courtship. The mutation in sxp reduced the expression of two minor isoforms of the actin regulator hts (adducin), as well as mildly reducing expression of CalpA, a calcium-dependent protease. As a consequence, sxp also had increased expression of the insulin-like peptide, dILP5. Analysis of the social behavior of sxp suggests that these minor hts isoforms function to limit isolation-induced aggression, while chronically high levels of dILP5 increase male–male courtship.

Opposing Association of Situational and Chronic Loneliness with Interpersonal Distance

Loneliness is a prevalent condition with adverse effects on physical and mental health. Evolutionary theories suggest it evolved to drive people to reconnect. However, chronic loneliness may result in a negative social bias and self-preservation behaviors, paradoxically driving individuals away from social interactions. Lonely people often feel they are not close to anyone; however, little is known about their interpersonal distance preferences. During COVID-19, many experienced situational loneliness related to actual social isolation. Therefore, there was a unique opportunity to examine both chronic and situational (COVID-19-related) loneliness. In the present study, 479 participants completed an online task that experimentally assessed interpersonal distance preferences in four conditions-passively being approached by a friend or a stranger, and actively approaching a friend or a stranger. Results show that high chronic loneliness was related to a greater preferred distance across conditions. Intriguingly, by contrast, high COVID-19-related loneliness was related to a smaller preferred distance across conditions. These findings provide further support for the evolutionary theory of loneliness: situational loneliness indeed seems to drive people towards reconnection, while chronic loneliness seems to drive people away from it. Implications for the amelioration of chronic loneliness are discussed based on these findings.

Effects of biopsychosocial factors on the association between loneliness and mental health risks during the COVID-19 lockdown

Previous data suggest that loneliness is a hallmark of the mental health issues triggered by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The purpose of the present study was to examine the impact of loneliness on mental health and behavioural outcomes, as well as the moderating and mediating effects of biopsychosocial variables on these relationships. The data were collected during France’s first national COVID-19 lockdown and included 556 participants (M_age = 30.06 years, range = 18–87) who completed well-known validated measures assessing symptom-levels of anxiety, depression, and insomnia. They also indicated their level of worry about the COVID-19 crisis, and provided sociodemographic and health status data. Responses were submitted to hierarchical linear regression and mediation analyses. In terms of prevalence of loneliness, 18.9% of participants reported severe loneliness. High levels of loneliness were significantly associated with the three mental health and behavioural outcomes. The loneliness – anxiety relationship was moderated by employment and working arrangements. The loneliness – insomnia relationship was moderated by living conditions, history of medical or psychological problems, and COVID-19-related worry. Further findings supported the indirect effects of COVID-related worry on pathways from loneliness to the three mental health and behavioural health outcomes. The mediation models accounted for 28.9%, 33.7%, and 15.0% of the variance in anxiety, depression, and insomnia. The present evidence-based findings revealed that loneliness and worry were major contributing factors of mental health and behavioural concerns during the COVID-19 lockdown. They could inform treatment recommendations for tackling prolonged-self isolation and loneliness in specific vulnerable groups.

The Experiences of Health Care Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Korea: a Qualitative Study

BACKGROUND

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, health care workers (HCWs) have faced multiple physical and psychological challenges while carrying out their duties. In this study, we examined the experiences of specific groups of HCWs during the pandemic.

METHODS

From 18 November to 30 December 2020, we conducted a qualitative study using semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with four groups of 14 HCWs in three cities (Seoul, Daegu, and Gwangju) in South Korea. The HCWs who participated in the focus groups included physicians, nurses, medical practitioners, and cleaning staff who directly or indirectly cared for patients during the COVID-19 epidemic. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using the consensual qualitative research approach.

RESULTS

Our qualitative data analysis revealed four main domains: work-related struggles, personal life-related struggles, psychological stress, and health-related struggles. Health care providers were challenged by working in critical situations and were overwhelmed by heavy workloads, fear of infection, lifestyle changes, and psychological and physical struggles.

CONCLUSION

Our findings could serve as a foundation for establishing health care systems and policies that help HCWs cope with occupational stress, thus increasing their ability to adapt to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Examining temporal interactions between loneliness and depressive symptoms and the mediating role of emotion regulation difficulties among UK residents during the COVID-19 lockdown: Longitudinal results from the COVID-19 psychological wellbeing study

BACKGROUND

Longitudinal studies examining the temporal association between mental health outcomes during the COVID-19 outbreak are needed. It is important to determine how relationships between key outcomes, specifically loneliness and depressive symptoms, manifest over a brief timeframe and in a pandemic context.

METHOD

Data was gathered over 4 months (March - June 2020) using an online survey with three repeated measures at monthly intervals (N = 1958; 69.8% females; Age 18-87 years, M = 37.01, SD = 12.81). Associations between loneliness, depression symptoms, and emotion regulation difficulty were tested using Pearson's product moment correlations, and descriptive statistics were calculated for all study variables. Cross-lagged structural equation modelling was used to examine the temporal relationships between variables.

RESULTS

The longitudinal association between loneliness and depressive symptoms was reciprocal. Loneliness predicted higher depressive symptoms one month later, and depressive symptoms predicted higher loneliness one month later. The relationship was not mediated by emotion regulation difficulties. Emotion regulation difficulties and depressive symptoms were also reciprocally related over time.

LIMITATIONS

Limitations include the reliance on self-report data and the non-representative sample. There was no pre-pandemic assessment limiting the conclusions that can be drawn regarding the mental health impact of the COVID-19 crisis.

CONCLUSIONS

Loneliness should be considered an important feature of case conceptualisation for depression during this time. Clinical efforts to improve mental health during the pandemic could focus on interventions that target either loneliness, depression, or both. Potential approaches include increasing physical activity or low-intensity cognitive therapies delivered remotely.

Loneliness in Young Adults During the First Wave of COVID-19 Lockdown: Results From the Multicentric COMET Study

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the mental and physical health of the general population at any age, but it is expected to have a protracted and severe consequences for younger populations. The pandemic has had several consequences on mental health including anger and irritability, depressive symptoms and somatic complaints, insomnia, lack of motivation, and loneliness. In particular, loneliness and its related negative feelings are thought to be particularly pronounced during young adulthood because of the many social changes that young people deal with during this period of life. Therefore, it is essential to evaluate the type of impact of the pandemic on the mental health of young people and their levels of loneliness experienced during the first phase of the lockdown. Based on the largest Italian study on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of general population, in this paper we aim to: (1) describe the levels of loneliness in a national sample of Italian young adults aged 18-34 years, during the first wave of lockdown in 2020; (2) evaluate the clinical and socio-demographic differences in young adults reporting low vs. high levels of loneliness; (3) assess the role of clinical symptomatology, coping strategies, levels of resilience, and duration of lockdown as possible predictors of loneliness. The final sample consists of 8,584 people, mainly female (72.6%), single, with a mean age of 26.4 (±4.4) years. The mean score at the UCLA was 47.5 (±13.6), with 27% (N = 2,311) of respondents exceeding the cut-off for high levels of loneliness. High levels of loneliness were predicted by the presence of avoidant coping strategies, such as self-distraction (Beta coefficient, B = 0.369, 95% Confidence Interval, CI = 0.328-0.411), venting (B = 0.245, 95% CI = 0.197-0.293), denial (B = 0.110, 95% CI = 0.061-0.159), and emotional disengagement (B = 0.133, 95% CI = 0.080-0.185). Weeks of exposure to the pandemic were significantly associated with worsening of loneliness (p < 0.000). There is currently considerable interest in trying to reduce loneliness, both within the context of COVID-19 and more generally. Our results highlight that young people are at a higher risk of developing loneliness and suggest that more interventions and practical guidelines are needed.