Loneliness Among US Adults Aged ≥55 Early in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Objectives Loneliness is associated with increased risks of adverse health outcomes among middle-aged and older adults. We estimated the prevalence of loneliness and identified key sociodemographic, employment, living, and health-related risk factors for loneliness among adults aged ≥55 during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, when much of the country was under shelter-in-place orders. Methods We collected data from online questionnaires in the COVID-19 Coping Study, a national study of 6938 US adults aged ≥55 from April 2 through May 31, 2020. We estimated the population-weighted prevalence of loneliness (scores ≥6 of 9 on the 3-item UCLA Loneliness Scale), overall and by sociodemographic, employment, living, and health-related factors. We used population-weighted modified Poisson regression models to estimate prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% CIs for the associations between these factors and loneliness, adjusting for age, sex, race, ethnicity, and education level. Results Overall, we estimated that 29.5% (95% CI, 27.9%31.3%) of US adults aged ≥55 were considered high in loneliness in April and May 2020. In population-weighted adjusted models, loneliness was the most prevalent among those who reported depression, who were not married or in a relationship, who lived alone, and who were unemployed at the onset of the pandemic. Conclusions We identified subpopulations of middle-aged and older adults who were vulnerable to loneliness during a period when COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders were in place across most of the country. These insights may inform the allocation of resources to mitigate an unintended health consequence during times of restricted activity.

Personal Social Networks of Community-Dwelling Oldest Old During the Covid-19 Pandemic—A Qualitative Study

“…A large population-based study from the US reported that one-third of the population aged 55 and older experienced feelings of loneliness during Spring 2020. Especially persons who were not married or in a relationship commonly reported loneliness (27). Similar results have been reported from Europe in the study by Cohn-Schwartz et al (28), who found that especially older people who followed the recommendations and were physically isolated felt lonelier during the pandemic than before (28).…”

Loneliness and its correlates among Bangladeshi older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic

“…The plausible reasons for such a difference in loneliness prevalence include differences in study tools to measure loneliness, differences in the age range of participants, and online mode of survey administration. The prevalence of loneliness (52%) in the current study is similar to a previous study from the US (54%) 42 , but higher than other studies from the US 43 , the United Kingdom 44 , and Canada 15 , which reported prevalence ranging from 30 to 43%. Several factors, including study design, sampling differences, and socioeconomic contexts, may explain the variations in individuals’ loneliness during the pandemic.…”

“…The current study suggested that female participants and those living in rural areas were more likely to feel lonely than males and their urban counterparts, similar to existing literature 46 , 60 . Our finding that older adults who lived alone (without family) were more like to feel lonely is supported by 15 studies included in a review 26 and several other studies 43 , 61 , 62 . As indicated above, older individuals may live alone due to their loss of spouses and limited relationships with their family members 45 , 46 .…”

Mental health and well-being in times of COVID-19: A mixed-methods study of the role of neighborhood parks, outdoor spaces, and nature among US older adults

“…We examined three mental health outcomes: (1) presence of depressive symptoms evaluated with the 8-item Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D) scale, (2) anxiety symptoms evaluated with the 5-item Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and (3) loneliness evaluated with the 3-item UCLA loneliness scale ( Fisher et al, 2005 ; Lewinsohn et al, 1997 ; O'Shea et al, 2021 ; Wilke and Straits, 2005 ). Based on previously used cut-off points, participants were considered to screen positive for symptoms of depression, anxiety, and loneliness, if they scored: ≥3 on the CES-D, ≥10 on the BAI, and ≥6 on the UCLA loneliness scale, respectively ( Kobayashi et al, 2021 ).…”