Loneliness in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic: Cross-sectional results from The COVID-19 Psychological Wellbeing Study

Abstract

Objectives: Loneliness is a significant public health issue. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in lockdown measures limiting social contact. The UK public are worried about the impact of these measures on mental health outcomes. Understanding the prevalence and predictors of loneliness at this time is a priority issue for research. Design: The study employed a cross-sectional online survey design. Method: Baseline data collected between March 23rd and April 24th 2020 from UK adults in the COVID-19 Psychological Wellbeing Study were analysed (N = 1963, 18-87 years, M = 37.11, SD = 12.86, 70% female). Logistic regression analysis was used to look at the influence of sociodemographic, social, health and COVID-19 specific factors on loneliness. Results: The prevalence of loneliness was 27% (530/1963). Risk factors for loneliness were younger age group (OR: 4.67 – 5.31), being separated or divorced (OR: 2.29), meeting clinical criteria for major depression (OR: 1.74), greater emotion regulation difficulties (OR: 1.04), and poor quality sleep due to the COVID-19 crisis (OR: 1.30). Higher levels of social support (OR: 0.92), being married/co-habiting (OR: 0.35) and living with a great number of adults (OR: 0.87) were protective factors. Conclusions: Rates of loneliness during the initial phase of lockdown were high. Risk factors were not specific to the COVID-19 crisis. Findings suggest that supportive interventions to reduce loneliness should prioritise younger people and those with mental health symptoms. Improving emotion regulation and sleep quality may be optimal initial targets to reduce the impact of COVID-19 regulations on mental health outcomes.

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

“…Further, this study's result provides support to earlier studies involving the general population and linking personal resilience to reduced anxiety, stress, and depression (Foster et al, 2020;Labrague & De los Santos, 2020) and improved overall mental and psychological health (Cooper et al, 2020). In a study involving young adolescents, adequate coping skills and resilience were identi ed as protective factors against loneliness and other negative effects of social distancing and lockdown measures during the pandemic (Groarke et al, 2020). In a recent study by Savitsky et al (2020), higher levels of resilience and positive coping skills related to decreased levels of pandemicrelated anxiety among students during the mandatory lockdown.…”

Predictors of wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic: Key roles for gratitude and tragic optimism in a UK-based cohort.

“…Conversely, poor social relationships have been shown to increase risk for mortality to a greater extent than well-known risk factors, such as obesity and physical inactivity (Holt-Lunstad et al, 2010). As previously highlighted, social support already appears to be playing a vital role in protecting wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic (Groarke et al, 2020;Sibley et al, 2020).…”

“…During April and March, the Office for National Statistics (2020) reported a large increase in high anxiety and low life satisfaction among respondents, with main concerns being boredom, loneliness, anxiety, and stress (ONS, 2020). However, a pre-print by Groarke et al (2020) highlighted some protective factors for loneliness during UK lockdown, including higher levels of social support (OR: 0.92), being married or co-habiting (OR: 0.35) and living with more adults (OR: 0.87). A New Zealand study has also highlighted the protective role of social support during lockdown, with higher levels of community connectedness being associated with lower levels of psychological distress (Sibley et al, 2020).…”

Loneliness and COVID-19 preventive behaviours among Japanese adults

“…There is also some evidence that measures taken to slow/prevent the transmission of COVID-19 such as social and physical distancing and stay-at-home orders may be associated with another potentially detrimental psychological outcome, loneliness, 4 that is, the unpleasant experience resulting from a perceived deficiency in the quantity/quality of one’s social relationships. 5 Studies from the UK have suggested that loneliness may be prevalent in the general population during the pandemic with between 18–27% of individuals being often lonely or having the highest loneliness scores, respectively, 6 , 7 while other research from the United States has shown that the prevalence of loneliness may be extremely high in specific subpopulations such as younger adults, with the figure ranging from 43% to 61.5% in individuals aged 18–35. 8 , 9 Evidence suggests that the trajectory of loneliness may have remained stable during the early phase of the pandemic but at a high level for many people, 10 while a number of studies have linked feeling lonely to worse mental health including depression, anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).…”