Severe Loneliness Research Articles

Loneliness and Social Isolation Factors Under the Prolonged COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan: 2-Year Longitudinal Study.

Worsening loneliness and social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic have become serious public health concerns worldwide. Despite previous research reporting persistent loneliness and social isolation under repeated emergency declarations and prolonged pandemics, long-term studies are needed to identify the actual conditions of loneliness and social isolation, and the factors that explain them. In this study, 3 web-based surveys were conducted at 1-year intervals during the 2 years after the first state of emergency to examine changes in loneliness and social isolation and the psychosocial factors associated with them in the Japanese population. The first survey (phase 1, May 11-12, 2020) was conducted at the end of the first emergency declaration period, the second survey (phase 2, June 14-20, 2021) was conducted at the end of the third emergency declaration period, and the third survey (phase 3, May 13-30, 2022) was conducted when the state of emergency had not been declared but many COVID-19-positive cases occurred during this period. We collected data on 3892 inhabitants (n=1813, 46.58% women; age: mean 50.3, SD 13.4 y) living in the 4 prefectures where emergency declaration measures were applied in phases 1 and 2. A linear mixed model analysis was performed to examine the association between psychosocial variables as explanatory variables and loneliness scores as the dependent variable in each phase. While many psychosocial and physical variables showed improvement for the 2 years, loneliness, social isolation, and the relationship with familiar people deteriorated, and the opportunities for exercise, favorite activities, and web-based interaction with familiar people decreased. Approximately half of those experiencing social isolation in phase 1 remained isolated throughout the 2-year period, and a greater number of people developed social isolation than those who were able to resolve it. The results of the linear mixed model analysis showed that most psychosocial and physical variables were related to loneliness regardless of the phase. Regarding the variables that showed a significant interaction with the phase, increased altruistic preventive behavior and a negative outlook for the future were more strongly associated with severe loneliness in phase 3 (P=.01 to <.001), while the association between fewer social networks and stronger loneliness tended to be more pronounced in phase 2. Although the interaction was not significant, the association between reduced face-to-face interaction, poorer relationships with familiar people, and increased loneliness tended to be stronger in phase 3. This study found that loneliness and social isolation remained unresolved throughout the long-term COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, in the final survey phase, these issues were influenced by a broader and more complex set of factors compared to earlier phases.

Loneliness, children's support, and demand for socialized elderly services: Empirical findings from China

The pace of aging is accelerating, and concurrently, an increasing number of elderly individuals are grappling with loneliness. Using KHB method and secondary moderating effect test, authors apply the concept of multi-dimensional loneliness in an exploratory study of eldercare service purchase behavior among elderly people based on national sample in China. Results show that, firstly, loneliness serves as a significant motivator driving the consumption behavior of elderly care services. Secondly, the varying degrees of loneliness differentially impact the consumption behavior of elderly individuals receiving eldercare services. Mild loneliness manifests as a facilitative effect, whereas severe loneliness manifests as an inhibitory effect. Thirdly, emotional loneliness promotes the consumption behavior of lonely elderly individuals towards eldercare services, whereas social loneliness is unrelated to the consumption of eldercare services among lonely elderly individuals. Lastly, emotional support from adult children incentivizes lonely elderly individuals to invest in care-related eldercare services, displacing their expenditure on mental well-being-focused eldercare services. The findings of this paper confirm the multidimensional nature of loneliness within the context of elderly care services, laying the groundwork for future research on the significance of elderly care services in enhancing the psychological well-being of the elderly population.

Isolation's Echo Current Perspectives in Loneliness Research

Despite increasing incidence across the world, not much evidence is available for understanding and effective management of loneliness. More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic, hard economic times, parental stress, marriage issues and other factors pressed the global population with severe loneliness in high-income, low and middle-income countries (LMICs). This literature review investigates the current landscape of loneliness in high and LMICs to identify new developments, knowledge gaps and insights. This literature search in electronic databases, PubMed/Medline and Google Scholar, to gather qualitative and quantitative evidence and evaluate reported symptoms, prevalence and variance of loneliness across populations. The review focused on unaddressed or contentious issues that are vital for evidence-based interventions. The incidence of loneliness among adolescents, married, children, and separated partners in high and LMIC resonated around vulnerability due to socio-economic, cultural, political and ethnic features. A global incidence of loneliness manifested through parental stress, family conflict, abuse and victimization, racial discrimination, loss of jobs, the COVID-19 pandemic and weak social connections. In children aged 4 to 10 years, loss of pro-social activities like hobbies, sports, school, family conflicts, child-parent disagreements, sedentary behaviors like increased screen time, health disparities and racism have been associated with loneliness. Loneliness has been deemed a trigger of poor social development, quality of life and family fragmentation. The global variance of loneliness can be attributed to unique risk factors. Loneliness implicates social isolation, stress, anxiety, and sleep disturbances among children, adolescents and elderly people. Apart from parental stress, the recent pandemic amplified its prevalence due to hard economic times, loss of jobs and curfews. Males, adolescents and children are the major victims of ensuing loneliness. nonetheless, our study established that physical exercise is an effective intervention against loneliness. Keywords: Loneliness Research, Social Isolation, Mental Health, Psychological Well-being, Current Perspectives

Variations in Benefits of Intergenerational Tutoring in the "New Normal".

This study investigated the benefits and challenges of intergenerational tutoring in a post-pandemic context. We explored how the benefits of intergenerational tutoring vary among subgroups of volunteers-first-time tutors, male tutors, tutors who are caregivers, and tutors with moderate or severe loneliness. Older adult tutors (N = 319) were surveyed before and after the 2021-2022 school year, and the data were analyzed with structural equation multivariate regression and thematic analysis. Results indicated that while public health measures like mask-wearing posed challenges for some tutors, there were positive outcomes for tutors, especially first-time tutors, who experienced more health and well-being benefits, and tutors who are caregivers, who experienced improved civic attitudes towards public education. These results can help programs attract subgroups of volunteers who are likely to benefit the most, as well as attend to the unique challenges of pandemic-related policies.

Prevalence and predictors of loneliness and its association with health-seeking behaviors among the elderly population, Gujarat, A community-based cross-sectional study.

To determine the prevalence and predictors of loneliness and its associations with health behaviors among elderly adults in Gujarat, India. This community-based cross-sectional study included 250 participants aged ≥60 years. Loneliness was measured using the UCLA Loneliness Scale. Associations with socio-demographic, health, and social factors were explored through regression models. Health behaviors were compared between lonely and non-lonely groups. The prevalence of moderate and severe loneliness was 24% (n = 60) and 16% (n = 40), respectively. 40% (n = 100) were found to be lonely. Widowhood (55/125, OR 3.67), living alone (75/125, OR 1.85), social isolation (90/125, OR 2.38), recent bereavement (68/125, OR 1.69), depression (85/125, OR 6.52), and disability (70/125, OR 6.35) were significant predictors of loneliness (P < 0.05). Lonely elders had poorer diet, exercise, sleep, increased smoking, screen time, reduced medical checkups, and social engagements versus non-lonely peers (P < 0.05). Loneliness was highly prevalent among 40% of elderly Indians and strongly linked to adverse health behaviors. Interventions promoting social connectedness, counseling, and peer support are recommended.

Exploring Loneliness among Korean Adults: A Concept Mapping Approach.

In South Korea, the proportion of adults experiencing severe loneliness has been increasing rapidly. Accordingly, this study examines the elements of loneliness experienced by Korean adults and investigates their structural relevance using concept mapping. Korean adults (47) were recruited for individual in-depth interviews based on their scores on the UCLA Loneliness Scale. The interviews yielded 80 unique statements, which were then evaluated using multidimensional scaling and a hierarchical cluster analysis. A cluster map of loneliness was derived, with three clusters: (1) emotional distress due to the actual or anticipated absence of connection in relationships, (2) emotional distance from oneself or from others in a relationship, and (3) powerlessness and emptiness due to being directionless. Two dimensions distinguished these clusters: the lack of a sense of connection or self-assurance, and an inward or outward focus. These findings reveal that loneliness encompasses more than unmet relational needs; it also involves self-attentional focus, indicating a need to reconceptualize the notion of loneliness. The study's implications extend to counseling theory and practices by highlighting the importance of addressing both relational connections and self-perceptions in interventions for loneliness. By expanding the understanding of loneliness through empirical data, this research provides a more comprehensive framework for addressing loneliness.

Early-life circumstances and late life loneliness trajectories among Finnish older adults

BackgroundLater life loneliness has become a significant public health concern worldwide. Research has focused on the prevalence, risk factors and consequences of loneliness in different age groups. This study aimed to advance the understanding of the impact of early-life circumstances on later life loneliness by examining the associations between adversities in childhood and youth and loneliness trajectories in Finnish older adults.MethodsThe data were derived from the 10-year follow-up survey study Good Aging in the Lahti Region (n = 1552, mean age 64.89 years). The baseline study was conducted in 2002 with a regionally and locally stratified random sample of older persons living in the Lahti Region located in southern Finland. The follow-up surveys were carried out in 2005, 2008 and 2012. Loneliness was measured using a single question at the three follow-ups. Childhood conditions were retrospectively assessed at baseline with questions regarding the death of parents, household affection, relocation, and fear of a family member. Latent class growth analysis with time invariant covariates was used to identify loneliness trajectories and to examine the associations between loneliness trajectories and adverse circumstances in childhood and youth.ResultsThe results identified three distinct loneliness trajectories: low, moderate, and severe, including 36%, 50% and 14%, respectively, of the study population. The non-significant slopes of the three trajectories indicate that trajectories were stable during the seven years of follow-up. Being afraid of a family member, having a cold childhood, and death of a father or mother in childhood or youth significantly increased the odds of having a severe loneliness trajectory as compared to low loneliness trajectory. None of the early-life circumstances differentiated between severe and moderate levels of loneliness.ConclusionsThe findings suggest that some adverse early-life circumstances increase the odds of an unfavorable loneliness trajectory in later life. The results highlight the need to recognize the role of diverse life-course adversities in loneliness research and interventions. The study also underscores the importance of identifying individuals who are at risk of long-term and severe loneliness and providing them with appropriate support to decrease and/or prevent the negative health consequences of loneliness in old age.

Loneliness and Mortality Risk Among Cancer Survivors in the United States: A Retrospective, Longitudinal Study.

Loneliness, a subjective feeling of being isolated, is a prevalent concern for elderly people and more so among cancer survivors because a cancer diagnosis and its subsequent treatment may result in long-term adverse health effects. This study aimed to examine the association of loneliness and mortality risk among cancer survivors in the United States. We identified a longitudinal cohort of cancer survivors aged ≥50 years from the nationally representative panel surveys of the 2008-2018 Health and Retirement Study. Follow-up for vital status was through 2020. Loneliness was measured using an 11-item abbreviated version of the UCLA Loneliness Scale (Version 3), including questions about lacking companionship and feeling isolated from others. A score was assigned according to the responses to each question, with 1 for least lonely, 2 for moderately lonely, and 3 for the loneliest option. Items were summed to create total loneliness scores for each individual, which were categorized into 4 levels: 11-12 (low/no loneliness), 13-15 (mild loneliness), 16-19 (moderate loneliness), and 20-33 (severe loneliness) based on the sample distribution. Time-varying Cox proportional hazard models with age as a time scale were used to examine the association of loneliness and survival among cancer survivors. A total of 3,447 cancer survivors with 5,808 person-years of observation were included, with 1,402 (24.3%), 1,445 (24.5%), 1,418 (23.6%), and 1,543 (27.6%) reporting low/no, mild, moderate, and severe loneliness, respectively. Compared with survivors reporting low/no loneliness, survivors reporting greater loneliness had a higher mortality risk, with the highest adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) among the loneliest group (aHR, 1.67 [95% CI, 1.25-2.23]; P=.004) following a dose-response association. Elevated loneliness was associated with a higher mortality risk among cancer survivors. Programs to screen for loneliness among cancer survivors and to provide resources and support are warranted, especially considering the widespread social distancing that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prolonged Grief Symptoms Predict Social and Emotional Loneliness and Depression Symptoms

A minority of bereaved individuals develops severe, persistent, and disabling grief, termed “prolonged grief.” The International Classification of Diseases, eleventh edition (ICD-11) and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition, text revision (DSM-5-TR) include such grief reactions as prolonged grief disorder (PGD). Loneliness is often experienced by bereaved persons and can have severe health consequences. Preliminary research suggests that loneliness may perpetuate grief, but prolonged grief may also aggravate loneliness. Since existing empirical research provides limited information on temporal relationships between both constructs, we aimed to fill this gap in knowledge. Bereaved adults (88% female, mean age 54 years) filled in questionnaires assessing general, social, and emotional loneliness and prolonged grief and depression symptoms across two time points, 6 months apart. Cross-lagged panel model analyses showed that prolonged grief symptoms predicted more severe general, social, and emotional loneliness, as well as more depression symptoms. Loneliness did not predict prolonged grief symptoms and depression symptoms. Depression symptoms did not predict prolonged grief symptoms and loneliness. Additionally, latent change score analyses demonstrated that within person changes in prolonged grief symptoms and loneliness were related. Findings are inconsistent with the notion that loneliness causes prolonged grief and depression. Possibly, severe grief could lead to stigmatization, reduced social support, and feeling socially disconnected, perpetuating loneliness and depression symptoms.

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

ObjectivesEating 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. MethodsThis 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). ResultsThe 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). ConclusionThe 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 adults with vision impairment in India: Loneliness and social networks.

To examine the prevalence of loneliness and associated factors in young adults with vision impairment (VI), including quality of life (QoL) in India. Two hundred and three VI young adults (18-35 years) and 219 age-matched non-VI (controls) adults completed the loneliness scale, WHOQOL-BREF, Social Network Index (SNI) (network diversity, people in network size and number of embedded network subscales) and questions regarding sociodemographic characteristics and independent mobility. Rasch analysis was used to validate the questionnaires and interval-level scores were generated. Generalised linear models were used to estimate independent associations of sociodemographic factors, VI characteristics, social networks and QoL with loneliness. The prevalence of moderate and severe loneliness in the VI group was 10% (95% CI: 6.5, 15.4) and 4.4% (95% CI: 2.0, 8.2), respectively, and higher than that of controls. The VI group had a worse loneliness score than controls (-1.66 ± 2.25 vs. -2.13 ± 1.85 logits; p = 0.03). Those with ≤12 years and >12 years of education had loneliness scores of -1.58 ± 2.45 and -1.82 ± 1.99 logits, respectively (p = 0.01). Compared with controls, the VI group reported fewer extended family members, neighbours and friends leading to significantly smaller networks and network diversity (all p < 0.001). Loneliness scores demonstrated a significant correlation with only two SNI subscales for both groups: people in network size (r = -0.28 for VI; r = -0.30 for non-VI; p < 0.001 for both) and number of embedded networks (r = -0.22 for VI; r = -0.21 for non-VI; p = 0.002 for both). Both education (β = 0.45; p = 0.04) and QoL (β = -0.27, p = 0.02) were predictors of loneliness. Loneliness was commonly experienced by young VI adults and was higher among those with lower levels of education. Loneliness decreased with the presence of a larger number of people in network, suggesting that interventions to increase social activity and participation may be valuable in young VI adults.

Factors associated with loneliness in middle-aged and older patients with breast cancer

ObjectiveLoneliness is associated with adverse mental and physical health conditions and increased mortality. In this study, we identified significant factors associated with loneliness in middle-aged and older patients with breast cancer (BC). MethodsFor this cross-sectional study, we enrolled 200 patients (aged from 20 to 60 years) with BC from two hospitals in Indonesia through convenience sampling. Demographic characteristics, distress symptoms (Symptom Distress Scale), social support (Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support), frailty (Groningen Frailty Indicator), and loneliness (UCLA Loneliness Scale, version 3) were measured. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify significant factors associated with loneliness in our cohort. ResultsLoneliness risk was negatively correlated with social support but positively correlated with unemployment and frailty. Thus, the patients received a high level of social support (odds ratio [OR]: 0.96; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.92–0.99) and had a low risk of severe loneliness. By contrast, patients who were unemployed (OR: 4.00; 95% CI: 1.65–9.66) and those who had frailty (OR: 5.79; 95% CI: 2.50–13.42) had an elevated risk of severe loneliness. ConclusionsUnemployment, social support, and frailty may significantly influence the risk of loneliness in patients with BC. Early and regular assessments of loneliness should be integrated in the care of these patients. Suitable strategies aimed at increasing social support and mitigating frailty may benefit middle-aged and older patients with BC, particularly unemployed patients, by reducing their risk of loneliness.

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

ABSTRACT 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.

Sex-based trajectories of health system use in lonely and not lonely older people: A population-based cohort study.

There is growing interest in understanding the care needs of lonely people but studies are limited and examine healthcare settings separately. We estimated and compared healthcare trajectories in lonely and not lonely older female and male respondents to a national health survey. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of community-dwelling, Ontario respondents (65+ years) to the 2008/2009 Canadian Community Health Survey-Healthy Aging. Respondents were classified at baseline as not lonely, moderately lonely, or severely lonely using the Three-Item Loneliness Scale and then linked with health administrative data to assess healthcare transitions over a 12 -year observation period. Annual risks of moving from the community to inpatient, long-stay home care, long-term care settings-and death-were estimated across loneliness levels using sex-stratified multistate models. Of 2684 respondents (58.8% female sex; mean age 77 years [standard deviation: 8]), 635 (23.7%) experienced moderate loneliness and 420 (15.6%) severe loneliness. Fewer lonely respondents remained in the community with no transitions (not lonely, 20.3%; moderately lonely, 17.5%; and severely lonely, 12.6%). Annual transition risks from the community to home care and long-term care were higher in female respondents and increased with loneliness severity for both sexes (e.g., 2-year home care risk: 6.1% [95% CI 5.5-6.6], 8.4% [95% CI 7.4-9.5] and 9.4% [95% CI 8.2-10.9] in female respondents, and 3.5% [95% CI 3.1-3.9], 5.0% [95% CI 4.0-6.0], and 5.4% [95% CI 4.0-6.8] in male respondents; 5-year long-term care risk: 9.2% [95% CI 8.0-10.8], 11.1% [95% CI 9.3-13.6] and 12.2% [95% CI 9.9-15.3] [female], and 5.3% [95% CI 4.2-6.7], 9.1% [95% CI 6.8-12.5], and 10.9% [95% CI 7.9-16.3] [male]). Lonely older female and male respondents were more likely to need home care and long-term care, with severely lonely female respondents having the highest probability of moving to these settings.

Comparison survey on family caregivers of older persons in Japan and Thailand.

While rapid population ageing is occurring worldwide, its speed is especially prominent in Asian countries. In Asia, cultural diversity might significantly affect care burden; however, few studies have investigated the differences in care burden, and mental, physical and social conditions among Asian countries. This study aimed to clarify the situations of and differences in family caregivers (FCs) of older persons in Japan and Thailand, and evaluate the factors associated with care burden in both countries. A cross-national survey of 217 in-home FCs was conducted in Japan and Thailand and mainly included items regarding care burden and psychosocial conditions. Differences between the two countries were obtained, and the factors associated with care burden were analysed by multiple regression analyses. The FCs' and care receivers' mean ages (64.8 ± 11.1 and 84.8 ± 8.6 years, respectively) in Japan were significantly higher than the mean ages (49.1 ± 13.3 and 77.1 ± 9.5 years) in Thailand. In Japan, FCs had more severe care burden, loneliness, and stress compared to those in Thailand. In Thailand, FCs had more social connections and informal support than those in Japan. The factors associated with care burden were different in each country; thus, severe stress, low emotional care preparation, and low willingness to continue care at home were significantly associated with severe care burden in Japan, whereas poor relationships with care receivers, few social connections, low confidence in providing care, low emotional care preparation, and lack of informal support were significantly associated with severe care burden in Thailand. Despite there being a long-term care insurance system in Japan, which is absent in Thailand, care burden and psychosocial conditions of FCs might be worse in Japan. There was a clear difference in the factors associated with care burden between Japan and Thailand.

Abstract TP14: SocialBit: A Novel Smartwatch Sensor to Detect Social Interaction Frequency in Stroke Survivors

Introduction: Stroke survivors experience high levels of social isolation which hinder their rehabilitation and well-being. A gap in the field that impedes intervention development is a lack of real-time social interaction measurement tailored for this population. In response, we developed SocialBit, a smartwatch-based machine learning algorithm to discreetly and passively detect social interactions through privacy-preserving acoustic analysis. In this observational study, we estimated the accuracy of SocialBit to detect social interactions compared to human observers in stroke survivors. Methods: SocialBit was built as a neural network machine learning algorithm using features from YAMNet and a Transformer classifier. It was then trained and tested in stroke survivors for up to 8 days in hospital. Independently, human observers tallied the presence or absence of social interactions every minute to establish the ground truth. SocialBit performance of detecting social interactions was compared against the ground truth. Results: We analyzed 1137.7 hours of ambient audio data in 90 patients within 14 days of stroke onset. 16% of patients had aphasia, 25% reported symptoms of clinical depression, and 28% reported moderate to severe loneliness. SocialBit had an accuracy of 0.83 (SD = 0.2), sensitivity of 0.86 (SD = 0.2), specificity of 0.81 (SD = 0.02), and an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.90 (SD = 0.2) (Figure 1). Conclusion: SocialBit accurately detected the frequency of social interactions in stroke survivors in a hospital setting. These results will drive future planned studies to examine SocialBit's performance in patients’ home communities. SocialBit shows the potential to be the first real-time social sensor to quantify social interactions and social isolation in stroke survivors.

Loneliness and Alcohol use among College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Rural Appalachia

Objective Binge drinking and heavy alcohol use are highly prevalent among college students. During the COVID-19 pandemic, due to lockdown restrictions and other challenges, many college students were burdened with loneliness, which can contribute to chronic stress, and substance use. The current study explores the association between loneliness and various levels of alcohol use among college students in the rural, underserved region of Central Appalachia, USA. Methods Data were collected from a regional sample (n = 320) of college age adults, age 18-25 in the Central Appalachian region. The UCLA-3 item Loneliness Scale (UCLA-3) was used in the study to evaluate loneliness. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the association between levels of loneliness and three separate outcomes, including past year binge drinking, past year heavy alcohol use, and past year weekly alcohol use. Results Overall, 25.5% of the participants reported severe loneliness, 33.6% reported moderate, and 40.9% reported low levels of loneliness. Results of the adjusted models revealed that severe loneliness was associated with higher odds of heavy alcohol use (AOR = 1.89, 95% CI [1.02, 3.50]) and binge drinking (AOR = 2.96, 95% CI [1.16, 7.51]), and not associated with weekly alcohol use. Conclusion The study found that higher levels of loneliness were linked to both binged drinking and heavy alcohol use. Further efforts for counseling and treatment among college students who are burdened with severe loneliness should be considered. The chronic stress associated with severe loneliness needs to be further addressed, particularly among emerging adults.

Role adoption, anxiety, depression and loneliness in family caregivers of patients with chronic diseases.

to describe and explore the relationship of loneliness, anxiety and depression with adoption of the caregiver role among individuals caring for people with chronic diseases in Colombia. this was an exploratory and cross-sectional study involving 960 primary caregivers of individuals with chronic diseases. We applied the Caregiver Role Adoption Scale, the University of California at Los Angeles Loneliness Scale, and the Anxiety and Depression Scale. Principal component and multiple correspondence analyses were performed for clustering. among the participating caregivers, 40.8% reported experiencing depression, 59% reported anxiety, 54.6% reported moderate to severe loneliness, and 88.6% reported satisfactory adoption of the caregiver role. Caregivers who presented basic or insufficient role adoption levels tended to have higher scores for anxiety, depression and loneliness. adoption of the caregiver role is a mediator in the anxiety, depression and loneliness levels among caregivers. Strategies aimed at supporting caregivers should include training for the caregiver role to mitigate the negative impacts of anxiety, depression and loneliness. (1) More than half of the caregivers reported moderate or severe anxiety and loneliness. (2) Caregivers with low role adoption levels presented more anxiety, depression and loneliness. (3) Satisfactory adoption of the caregiver role reduces anxiety, depression and loneliness. (4) Role adoption should be intervened to reduce the impact on caregivers' mental health.

Severe and Frequent Loneliness Mars Adults with Hearing Loss

There is a high prevalence of hearing loss in community and need of research to address this gap into the health-related issues of hearing loss like loneliness, anxiety and depression, hence current study was conducted. Objective: To determine the subjective loneliness in adults with hearing loss and association with clinico-demographic variables. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Isra University Islamabad, recruited N=377 patients with hearing loss utilizing convenience sampling from Sir Ganga Ram and Mayo Hospitals, Lahore, Pakistan from January 2020 to June 2020. The sample included both genders, aged 20 to 65 years with moderate to profound hearing loss of at least 1-year duration. The basic demographic sheet and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale Version 3 were used for data collection. Data were analyzed using SPSS Version 26 &amp; Chi-square was utilized for association with p&lt;0.05 taken to be significant. Results: Study revealed severe loneliness in 279(74%) and frequent loneliness in 98(26%). Severity categories of loneliness revealed association with age (p=0.049), gender (p=0.043), smoking (p=0.049), type of hearing loss (p&lt;0.001), degree of hearing loss (p=0.008), hearing aid use (p&lt;0.001), hours and days of hearing aid use (p&lt;0.001). Conclusions: It is concluded that hearing loss results in severe and frequent loneliness. Factors including age, gender, smoking, type of hearing loss, degree of hearing loss, hearing aid use, hours and days of hearing aid use are associated with loneliness in adult population of Punjab, Pakistan.

Severe Loneliness and Isolation in Nursing Students during COVID-19 Lockdown: A Phenomenological Study.

In 2022, COVID-19 continued to spread across the globe, and to stop the spread of the virus and protect people's health, universities across China continued to remain in a lockdown state. Loneliness is an important topic among college students, and the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated loneliness. This prolonged school lockdown was unprecedented and it caused severe social isolation and emotional loneliness for students. Few people know how nursing students experience loneliness and find a way through their experience. This qualitative phenomenological study was conducted to reveal the lived experiences of nursing students who indicated COVID-19 lockdown-related loneliness in a previous quantitative survey. We performed 20 semi-structured interviews with nursing students aged 19-23 yrs during their lockdown (April 2022 to June 2022). Our research applied Colaizzi's seven-step data analysis processes to reveal shared patterns in terms of how nursing students experienced lockdown and found the following four themes: emotional challenges associated with loneliness; causes of loneliness; positive and negative motivation to learn; and accepting solitude and reconstructing real life.