Impact of Loneliness on Depression, Mental Health, and Physical Well-being
Loneliness has emerged as a significant public health concern in the U.S., with profound implications for mental and physical health according to a new study published in PLOS One. Loneliness predicts poor mental and physical health outcomes. Survey data collected from nearly 50,000 people in the U.S. found that 4 in 5 report some loneliness, with levels strongly correlated with poor mental health days, and poor physical health days.
Temitope Ogundare, MD, MPH“We aim for this study to encourage society to acknowledge loneliness as a major public health concern and to actively design interventions that foster social connections and reduce isolation. By identifying and addressing loneliness early, we can enhance both mental and physical well-being, enabling people to lead healthier, more connected lives,” said senior author Temitope Ogundare, MD, MPH, clinical instructor, Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and psychiatry resident, Boston Medical Center.
In the study, corresponding author Oluwasegun Akinyemi, MD, MSc, PhD, senior research fellow at Howard university College of Medicine, and his colleagues analyzed Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data collected via phone surveys between 2016 and 2023. The study population included 47,318 non-institutionalized adults living in the U.S., predominantly White (73.3%) and female (62.1%), and aged 18-64 years (72.1%).
More than 80% of participants reported some level of loneliness. Compared to those who reported “Never” being lonely, individuals who reported being “Always” lonely had a significantly higher predicted probability of depression (50.2% vs. 9.7%, p<0.001), had on average 10.9 more poor mental health days per month (20 vs. 9.4), and 5.0 more poor physical health days per month (all p<0.001). Women consistently experienced a higher likelihood of depression and more poor mental health days than men across loneliness levels, and Black individuals had lower probabilities of depression and fewer mental health days than White individuals across loneliness levels.
The study was limited by the reliance on self-reported measures as well as possible bias from unmeasured confounders such as personality traits or life events. However, the authors state that the findings of the study carry urgent policy and practice implications. They suggest that loneliness should be prioritized alongside traditional risk factors in public health planning and that routine loneliness screenings in clinical settings could help identify high-risk individuals for interventions such as social initiatives.