Higher levels of loneliness in young adulthood and old age

Loneliness across the lifespan
Loneliness is defined as the subjective feeling of a lack of meaningful social connections or a sense of belongingness. It is a distressing phenomenon that may influence both mental and physical health negatively. Loneliness affects individuals across populations and in various age groups, but the understanding of how loneliness develops over the life course is limited.

This study explored how loneliness evolves across the adult lifespan and identified factors that may influence these changes. A coordinated data analysis (CDA) of nine longitudinal studies was carried out, comprising 128,118 individuals aged 13 to 103 years from over 20 countries. The study includes two NEAR-studies – the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging (SATSA) and Origins of Variance in the Oldest Old: Octogenarian Twins (Octo-Twin).

Photo: Engin Akyurt från Pixabay

Higher levels of loneliness in young adulthood and old age
Results revealed a U-shaped curve of loneliness over the life-course: it decreased between young adulthood and midlife and increased again in older adulthood. This pattern was consistent across the nine studies included. Several factors were linked to higher levels of loneliness. Women reported higher loneliness levels than men, and those who were divorced, separated, or widowed reported higher levels of loneliness than married people. Moreover, lower educational attainment as well as more physical limitations were linked to higher levels of loneliness. These factors, however, did not significantly moderate the U-shaped association between loneliness and age. The findings of this study underscore the complexity of loneliness and its impact across different stages of life. Future studies should continue to explore the underlying mechanisms of loneliness and evaluate the effectiveness of strategies to reduce its adverse effects on mental and physical health across the lifespan.

Publication
Graham, E. K., Beck, E. D., Jackson, K., Yoneda, T., McGhee, C., Pieramici, L., Atherton, O.E., Luo, J., Willroth, E.C., Steptoe, A., Mroczek, D.K., & Ong, A. D. (2024). Do we become more lonely with age? A coordinated data analysis of nine longitudinal studies. Psychological science, 35(6), 579-596. https://doi.org/10.1177/09567976241242037