Are patients with mental disorders more vulnerable to loneliness and social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic? – Findings from the Japan COVID-19 and Society Internet Survey

Preexisting Mental Disorders and Mental Distress During the Pandemic : The Roles of Stress, Risk Perception, and Loneliness

“…Notably, loneliness emerged as a critical contributor to mental distress in individuals with preexisting mental disorders. The enforced isolation and social distancing measures during the pandemic likely intensi ed feelings of loneliness, which in turn exacerbated their mental distress [18,32,34], and individuals with preexisting mental disorders might feel this isolation more acutely due to their reliance on social interactions for support [31,32].…”

“…The determinantal effect of loneliness on mental health, well documented in the literature, may be especially pronounced for individuals with preexisting mental illnesses who often grapple with loneliness and social isolation [32]. Indeed, Goh et al [31], in their study conducted in Japan during the pandemic, found that patients with mental disorders were more vulnerable to moderate to severe loneliness and high social isolation, exacerbating their existing mental illness symptoms.…”

“…Moreover, loneliness had already reached epidemic proportions even before the pandemic [30]. Thus, there has been growing public health concern that the pandemic has exacerbated this issue, as loneliness has emerged as a signi cant risk factor for mental health due to the intensi ed social distancing and quarantine measures during the pandemic [18,31,32]. Research indicated that loneliness is more prevalent among individuals with mental health issues compared to the general population both before and during the pandemic [18, [33][34][35].…”