Loneliness during the first half-year of COVID-19 Lockdowns

Killgore, William D. S.; Cloonan, Sara; Taylor, Emily C.; Lucas, Daniel A.; Dailey, Natalie S.

doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113551

Cited by 124 publications

(117 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Social isolation and a sense of insufficient social support each also contributed significantly to mental health problems. This is consistent with other data suggesting that loneliness has increased during the course of the pandemic, and is associated with suicidal ideation and other mental health issues (36,44,45). Clearly, any successful psychiatric mitigation strategy will need to address the profound issues surrounding the current reduction in face-to-face human interaction and the widespread experience of loneliness (46).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Mental Health During the First Weeks of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States

et al. 2021

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Background: By March 2020, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 crisis as a worldwide pandemic and many local governments instituted stay-at-home orders and closed non-essential businesses. Within the United States, tens of millions of workers lost their jobs and financial security during the first few weeks of the national response, in an attempt to slow the global pandemic. Because of the enormity of the pandemic and its potential impact on mental health, the objective of the present study was to document the prevalence of mental health problems and their association with pandemic-related job loss during the third week of the nationwide shutdown.Methods: Mental health was assessed via online questionnaires among a representative sample of 1,013 U.S. adults on April 9–10, 2020. Rates of clinically significant mental health outcomes were compared between participants who lost their job as a result of COVID-19 restrictions (17.4%) vs. those who did not (82.6%). Bivariate multiple logistic regression identified factors that were predictive of, and protective against, mental health problems.Results: The prevalence of clinically significant symptoms was significantly higher than prior population estimates, ranging from 27 to 32% for depression, 30 to 46% for anxiety disorders, 15 to 18% for acute/post-traumatic stress, 25% for insomnia, and 18% for suicidal ideation. Prevalence estimates were 1.5–1.7 times higher for those who reported job loss due to COVID-19 restrictions than those who did not. Mental health problems were predicted by worry over financial instability, insomnia, social isolation, and alcohol consumption, while getting outside more often, perceived social support, and older age were protective against these problems.Conclusions: During the first 3 weeks of lockdowns/stay-at-home restrictions, mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, insomnia, and acute stress reactions were notably elevated relative to prior population estimates. Job loss related to the nationwide shutdown was particularly associated with poorer mental health. These findings provide a baseline of mental health functioning during the first weeks of the national emergency and lockdown orders in response to COVID-19.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

Mental Health During the First Weeks of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States

et al. 2021

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“…By yearly application of the UCLA-3 questionnaire from 2015 to 2020, an elevation of loneliness by two standard deviations was detected in April of 2020 [6]. Furthermore, a study conducted in the UK by Killgore and colleagues showed an increase in loneliness from April to September of 2020, associated with restrictions implemented during the pandemic [29]. Supporting the hypothesis that the loneliness observed in our dataset was associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, we found the self-perceived risk of contracting COVID-19 to be a determining factor of increased loneliness in the homeless cohort.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Loneliness among Homeless Individuals during the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Bertram

Heinrich

Fröb

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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The feeling of loneliness is a major public health concern associated with multiple somatic and psychiatric illnesses. Studies have shown increasing incidence of loneliness in the general population during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Homeless individuals are a particularly vulnerable group; however, little is known about loneliness among homeless individuals. We therefore aimed to examine the prevalence of loneliness among homeless individuals during the pandemic. Furthermore, we estimated the association between loneliness and sociodemographic and lifestyle factors, as well as the self-perceived risk of contracting COVID-19. Data from the Hamburg survey of homeless individuals were used, including 151 homeless individuals that were recruited in spring of 2020. Loneliness was measured by the 3- item version of the UCLA-3 Loneliness Scale. To summarize, 48.5% of the participants experienced loneliness. Multiple linear regressions showed increased loneliness to be associated with male gender (β = 1.07, p = 0.01), being single (β = 1.33, p = 0.00), originating from Germany (β = 1.48, p = 0.00), high frequency of sharing a sleeping space with more than three people (β = 0.42, p = 0.02) and a higher self-perceived risk of contracting COVID-19 (β = 0.41, p = 0.02). On the contrary, there was no association of loneliness with age, educational level, chronic alcohol consumption or frequently sharing a sleeping space. In conclusion, the magnitude of loneliness among homeless individuals during the pandemic was highlighted. Description of factors determining loneliness may help to identify homeless individuals at risk.

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“…The burden of loneliness in grief, especially when traumatic, is costly and presents a potential public health crisis, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic [ 1 , 17 , 18 , 21 ]. Findings from this study can be used to help educate others about the needs of grievers and how to adequately support them to reduce some of the cost to families and society.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

What is good grief support? Exploring the actors and actions in social support after traumatic grief

Cacciatore

Thieleman

Fretts³

et al. 2021

PLoS ONE

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Social support seems to enhance wellbeing and health in many populations. Conversely, poor social support and loneliness are a social determinant of poor health outcomes and can adversely affect physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Social support is especially important in traumatic grief. However, the ways in which grieving individuals interpret and define social support is not well understood, and little is known about what specific behaviours are perceived as helpful. Using qualitative description and content analysis, this study assessed bereaved individuals’ satisfaction of social support in traumatic grief, using four categories of social support as a framework. Findings suggest inadequate satisfaction from professional, familial, and community support. Pets emerged with the most satisfactory ratings. Further, findings suggest that emotional support is the most desired type of support following traumatic loss. Implications for supporting bereaved individuals within and beyond the context of the COVID-19 pandemic are discussed.

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Loneliness during the first half-year of COVID-19 Lockdowns

Cited by 124 publications

References 4 publications

Mental Health During the First Weeks of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States

Mental Health During the First Weeks of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States

Loneliness among Homeless Individuals during the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic

What is good grief support? Exploring the actors and actions in social support after traumatic grief

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