Increased loneliness suffered during the Covid pandemic could have implications for people’s long-term mental and physical health, general well-being and life expectancy, a study has found.
The research published on Monday by the American Psychological Association looked at loneliness accompanied by painful feelings that could become issues later in life.
There was a small but significant increase in loneliness during the pandemic of about 5 per cent across separate studies, on average.
“The pandemic does appear to have increased loneliness,” said study lead author Mareike Ernst, at Johannes Gutenberg-University of Mainz, in Germany.
“Given the small effect sizes, dire warnings about a ‘loneliness pandemic’ may be overblown. However, as loneliness constitutes a risk for premature death and mental and physical health, it should be closely monitored.
“We think that loneliness should be made a priority in large-scale research projects aimed at investigating the health outcomes of the pandemic.”
Researchers reviewed 34 studies from four continents, mostly richer countries in North America and Europe, involving more than 200,000 total participants in long-term studies to calculate loneliness levels.
Despite the findings for increased loneliness, which were published in the journal American Psychologist, not all groups experienced the increase.
More studies are needed, researchers said, both in the richer countries included in their report and poorer nations, to find out why some people and groups are at higher risk of experiencing loneliness.
“Strong evidence supporting interventions addressing loneliness remains limited. The increase in loneliness associated with the pandemic highlights the need for a concerted effort to strengthen that evidence base,” Ms Ernst said.
One question that needs investigation is whether the changes in loneliness are primarily due to alterations in the quality or the quantity of people’s social interactions.
The study looked at painful loneliness rather than social isolation, which can include having a small social network or fewer social interactions.
In the UK, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have offered support to those suffering from loneliness.
Prince William and his wife Kate will take part in the Mental Health Minute on Friday, which will be broadcast to more than 20 million people across 500 radio stations.
TV presenter Scarlett Moffatt has also spoken candidly about her experience of loneliness and the pandemic.
“In the world of social media, it's not always clear to see when people are feeling sad or lonely,” she said.
"I remember feeling guilt when I felt lonely — because to many people I have no reason to feel alone — but loneliness affects us all.
“The pandemic was particularly tough for a lot of people. I rang Samaritans for support and would urge anyone else struggling to do so too.
“Talking to someone who didn't know me, or judge me, really helped when I wanted to talk about how I was feeling.”
