IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i18p9889-d639323.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Loneliness among Middle-Aged and Older Middle-Aged Adults in Russia (Saint Petersburg) before and during COVID-19 Pandemic

Author

Listed:
  • Olga Strizhitskaya

    (Faculty of Psychology, Saint Petersburg State University, 199034 Saint Petersburg, Russia)

  • Marina Petrash

    (Faculty of Psychology, Saint Petersburg State University, 199034 Saint Petersburg, Russia)

  • Inna Murtazina

    (Faculty of Psychology, Saint Petersburg State University, 199034 Saint Petersburg, Russia)

  • Gayane Vartanyan

    (Faculty of Psychology, Saint Petersburg State University, 199034 Saint Petersburg, Russia)

  • Anton Shchukin

    (Faculty of Psychology, Saint Petersburg State University, 199034 Saint Petersburg, Russia)

Abstract

Loneliness has been considered a major challenge since long before the pandemic. Changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic included modifications in social communications and activities. Thus, it was expected that loneliness would increase during the pandemic. The first studies of loneliness during the pandemic revealed inconsistent results. We hypothesized that physical isolation led to changes in the quality of relationships; thus, loneliness trends could be different from those predicted. For our study we used methods to measure loneliness: the Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale (SELSA-S) for Adults and Older Adults; the Multidimensional Inventory of Loneliness Experience; and demographic data. Participants were middle-aged and older middle-aged adults ( n = 457) aged 35–59 (M = 45.5, SD = 6.88, 35.4% males). Participants came from two studies: Study 1 consisted of 280 participants aged 35–59 (M = 44.8; SD = 6.93; 29.6% males), the study was conducted before the pandemic in late 2019; participants in Study 2 were adults ( n = 177) aged 35–59 (M = 46.5; SD = 6.68; 44.6% males), data were collected in the fall of 2020. The results did not confirm increase in loneliness; moreover, participants reported lower scores of loneliness in some domains. Regression analyses showed that general experience of loneliness was predicted by different loneliness characteristics in pre-pandemic and pandemic age groups. We found some similar mechanisms that were activated within different situations. Our results confirmed the complex nature of loneliness, they argue that pandemic effects were not limited to increase in loneliness and that the mechanism of loneliness can adjust to environmental factors.

Suggested Citation

  • Olga Strizhitskaya & Marina Petrash & Inna Murtazina & Gayane Vartanyan & Anton Shchukin, 2021. "Loneliness among Middle-Aged and Older Middle-Aged Adults in Russia (Saint Petersburg) before and during COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-11, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:18:p:9889-:d:639323
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/18/9889/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/18/9889/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Peter G van der Velden & Philip Hyland & Carlo Contino & Hans-Martin von Gaudecker & Ruud Muffels & Marcel Das, 2021. "Anxiety and depression symptoms, the recovery from symptoms, and loneliness before and after the COVID-19 outbreak among the general population: Findings from a Dutch population-based longitudinal stu," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(1), pages 1-17, January.
    2. Stefan Stieger & David Lewetz & Viren Swami, 2021. "Emotional Well-Being Under Conditions of Lockdown: An Experience Sampling Study in Austria During the COVID-19 Pandemic," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 22(6), pages 2703-2720, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Raquel Lara & Martha Fernández-Daza & Sara Zabarain-Cogollo & María Angustias Olivencia-Carrión & Manuel Jiménez-Torres & María Demelza Olivencia-Carrión & Adelaida Ogallar-Blanco & Débora Godoy-Izqui, 2021. "Active Coping and Anxiety Symptoms during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Spanish Adults," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(16), pages 1-17, August.
    2. David Jungwirth & Daniela Haluza, 2023. "Sports and the Pandemic: The Impact of COVID-19 on Active Living and Life Satisfaction of Climbers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-12, January.
    3. Kamila Czepczor-Bernat & Justyna Modrzejewska & Adriana Modrzejewska & Viren Swami, 2022. "The Impact of a Woodland Walk on Body Image: A Field Experiment and an Assessment of Dispositional and Environmental Determinants," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-13, November.
    4. Diana Harding & Kevin Muhamad Lukman & Matheus Jingga & Yuta Uchiyama & Jay Mar D. Quevedo & Ryo Kohsaka, 2022. "Urban Gardening and Wellbeing in Pandemic Era: Preliminary Results from a Socio-Environmental Factors Approach," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-15, March.
    5. Andrés Rodríguez-Pose & Alexandra Sandu & Chris Taylor & Jennifer May Hampton, 2024. "Children’s Subjective Well-Being During the Coronavirus Pandemic," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 17(1), pages 309-347, February.
    6. Latikka, Rita & Koivula, Aki & Oksa, Reetta & Savela, Nina & Oksanen, Atte, 2022. "Loneliness and psychological distress before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: Relationships with social media identity bubbles," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 293(C).
    7. Elisabeth Noehammer, 2022. "Students and Staff in Lockdown: Mental and Social Health in the Austrian Tertiary Education Sector," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-12, December.
    8. Kailin Cheng & Jiangqun Liao, 2023. "Coping with Coronavirus Pandemic: Risk Perception Predicts Life Optimism," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(1), pages 351-371, January.
    9. Siv Karlsson Stafseth & Laila Skogstad & Johan Ræder & Ingvild Strand Hovland & Haakon Hovde & Øivind Ekeberg & Irene Lie, 2022. "Symptoms of Anxiety, Depression, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Health Care Personnel in Norwegian ICUs during the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic, a Prospective, Observational Cross-Sectio," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(12), pages 1-15, June.
    10. Boni, Zofia & Bertel, Diotima & Adler, Viktoria, 2024. "To stay or not to stay at home? The unintended consequences of public health advice for older adults in the context of Covid-19 and urban heat," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 348(C).
    11. Nicola Di Fazio & Donato Morena & Giuseppe Delogu & Gianpietro Volonnino & Federico Manetti & Martina Padovano & Matteo Scopetti & Paola Frati & Vittorio Fineschi, 2022. "Mental Health Consequences of COVID-19 Pandemic Period in the European Population: An Institutional Challenge," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-20, July.
    12. Mateusz Babicki & Bogna Bogudzińska & Krzysztof Kowalski & Agnieszka Mastalerz-Migas, 2022. "Depression, Anxiety and Quality of Life among Online Responders in Poland: A Cross-Sectional Study Covering Four Waves of the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(16), pages 1-16, August.
    13. Seojin Stacey Lee & Yerin Shim & Jongan Choi & Incheol Choi, 2023. "Paradoxical Impacts of Social Relationship on Well-Being During the COVID-19 Pandemic," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 745-767, February.
    14. Adam Runacres & Kelly A. Mackintosh & Rachel L. Knight & Liba Sheeran & Rhys Thatcher & James Shelley & Melitta A. McNarry, 2021. "Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Sedentary Time and Behaviour in Children and Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-26, October.
    15. Farzin Mumtahena & Kaustav Sen & Mahnoor Imran Sayyed & Pasan Wijayawardhana & Roya Zafari & Shrijya Kafle, 2023. "Learning Losses of Undergraduate Students in South Asia during COVID‐19 and its Determinants," Economic Papers, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 42(4), pages 366-394, December.
    16. Jessica E. Desrochers & Ashleigh L. Bell & Elizabeth K. Nisbet & John M. Zelenski, 2022. "Does Spending Time in Nature Help Students Cope with the COVID-19 Pandemic?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-18, February.
    17. David Jungwirth & Chiara Amelie Weninger & Daniela Haluza, 2021. "Fitness and the Crisis: Impacts of COVID-19 on Active Living and Life Satisfaction in Austria," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-13, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:18:p:9889-:d:639323. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.