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Social isolation, loneliness and their relationships with depressive symptoms: A population-based study

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  • Lixia Ge
  • Chun Wei Yap
  • Reuben Ong
  • Bee Hoon Heng

Abstract

Objectives: To assess the relationship between various social isolation indicators and loneliness, and to examine the differential associations that social isolation indicators, loneliness have with depressive symptoms. Methods: Baseline data for 1,919 adults (aged 21 years and above) from a representative health survey in the Central region of Singapore was used for this study. The association between social isolation indicators (marital status, living arrangement, social connectedness with relatives and friends) and loneliness (the three-item UCLA Loneliness) were assessed, and their differential associations with depressive symptoms (the Patient Health Questionnaire-9) were examined using multiple linear regression, controling for relevant covariates. Results: There was significant overlap between loneliness and social isolation. Social connectedness with relatives and friends were mildly correlated with loneliness score (|r| = 0.14~0.16). Social isolation in terms of weak connectedness with relatives and with friends and loneliness were associated with depressive symptoms even after controling for age, gender, employment status and other covariates. The association of loneliness with depressive symptoms (β = 0.33) was independent of and stronger than that of any social isolation indicators (|β| = 0.00~0.07). Conclusions: The results of the study establishes a significant and unique association of different social isolation indicators and loneliness with depressive symptoms in community-dwelling adults aged 21 and above.

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  • Lixia Ge & Chun Wei Yap & Reuben Ong & Bee Hoon Heng, 2017. "Social isolation, loneliness and their relationships with depressive symptoms: A population-based study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(8), pages 1-13, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0182145
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0182145
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    3. Lígia Passos & Filipe Prazeres & Andreia Teixeira & Carlos Martins, 2020. "Impact on Mental Health Due to COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-Sectional Study in Portugal and Brazil," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-13, September.
    4. Lilly, Jenn M., 2022. "“It doesn’t matter how good the school is if you don’t learn to socialize”: Latinx immigrant students’ testimonios of coping with social isolation in high school," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 137(C).
    5. Felix Müller & Susanne Röhr & Ulrich Reininghaus & Steffi G. Riedel-Heller, 2021. "Social Isolation and Loneliness during COVID-19 Lockdown: Associations with Depressive Symptoms in the German Old-Age Population," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(7), pages 1-11, March.
    6. Claryn S. J. Kung & Johannes S. Kunz & Michael A. Shields, 2021. "Economic Aspects of Loneliness in Australia," Australian Economic Review, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, vol. 54(1), pages 147-163, March.
    7. Wallace, Lacey N., 2023. "Parenting practices and adolescent delinquency: COVID-19 impact in the United States," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    8. Katharina Dost & Fabian Heinrich & Wiebke Graf & Anna Brennecke & Veronika Kowalski & Anna Leider & Anika Kraus & Victoria van Rüth & Benjamin Ondruschka & Klaus Püschel & Hans-Helmut König & Franzisk, 2022. "Predictors of Loneliness among Homeless Individuals in Germany during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-11, October.
    9. Hwanseok Choi & Michelle Brazeal & Likhitha Duggirala & Joohee Lee, 2022. "Loneliness and depression among adults living on MS Gulf Coast: Individual, interpersonal and community predictors," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 68(1), pages 108-117, February.
    10. Liang En Wee & Tammy Yun Ying Tsang & Huso Yi & Sue Anne Toh & Geok Ling Lee & Jaime Yee & Shannon Lee & Kellynn Oen & Gerald Choon Huat Koh, 2019. "Loneliness amongst Low-Socioeconomic Status Elderly Singaporeans and its Association with Perceptions of the Neighbourhood Environment," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-9, March.
    11. Keisuke Fujii & Yuya Fujii & Yuta Kubo & Korin Tateoka & Jue Liu & Koki Nagata & Shuichi Wakayama & Tomohiro Okura, 2021. "Association between Occupational Dysfunction and Social Isolation in Japanese Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(12), pages 1-9, June.
    12. Dr. Priyanga Anuradha Senadheera & Prof. Romesh Jayasinghe, 2023. "The Effects of Social Support on Depression," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 7(11), pages 1759-1765, November.
    13. Bárbara Caetano & Mariana Branquinho & Maria Cristina Canavarro & Ana Fonseca, 2022. "Mattering and Depressive Symptoms in Portuguese Postpartum Women: The Indirect Effect of Loneliness," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-11, September.
    14. Lixia Ge & Reuben Ong & Chun Wei Yap & Bee Hoon Heng, 2019. "Effects of chronic diseases on health‐related quality of life and self‐rated health among three adult age groups," Nursing & Health Sciences, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 21(2), pages 214-222, June.
    15. Kung, Claryn S.J. & Pudney, Stephen E. & Shields, Michael A., 2022. "Economic gradients in loneliness, social isolation and social support: Evidence from the UK Biobank," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 306(C).
    16. Fox, Samara D. & Griffin, Randi H. & Pachankis, John E., 2020. "Minority stress, social integration, and the mental health needs of LGBTQ asylum seekers in North America," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 246(C).
    17. Ruth S Ogden, 2020. "The passage of time during the UK Covid-19 lockdown," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(7), pages 1-16, July.

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