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Physical Isolation and Loneliness: Evidence from COVID Lockdowns in Australia

Author

Listed:
  • Kong, Nancy

    (University of Sydney)

  • Lam, Jack

    (University of Queensland)

Abstract

Using mandatory stay-at-home orders in Australia as a natural experiment and data from a long-running panel study, this paper investigates the causal link between physical isolation and loneliness. We exploit variations in the number of lockdown days in 2020 the respondent had experienced up until the interview date to estimate the causal link and find, based on difference-in-differences analyses with three-way fixed-effects estimations, that the number of days in lockdown does not significantly affect loneliness. Further, we use triple differences to examine heterogeneous effects. For income, age, personality, living arrangements, and remoteness, we find insignificant effects; for extroverts and young people, we find weak significance. We investigate exclusion restrictions through channels such as social contacts, internet access, job industry, and household characteristics on loneliness. Whereas many believe that 'being alone' and 'being lonely' are similar concepts, our study provides the first empirical causal evidence of no links between the two. Our findings also refine understanding of social isolation and demonstrate that it likely encompasses factors other than physical isolation.

Suggested Citation

  • Kong, Nancy & Lam, Jack, 2022. "Physical Isolation and Loneliness: Evidence from COVID Lockdowns in Australia," IZA Discussion Papers 15720, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp15720
    as

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    File URL: https://docs.iza.org/dp15720.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Massimiliano Tani & Zhiming Cheng & Matloob Piracha & Ben Zhe Wang, 2022. "Ageing, Health, Loneliness and Wellbeing," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 160(2), pages 791-807, April.
    2. Eun Young Choi & Mateo P Farina & Qiao Wu & Jennifer Ailshire, 2022. "COVID-19 Social Distancing Measures and Loneliness Among Older Adults," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 77(7), pages 167-178.
    3. Heather R Fuller & Andrea Huseth-Zosel, 2022. "Older Adults’ Loneliness in Early COVID-19 Social Distancing: Implications of Rurality," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 77(7), pages 100-105.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    COVID-19; loneliness; physical isolation; lockdown; natural experiment; quasi-experimental design;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • O1 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development

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