Women,Younger Adults,and Singles Were Most Likely to Report Loneliness During the Pandemic: Evidence From a 15-Month National Longitudinal Survey

Abstract

Self-reports of loneliness were growing in the United States even before the COVID-19 pandemic. Preventative health measures during the pandemic, such as social distancing and lockdowns, raised concerns that self-reports of loneliness would further increase. Published literature from the first few months of the pandemic supported these concerns, but long-term effects were largely unknown. Here, we examined whether self-reported loneliness varied across the pandemic by gender, age, and co-residence with a romantic partner. We conducted an exploratory secondary analysis of 26 survey waves from the understanding COVID in America study spanning 15 months of the pandemic, starting from April 2020. Self-reported loneliness was consistently greater among women, younger people, and those not living with a romantic partner, but decreased across the pandemic for all demographic groups. A significant four-way interaction between survey wave, gender, age, and co-residence with a romantic partner showed that younger women who were not living with a romantic partner were the most likely to report loneliness at the beginning of the pandemic and showed the greatest reduction in risk of loneliness by the last survey wave. Based on our findings, we discuss potential interventions to decrease loneliness.