Elsevier

Psychiatry Research

Volume 290, August 2020, 113117
Psychiatry Research

Letter to the Editor
Loneliness: A signature mental health concern in the era of COVID-19

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113117Get rights and content

Highlights

  • The COVID-19 pandemic has caused much of the populace to self-isolate.

  • Loneliness is significantly higher than normal during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Loneliness was associated with increased depression and suicidal ideation.

  • Public health efforts must address increased loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, most communities in the United States imposed stay-at-home orders to mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus, potentially leading to chronic social isolation. During the third week of shelter-in-place guidelines, 1,013 U.S. adults completed the UCLA Loneliness Scale-3 and Public Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Loneliness was elevated, with 43% of respondents scoring above published cutoffs, and was strongly associated with greater depression and suicidal ideation. Loneliness is a critical public health concern that must be considered during the social isolation efforts to combat the pandemic.

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