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Goveas JS, Ray RM, Woods NF, et al. Associations between changes in loneliness and social connections, and mental health during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Women's Health Initiative. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2021;doi: 10.1093/gerona/glab371.
Goveas, J. S., Ray, R. M., Woods, N. F., Manson, J. A. E., Kroenke, C. H., Michael, Y. L., Shadyab, A. H., Meliker, J. R., Chen, J. C., Johnson, L., Mouton, C., Saquib, N., Weitlauf, J., Wactawski-Wende, J., Naughton, M., Shumaker, S., & Anderson, G. L. (2021). Associations between changes in loneliness and social connections, and mental health during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Women's Health Initiative. The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences, . https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glab371
Goveas, Joseph S, et al. "Associations between changes in loneliness and social connections, and mental health during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Women's Health Initiative." The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences vol. (2021). doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glab371
Goveas JS, Ray RM, Woods NF, Manson JAE, Kroenke CH, Michael YL, Shadyab AH, Meliker JR, Chen JC, Johnson L, Mouton C, Saquib N, Weitlauf J, Wactawski-Wende J, Naughton M, Shumaker S, Anderson GL. Associations between changes in loneliness and social connections, and mental health during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Women's Health Initiative. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2021 Dec 16; doi: 10.1093/gerona/glab371. Epub 2021 Dec 16. PMID: 34915558; PMCID: PMC8754805.
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J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2021 Dec 16; doi: 10.1093/gerona/glab371. Epub 2021 Dec 16.

Associations between changes in loneliness and social connections, and mental health during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Women's Health Initiative.

The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences

Joseph S Goveas, Roberta M Ray, Nancy F Woods, Jo Ann E Manson, Candyce H Kroenke, Yvonne L Michael, Aladdin H Shadyab, Jaymie R Meliker, Jiu-Chiuan Chen, Lisa Johnson, Charles Mouton, Nazmus Saquib, Julie Weitlauf, Jean Wactawski-Wende, Michelle Naughton, Sally Shumaker, Garnet L Anderson

Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
  2. Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
  3. University of Washington School of Nursing, Seattle, WA, USA.
  4. Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
  5. Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Oakland, CA, USA.
  6. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
  7. Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
  8. Program in Public Health, Department of Family, Population and Preventive Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA.
  9. Department of Preventive Medicine and Neurology, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
  10. Office of the Provost, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
  11. College of Medicine, Sulaiman AlRajhi University, Al Bukayriyah, Saudi Arabia.
  12. Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
  13. Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo (SUNY), Buffalo, NY, USA.
  14. Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, OH, USA.
  15. Department of Social Sciences and Health Policy, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA.

PMID: 34915558 PMCID: PMC8754805 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glab371

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Older women have faced significant disruptions in social connections during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Whether loneliness increased, or whether a change in loneliness from pre- to intra-pandemic period was associated with mental health during the pandemic is unknown.

METHODS: Older women (n=27,479; mean age 83.2 [SD: 5.4] years) completed surveys in mid-2020, including questions about loneliness, living arrangements, changes in social connections, and mental health. Loneliness was also previously assessed in 2014-2016. We examined whether loneliness changed from the pre- to intra-pandemic period and explored factors associated with this change. In multivariable models, we investigated the association of changes in loneliness and social connections with mental health.

RESULTS: Loneliness increased from pre- to intra-pandemic levels. Factors associated with worsening loneliness included older age, experiencing stressful life events, bereavement, histories of vascular disease and depression, and social connection disruptions. Factors associated with a decrease in loneliness included identifying as Black, engaging in more frequent physical activity, being optimistic, and having a higher purpose in life. A 3-point increase in loneliness scores was associated with higher perceived stress, higher depressive, and higher anxiety symptoms. Social connection disruptions showed modest or no associations with mental health.

CONCLUSIONS: Loneliness increased during the pandemic in older women and was associated with higher stress, depressive and anxiety symptoms. Our findings point to opportunities for interventions targeting lifestyle behaviors, well-being, disrupted social connections, and paying closer attention to those with specific medical and mental health histories that may reduce loneliness and improve mental health.

© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: [email protected].

Keywords: Loneliness; SARS-CoV-2; anxiety; depression; social connection; stress; women

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