Loneliness in the workplace: A mixed-method systematic review and meta-Analysis

Abstract

Background: Loneliness is a risk factor for a range of mental and physical health problems and has gained increasing interest from policy-makers and researchers in recent years. However, little attention has been paid to loneliness at work and its implications for workers and employers. Aims: Identify workplace, health and personal factors associated with workplace loneliness. Methods: We searched five databases (PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO and EBSCO Business Source Complete) for relevant articles published from 1 January 2000 to 23 February 2023. Quantitative data were synthesized using narrative synthesis and random-effects meta-Analysis of correlation coefficients. Qualitative data were synthesized using thematic synthesis. Evidence quality was appraised using the Mixed-Methods Appraisal Tool. Results: We identified 49 articles meeting the inclusion criteria. Pooled results indicate that workplace loneliness was associated with lower job performance (r=-0.35, 95% CI-0.49,-0.21), reduced job satisfaction (r=-0.34, 95% CI-0.44,-0.24), worse worker-manager relationship (r=-0.31, 95% CI-0.38,-0.24) and elevated burnout (r=0.39, 95% CI 0.25, 0.51). Qualitative results suggest links between loneliness and inadequate workplace social interactions and mental health problems. As most studies used cross-sectional data and few adjusted for potential confounders, the direction and robustness of the associations remain untested. Conclusions: Our results indicate that loneliness is associated with poor occupational functioning and well-being among workers. Results also show that loneliness is associated with modifiable aspects of the work environment, suggesting that the workplace may offer a fruitful avenue for interventions targeting loneliness.