The “central” importance of loneliness in mental health: A network psychometric study

Abstract

Loneliness is linked to negative mental health outcomes like depression and social anxiety. However, it is unclear how loneliness and these conditions are connected. This study aims to address two questions: (a) Are there pathways connecting loneliness to these conditions? (b) What symptoms play a role in these pathways? Using network analyses, the study examined a representative sample of 962 adults from the UK (mean age = 46, females = 492). The network analysis revealed four dimensions: depression, social anxiety and two dimensions for loneliness (isolation and social connectedness). Two distinct pathways were identified for the transmission of symptoms between loneliness, social anxiety and depression. The depression-isolation pathway involved a node representing the perceived loss of social connections. The social anxiety-social connectedness pathway was characterised by intimate interaction contexts. These findings suggest that loneliness is associated with different symptom pathways, potentially contributing to comorbidity between loneliness, social anxiety and depression.