Gender Differences in Loneliness Across the Lifespan: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Different theoretical contentions on gender differences in loneliness exist, often including the emergence of gender differences in particular developmental periods. To explain those ideas, the current meta-analysis synthesizes the available evidence on gender differences in loneliness across the lifespan. Three-level meta-analyses were conducted with 751 effect sizes, covering 399,798 individuals (45.56% males). Results showed a close-to-zero overall effect (g = 0.07). Most examined moderators were non-significant, except for age, the scope of the sampling area, and year of publication. Most importantly, all effects were small, suggesting that across the lifespan mean levels of loneliness are similar for males and females.