Conducted by researchers from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, the Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu (Barcelona), the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and the CIBER de Salud Mental, the study has analysed the evolution of loneliness in Spanish adults over 12 years. The aim was to identify the sociodemographic, psychological, social and health factors that influence the different trajectories of loneliness over time.
A total of 4,537 participants were followed on four occasions over a 12-year period, during the “Edad con Salud” longitudinal study. The results, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, show the existence of similar trajectories in experiences of loneliness, identifying two main groups with different patterns over time:
- with no or low loneliness over the years, in which most participants (87.86%) were found
- with moderate to high levels of loneliness, characterised by temporal fluctuations, to which 12.14% of participants belonged to.
A comprehensive approach to addressing loneliness
The analysis also revealed that certain factors increase the risk of being in the moderate to high loneliness group. These include being widowed, separated or never married, living alone, being a migrant, as well as presenting depression, suicidal ideation, memory complaints or social isolation.
In contrast, factors such as social support, social confidence and higher life satisfaction were identified as protective, reducing the risk of belonging to this group.
In conclusion, the authors of the study highlight the need to design personalised interventions to address loneliness:
Loneliness is a public health problem that significantly impacts quality of life. Identifying at-risk groups and modifiable factors that aggravate or mitigate loneliness is key for the development of effective assessment, prevention and support policies", says Blanca Dolz del Castellar, first author of the article.
The study underlines the importance of adopting a comprehensive approach to address loneliness, combining efforts at individual, community and governmental levels to mitigate its negative effects on the adult population. It also points to the need for research that explores meso, exo and macro systemic aspects, which have been less studied, but which could be determinant in the incidence and chronicity of loneliness.
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