The DOI matches its Crossref record; 10 of the 13 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; 7 of the 13 sources its claims cite were checked for support.
Increases in loneliness among young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic and association with increases in mental health problems
Open accessAbstract
Purpose Young adults are at high risk for increases in loneliness and mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic. The present study examined increases in loneliness in a young adult sample, for whom increases were greater, and association with increases in depression and anxiety. Method Data from 564 young adults (ages 22-29, 60.7% women) were collected in January 2020 (pre-pandemic) and April/May 2020 (during pandemic). Results Loneliness increased from January to April/May and changes in loneliness were greater for females, those with higher perceived social support in January, and those with greater concerns about the pandemic's social impacts. Depression (but not anxiety) increased during this time with changes in loneliness accounting for much of the increase in depression. Conclusions Intervention strategies with young adults need to address loneliness and feelings of reduced social support during this time, especially for those who may have had greater disruption in their social lives.
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Claims the paper makes
7 Own result · 4 No full text of the sources · 3 Partly supported · 3 Own method · 2 Supported · 2 Own interpretation · 1 Sources not found · accuracy not yet measured
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“with young adults reporting the highest levels.”
§ Increases in Loneliness Among Young Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Association With Increases in Mental Health Problems > Abstract > Conclusions
What the sources say
- Could not verifycites [2] McGinty, 2020, Psychological distress and loneliness reported by US adults in 2018 and April 2020, JAMA sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The results passage (indexed as Methods |, page unavailable) reports that psychological distress was highest among adults aged 18–29, but gives only an overall loneliness estimate of 13.8%. The paper does not report loneliness by age in the passages found when searching for young adults and age-group loneliness, so the claimed ranking cannot be verified from our copy. (LLM, conf=0.76)
- Partly supportedcites [4] Luchetti, 2020, The trajectory of loneliness in response to COVID-19, Am Psychol sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Results report that older adults had lower loneliness than both younger and middle-aged adults across the study’s assessments, including those during the pandemic. They do not directly compare younger with middle-aged adults, so the finding does not fully establish that young adults reported the highest levels. (LLM, conf=0.82)
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Could not verify
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“Cross-sectionally, lonely individuals are nearly 7 times more likely to meet clinical criteria for moderate to severe depression symptoms compared to nonlonely individuals [5].”
§ Increases in Loneliness Among Young Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Association With Increases in Mental Health Problems > Abstract > Conclusions
What the sources say
- Supportedcites [5] Killgore, 2020, Loneliness: A signature mental health concern in the era of COVID-19, Psychiatry Res source
The paper’s Abstract reports that 54.7% of lonely participants and 15.3% of non-lonely participants met criteria for moderate-to-severe depression, with an odds ratio of 6.90. It also identifies the findings as cross-sectional. The sample was U.S. adults aged 18–35 surveyed during the COVID-19 pandemic. (LLM, conf=0.94)
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Supported
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“Young adults particularly are at high risk for mental health problems including depression and anxiety during the pandemic [1,2]”
§ Increases in Loneliness Among Young Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Association With Increases in Mental Health Problems > Abstract > Conclusions
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites [1]
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
- Partly supportedcites [2] McGinty, 2020, Psychological distress and loneliness reported by US adults in 2018 and April 2020, JAMA sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Results passage reports that serious psychological distress in April 2020 was highest among adults aged 18–29 (24.0%), supporting the elevated-risk claim for young adults. The Methods passage says the study measured psychological distress with the Kessler 6 scale, not depression and anxiety separately, so those specific conditions are not established by this source. (LLM, conf=0.87)
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Not matched
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“There was a steeper increase in loneliness in females compared to males (interaction-p = .018)”
- Also stated in: § Discussion · plain
“Women showed steeper increases in loneliness”
§ Increases in Loneliness Among Young Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Association With Increases in Mental Health Problems > Results
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Also stated in: § Discussion · plain
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“in those reporting higher compared to lower levels of concerns about the pandemic's impact on social concerns in April/May (interaction-p <.001)”
- Also stated in: § Discussion · plain
“those with greater concerns about COVID-19's impact on their social relationships”
§ Increases in Loneliness Among Young Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Association With Increases in Mental Health Problems > Results
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Also stated in: § Discussion · plain
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Loneliness increased from January to April/May”
- Also stated in: § Results · plain
“There was a statistically significant increase in loneliness from January to April/May.”
- Also stated in: § Discussion · plain
“we found small, yet statistically significant, increases in loneliness from January to April/May.”
§ Increases in Loneliness Among Young Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Association With Increases in Mental Health Problems > Abstract > Results
plaindirect- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Also stated in: § Results · plain
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“in those with higher compared to lower perceived social support in January (interaction-p = .045)”
- Also stated in: § Discussion · plain
“young adults who had higher social support in January”
§ Increases in Loneliness Among Young Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Association With Increases in Mental Health Problems > Results
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Also stated in: § Discussion · plain
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“although those with lower social support had noticeably higher levels of loneliness at both time points”
- Also stated in: § Discussion · plain
“those with lower social support did report highest levels of loneliness in both January and Spring”
§ Increases in Loneliness Among Young Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Association With Increases in Mental Health Problems > Results
plaincorrelational- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Also stated in: § Discussion · plain
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Depression (but not anxiety) increased during this time”
- Also stated in: § Results · plain
“There was a statistically significant increase in depression symptoms.”
- Also stated in: § Results · plain
“Depression | 1.63 (1.67) | 1.86 (1.59) | 1.13 | .013 | 1.03, 1.24”
§ Increases in Loneliness Among Young Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Association With Increases in Mental Health Problems > Abstract > Results
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Also stated in: § Results · plain
A result the paper reports from its own data — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“There was no statistically significant change in anxiety symptoms over time”
- Also stated in: § Discussion · plain
“The lack of increase in anxiety was unexpected”
- Also stated in: § Results · plain
“Anxiety | 2.12 (1.77) | 2.05 (1.76) | .96 | .386 | .88, 1.05”
§ Increases in Loneliness Among Young Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Association With Increases in Mental Health Problems > Results
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
- Also stated in: § Discussion · plain
- Probably not a substantial claim. 7
- It may state two separate claims as one. 6
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“Some studies suggest the prevalence of loneliness has stayed relatively stable, or increased slightly, during the COVID-19 pandemic [2,4]”
§ Increases in Loneliness Among Young Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Association With Increases in Mental Health Problems > Abstract > Conclusions
What the sources say
- Supportedcites [2] McGinty, 2020, Psychological distress and loneliness reported by US adults in 2018 and April 2020, JAMA source
The Discussion reports that 13.8% of US adults felt lonely always or often in April 2020, compared with 11% in a 2018 national survey using an identical measure. It explicitly describes the increase as slight, supporting the modest-increase alternative in the citing sentence. (LLM, conf=0.93)
- Partly supportedcites [4] Luchetti, 2020, The trajectory of loneliness in response to COVID-19, Am Psychol sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
The Results report no significant change in mean loneliness across assessments, while the Discussion notes a slight increase among older adults. This supports the broad pattern of stability or a modest increase, but the paper reports loneliness scores rather than prevalence, and the increase was limited to an age subgroup. The indexed passages provide section labels but no page numbers. (LLM, conf=0.84)
hedged- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
- Supported
Every source the paper cites for this claim was checked and supports it.
In the paper
“Perceived Social Support was measured with the 12-item Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support [9] in January (mean of 12 items; α = .91) and dichotomized for analyses based on the median of the total score (Low: <55; High: 55+) for ease of interpretation.”
§ Increases in Loneliness Among Young Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Association With Increases in Mental Health Problems > Methods > Study measures
What the sources say
- Supportedcites [9] Zimet, 1988, The multidimensional scale of perceived social support, J Pers Assess source
The Instruments section identifies the Zimet et al. scale as a 12-item measure of perceived social support. The citation is attached to the instrument identification; α = .91 is reported for the citing study’s January measurement, not attributed to Zimet et al. (LLM, conf=0.90)
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Supported
In the paper
“In both January and April/May, the prevalence of clinically elevated symptoms of anxiety (31.2% and 29.8%, respectively) and depression (22.5% and 25.2%) were higher than national averages with young adults [11].”
§ Increases in Loneliness Among Young Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Association With Increases in Mental Health Problems > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [11] Eisenberg, 2007, Help-seeking and access to mental health care in a university student population, MedCare source
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“In both January and April/May, the prevalence of clinically elevated symptoms of anxiety (31.2% and 29.8%, respectively) and depression (22.5% and 25.2%) were higher than national averages with young adults [11].”
§ Increases in Loneliness Among Young Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Association With Increases in Mental Health Problems > Discussion
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [11] Eisenberg, 2007, Help-seeking and access to mental health care in a university student population, MedCare source
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: unclear — It is unclear whether the paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
It may state two separate claims as one.
In the paper
“Past month loneliness was measured with the three-item Loneliness Scale [7] including feeling “that you lack companionship”, “left out”, and “isolated from others” (α = .80).”
§ Increases in Loneliness Among Young Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Association With Increases in Mental Health Problems > Methods > Study measures
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [7] Hughes, 2004, A short scale for measuring loneliness in large surveys: Results from two population-based studies, Res Ageing source
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“We used mixed-effects models to assess changes in loneliness and mental health outcomes from January to April/May, adjusted for sex, sexual orientation, age in January, dummy codes for race/ethnicity, and education completed as of January.”
§ Increases in Loneliness Among Young Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Association With Increases in Mental Health Problems > Methods > Analytic plan
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: passes — The paper’s conclusions depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim.
In the paper
“Past month depression (“Little interest or pleasure in doing things”; “Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless”; α = .88) and anxiety (“Feeling nervous, anxious, or on edge”,“Not being able to stop or control worrying”; α = .88) were measured with the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 [8].”
§ Increases in Loneliness Among Young Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Association With Increases in Mental Health Problems > Methods > Study measures
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites [8] Kroenke, 2009, An ultra-brief screening scale for anxiety and depression: The PHQ–4, Psychosomatics source
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“COVID-19–related social concerns (“making you feel isolated or alone”, “placing a strain on your social life”, “placing a strain on relationships with those you live with”) was assessed in the April/May survey (mean of three items; α = .70) and dichotomized based on the median (low: <1.67; high: 1.67+), again, for ease of interpretation.”
§ Increases in Loneliness Among Young Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Association With Increases in Mental Health Problems > Methods > Study measures
plain- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
What the paper did — it cites no source for this, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Completion rates were 75.6% in January (conducted on January 6–30 to get updated contact information, current social role statuses, substance use, and mental health) and 72.0% in April/May (conducted on April 21-May 18 to get an update during the COVID-19 pandemic).”
§ Increases in Loneliness Among Young Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Association With Increases in Mental Health Problems > Methods > Participants and procedures
plainn = 767- Asserted: passes — The authors put it forward as true.
- Checkable: passes — It can be checked against evidence.
- Load-bearing: fails — The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Based: passes — The paper gives a reason why it holds.
Probably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it. It may state two separate claims as one.
The paper relies on this without support.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, young adults face elevated risk of becoming lonelier.
“Young adults are at high risk for increases in loneliness and mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
The paper relies on this without support.
The pandemic and its mitigation measures have had immediate, unprecedented effects across many life domains, including mental health.
“The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting mitigation policies (e.g., shelter-in-place) are associated with immediate and unprecedented impacts on multiple facets of life including mental health.”
The paper relies on this without support.
Few prior studies have tracked within-person mental health changes from before to during the pandemic.
“although most studies have not examined within-person changes from before to during the pandemic.”
The paper relies on this without support.
Young adulthood is a critical period for interpersonal development, education, and career formation.
“This may be especially true for young adults who are undergoing a critical time of interpersonal development, education, and career building.”
The paper relies on this without support.
Social and physical distancing mandates brought an immediate, fundamental change to Americans' social lives.
“not surprising as public health social/physical distancing mandates had an immediate and fundamental shift for Americans' social lives.”
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
The source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“mental health has been characterized by decreases in positive emotions and quality of life [5,6,7,8] as well as increases in negative emotions, anxiety, fear, stress, depression, and sleep disturbances [8,9,10,11,12,13,14].”
From At the Peak of the Second Wave of COVID-19, Did Millennials Show Different Emotional Responses from Older Adults? (2022) · cites this paper as [11]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
In the citing paper
“Certainly, evidence demonstrates the negative psychological impact of continued isolation for young people in particular since their life stage is more intensely shaped by their social environment (i.e. exposure to peers and learning environment) [26–28].”
From Facilitators and barriers to social distancing for young people during the COVID-19 pandemic (2022) · cites this paper as [26]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe check wasn’t confident either way, so it gives no verdict — never disputed.
In the citing paper
“life meaning among cancer survivors [28-30]”
From A digital, coach-assisted intervention to address the psychosocial needs of young adult cancer survivors: Randomized controlled trial protocol and intervention adaptation process (2024) · cites this paper as [29]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredIn the citing paper
“which have been associated with a decline in psychological well-being.40”
In the citing paper
“This is perhaps not surprising, given the documented rises in, and problematic levels, of loneliness reported in young people (Lee et al., 2020;Twenge et al., 2021), older adults (da Silva, 2024) and the population at large (Infurna et al., 2024):”
From Artificial intelligence and unconditional love: the rise of generative AI as an alternative form of mental health support (2026) · cites this paper as Lee et al., 2020
Citations
Cites
The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support
Zimet, G. D., Dahlem, N. W., Zimet, S. G., & Farley, G. K. (1988) · Journal of Personality Assessment · doi:10.1207/s15327752jpa5201_2 · Cited by 13,339
Holmes, E. A., O'Connor, R. C., Perry, V. H., Tracey, I., Wessely, S., Arseneault, L., Ballard, C., Christensen, H., Cohen Silver, R., Everall, I., et al. (2020) · The Lancet Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/s2215-0366(20)30168-1 · Cited by 5,715 · cited 2×
“A time-sensitive priority is understanding mechanisms that account for increases in mental health symptoms [3].”
BackgroundPsychometric Characteristics of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support
Zimet, G. D., Powell, S. S., Farley, G. K., Werkman, S., & Berkoff, K. A. (1990) · Journal of Personality Assessment · doi:10.1080/00223891.1990.9674095 · Cited by 4,855
A Short Scale for Measuring Loneliness in Large Surveys: Results From Two Population-Based Studies
Hughes, M. E., Waite, L. J., Hawkley, L. C., & Cacioppo, J. T. (2004) · Research on Aging · doi:10.1177/0164027504268574 · Cited by 4,781
An Ultra-Brief Screening Scale for Anxiety and Depression: The PHQ–4
Kroenke, K., Spitzer, R. L., Williams, J. B. W., & Löwe, B. (2009) · Psychosomatics · doi:10.1016/s0033-3182(09)70864-3 · Cited by 4,261 · cited 2×
“Past month depression (“Little interest or pleasure in doing things”; “Feeling down, depressed, or hopeless”; a ¼ .88) and anxiety (“Feeling nervous, anxious, or on edge”,“Not being able to stop or control worrying”; a ¼ .88) were measured with the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 [8].”
MethodHelp-Seeking and Access to Mental Health Care in a University Student Population
Eisenberg, D., Golberstein, E., & Gollust, S. E. (2007) · Medical Care · doi:10.1097/mlr.0b013e31803bb4c1 · Cited by 1,131 · cited 1×
“2%) were higher than national averages with young adults [11].”
BackgroundPsychological distress and loneliness reported by US adults in 2018 and April 2020
McGinty, E. E., Presskreischer, R., Han, H., & Barry, C. L. (2020) · JAMA · doi:10.1001/jama.2020.9740 · Cited by 978
Loneliness: A signature mental health concern in the era of COVID-19
Killgore, W. D. S., Cloonan, S. A., Taylor, E. C., & Dailey, N. S. (2020) · Psychiatry Research · doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113117 · Cited by 915 · cited 1×
“Cross-sectionally, lonely individuals are nearly 7 times more likely to meet clinical criteria for moderate to severe depression symptoms compared to nonlonely individuals [5].”
BackgroundThe trajectory of loneliness in response to COVID-19
Luchetti, M., Lee, J. H., Aschwanden, D., Sesker, A., Strickhouser, J. E., Terracciano, A., & Sutin, A. R. (2020) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037/amp0000690 · Cited by 903 · cited 2×
“Some studies suggest the prevalence of loneliness has stayed relatively stable, or increased slightly, during the COVID-19 pandemic [2,4], with young adults reporting the highest levels.”
BackgroundResultPatrick, M. E., Rhew, I. C., Duckworth, J. C., Lewis, M. A., Abdallah, D. A., & Lee, C. M. (2019) · Journal of Youth and Adolescence · doi:10.1007/s10964-019-01134-8 · Cited by 51 · cited 1×
“Participants include a community sample of young adults recruited for a longitudinal study on social role transitions and alcohol use in Seattle, WA, in 2015e2016mainly via social media, newspaper, and community advertisements (see [6]).”
BackgroundSelf-citation
Cited by
Sorted by citations
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Kaim, A., Lev‐Ari, S., & Adini, B. B. (2023) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph20064837 · Cited by 4
Twardawski, M., Steindorf, L., & Thielmann, I. (2020) · doi:10.31234/osf.io/zkfyb · Cited by 4
“…distancing measures lead to detrimental psychological outcomes such as higher levels of loneliness (Heidinger & Richter, 2020; Krendl & Perry, 2021; Lee et al., 2020; Stolz et al., 2021; van Tilburg et al., 2020) and an increase in even more serious mental health problems (e.g., Brooks et al.,…”
BackgroundThe Gendered Effects of COVID-19 on Well-being: A Household PerspectivePreprint
Patzina, A., Collischon, M., & Kroh, J. (2023) · doi:10.31235/osf.io/h2fa7 · Cited by 4
Wingralek, Z. J., Banaszek, A., Giermasiński, A., Czarnecki, A., Goliszek, K., Kajka, N., Juchnowicz, D., Kohn, P. M., & Karakuła‐Juchnowicz, H. (2024) · Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine · doi:10.26444/aaem/183779 · Cited by 7
Brinberg, M., Jones, S. M., Birnbaum, M. L., Bodie, G. D., Ram, N., & Solomon, D. H. (2024) · Health Communication · doi:10.1080/10410236.2024.2360178 · Cited by 3
“…COVID-19 pandemic further accelerated the use of these apps: Amidst a rise in mental health issues caused by long-term social isolation, loss of family members, and/or job loss, people have been flocking to online apps to connect with others (Daly et al., 2022; Lee et al., 2020; Wind et al., 2020).”
O’Connor, I., & Gouveia, K. (2025) · Animal Welfare · doi:10.1017/awf.2024.43 · Cited by 3
“This study was also carried out during the COVID pandemic and the social restrictions that were imposed during this period could have further contributed to the sense of social isolation (Lee et al. 2020; Wong et al. 2020).”
Tardif-Williams, C. Y., Binfet, J.-T., Green, F. L. L., Godard, R., Singal, A., Rousseau, C. X., Roma, R. P. S., & Willcox, A. A. (2025) · Human-Animal Interactions · doi:10.1079/hai.2025.0015 · Cited by 4
Andreu-Bernabeu, Á., González‐Peñas, J., Perdiguero, A. M., Bernardo, M., Mezquida, G., Amoretti, S., Bobes, J., Sáiz, P. A., García‐Portilla, M. P., Sanjuán, J., et al. (2025) · The British Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1192/bjp.2025.100 · Cited by 5
Zhou, S., Qin, L., Deng, J., Jia, Z., Jiang, D., Long, S., & Wu, Y. (2025) · BMC Psychology · doi:10.1186/s40359-025-03775-w · Cited by 3
“Yet when prosocial engagement is undermined—whether by competitive pressures or socially fragmented classroom environments—students may experience isolation, disengagement, and compromised psychological well-being [32].”
Belongingness and loneliness in higher education: a meta-analysis of pre- and post-pandemic trends
Dost, G. (2026) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1625957 · Cited by 9
Hebert, J. A., & Newland, A. (2023) · The Sport Psychologist · doi:10.1123/tsp.2022-0153 · Cited by 3
Donovan, E. E., Shaffer, A., Kaiser, E., Quaack, K. R., Mackert, M., Shi, W., & Luca, D. D. (2023) · PEC Innovation · doi:10.1016/j.pecinn.2023.100246 · Cited by 3
“The heightened rates of loneliness and decreased social connection reported among younger adults mirrors prior research conducted during COVID-19 indicating that young adults are especially vulnerable to isolation and social disconnection [11].”
BackgroundResultNiki, K., Egashira, S., & Okamoto, Y. (2024) · Frontiers in Virtual Reality · doi:10.3389/frvir.2024.1269707 · Cited by 4
Iyer, P., Iyer, L., Carter, N., Iyer, R., Stirling, A., Priya, L., & Sriraman, U. (2024) · JMIR Formative Research · doi:10.2196/56355 · Cited by 2
Molinero, C., Bonete, S., Crespí, P., Ramos, S. S., & Abreu, A. M. G. D. (2024) · Cogent Education · doi:10.1080/2331186x.2024.2378242 · Cited by 5
“As a result, young adults may be particularly vulnerable to potentially stressful situations which can produce symptoms of anxiety, rage, depression, loneliness, etc. (Lee et al., 2020; O ’ Reilly et al., 2021).”
Liu, Q., Gao, B., Wu, Y., Ning, B., Xu, Y., & Zhang, F. (2024) · Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.3390/bs14080675 · Cited by 3
“An empirical study focused on young adults conducted in the US discovered that depression rose during COVID-19, with alterations in loneliness being the primary factor for the increase in depression [41].”
BackgroundMurayama, H., Suda, T., Nakamoto, I., & Tabuchi, T. (2024) · Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology · doi:10.1007/s00127-024-02793-0 · Cited by 3
“The pandemic led to heightened levels of social isolation and loneliness [6–8], both of which have been reported as potential risk factors for poor mental health [9–12].”
Differential Effects of Pandemic-Related Stressors on Mental Health by Age and Sex
Borja, J. B., & Patten, S. B. (2025) · Healthcare · doi:10.3390/healthcare13030224 · Cited by 5
González‐García, H., Silvia, F., & Santarén, V. R. (2025) · BMC Psychology · doi:10.1186/s40359-025-03261-3 · Cited by 3
Dadich, A., Boydell, K., Habak, S., & Watfern, C. (2021) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph18115655 · Cited by 4
“Since the advent of the lockdowns associated with COVID-19, many young people have reported feeling isolated and lonely, with a disproportionate number feeling sadder than their adult counterparts [12,117,118].”
BackgroundChieffo, D. P. R., Avallone, C., Serio, A., Kotzalidis, G. D., Balocchi, M., Luca, I. D., Hirsch, D., del Castillo, A. G., Lanzotti, P., Marano, G., et al. (2022) · World Journal of Clinical Cases · doi:10.12998/wjcc.v10.i19.6370 · Cited by 3
“Instruments used Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS)[23]: This is a 10-item self-rated questionnaire screening the risk of depression during the peripartum over the past week. Initially developed for the identification of postpartum depression[23], the EPDS was later validated for prenatal screen as well[24-25…”
Ogrodniczuk, J. S., Sivagurunathan, M., Kealy, D., Rice, S., Seidler, Z. E., & Oliffe, J. L. (2023) · Scandinavian Journal of Psychology · doi:10.1111/sjop.12904 · Cited by 3
Rycker, A. D., & JAMAL, F. U. A. (2023) · Jurnal Komunikasi Malaysian Journal of Communication · doi:10.17576/jkmjc-2023-3901-01 · Cited by 5
van Namen, D. M., Hilberink, S. R., de Vries, H., Nagelhout, G. E., & van Staa, A. (2023) · Stress and Health · doi:10.1002/smi.3251 · Cited by 3
Tran, K. A., Mangot‐Sala, L., & Liefbroer, A. C. (2023) · Aging & Mental Health · doi:10.1080/13607863.2023.2220654 · Cited by 4
“Thus, this finding rejected our hypothesis H2 , and is in line with previous findings by Lee et al. (2020), which also showed that loneliness increased more for women in periods of strict lockdown measures.”
ResultHoyle, R. H., & Davisson, E. K. (2023) · Social and Personality Psychology Compass · doi:10.1111/spc3.12750 · Cited by 3
KASSIM, S. N. F., & Badayai, A. R. A. (2023) · International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences · doi:10.6007/ijarbss/v13-i6/17549 · Cited by 7
“However, loneliness that affect mental health also can cause by the presence of other factors such as the culture and the way of individual’s life due to Covid19 as in the study that has been done by (Lee et al., 2020).”
BackgroundMethodResultInfluentialThe protective role of social network factors during the COVID‐19 pandemic in the United States
Gibson, C. A., & Losee, J. E. (2023) · Social and Personality Psychology Compass · doi:10.1111/spc3.12865 · Cited by 3
An Intentional Wholeness Focus and the Association With Burnout in Graduate Students
Cunningham, S. B., Montgomery, S., Distelberg, B. J., & Alemi, Q. (2023) · Journal of Occupational Therapy Education · doi:10.26681/jote.2023.070105 · Cited by 4
“Since then, mental health concerns have, unfortunately, increased amongst university students and young adults (Dogan-Sandeer et al., 2021; Lee et al., 2020).”
BackgroundHodgetts, S., Butler, J., & Williams, G. P. (2023) · Behaviour and Information Technology · doi:10.1080/0144929x.2023.2272201 · Cited by 4
“…regarding the impact of loneliness on mental health were present prior to the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g. Jeste, Lee, and Cacioppo 2020) and there is evidence suggesting that the COVID-19 pandemic has increased already high levels of loneliness (Heidinger and Richter 2020; Lee, Cadigan, and Rhew 2020).”
Engels, A., Stein, J., Riedel-Heller, S. G., Konnopka, C., & König, H.-H. (2023) · Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology · doi:10.1007/s00127-023-02584-z · Cited by 4
“Multiple studies support the assumption that the negative impact of community mitigation strategies is mediated by the cognitive appraisal (e.g., feeling in control or overwhelmed) and the emotional evaluation of the actions taken (e.g., feeling lonely due to the restrictions) [1, 8, 9].”
BackgroundChallenges and coping with COVID-19: perspectives of emerging adults and their mothers
Goldstein, A. L., Katz, J. L., Shifrin, A., Hamza, C. A., Molnar, D. S., & Scharfe, E. (2023) · Journal of Youth Studies · doi:10.1080/13676261.2023.2277760 · Cited by 3
“Research conducted during the earlier stages of the COVID-19 pandemic revealed that loneliness was a major concern for EAs, many of whom were cut off from important sources of support (e.g. Lee, Cadigan, and Rhew 2020).”
der Sloot, R. J. A. V., & Vauclair, C. (2023) · Journal of Adult Development · doi:10.1007/s10804-023-09469-0 · Cited by 4
Chen, X., Hu, Y., Deng, Y., Wang, X., Yang, X., Wang, Y., Lian, Y., Wang, S., Xiang, X., Liu, C., et al. (2024) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1420834 · Cited by 4
“…the COVID-19 pandemic, due to the adoption of epidemic prevention measures such as home isolation and social reduction, the loneliness of young people was particularly prominent, while the increase of loneliness was an important reason for the emergence of mental health problems (Lee et al., 2020).”
BackgroundYoung mothers and eHealth: a scoping review
Wiens, K. F., Joyce, K. M., Cluett, R. G., Hanson-Oliveira, M., Reynolds, K., Tomfohr‐Madsen, L. M., & Roos, L. E. (2024) · Archives of Women s Mental Health · doi:10.1007/s00737-024-01527-0 · Cited by 4
“Pandemic-related isolation may have intensified loneliness and emotional distress, potentially overshadowing intervention benefits and leading to null findings when data was collected during the pandemic (Buecker and Horstmann 2021; Lee et al. 2020; Williams et al. 2021).”
Gluskin, B. S., O’Connell, M., Falk, G., Shrier, L. A., & Guss, C. E. (2023) · mHealth · doi:10.21037/mhealth-22-38 · Cited by 2
Jamileh, K. I. A., Hariri, I. A., Ali, M. R. M., Saiyed, N. S., Farouk, I. M., Makki, K. H., Salami, N. A. A., Aly, S. S., Toonisi, M. A., & Subaie, M. A. (2021) · Saudi Medical Journal · doi:10.15537/smj.2021.42.10.20210091 · Cited by 3
“The total score for the feelings subscale score was categorized as normal (0-6), mild (7-9), moderate (10-12) and severe (13-15) psychological impact on feelings.”
BackgroundNuckols, J. A., Šilinskas, G., Ranta, M., & Wilska, T. (2023) · Emerging Adulthood · doi:10.1177/21676968231153691 · Cited by 5
“Widespread remote work and study left populations suddenly isolated from normal social functions, leading to increased loneliness (Lee et al., 2020).”
BackgroundCOVID-19 and late adolescent mental healthPreprint
Stevens, G. W. J. M., Büyükcan-Tetik, A., Maes, M., Weinberg, D., Vermeulen, S., Visser, K., & Finkenauer, C. (2021) · doi:10.31219/osf.io/czwea · Cited by 3
Hirshberg, M. J., Dahl, C. J., Bolt, D. M., Davidson, R. J., & Goldberg, S. B. (2023) · doi:10.31234/osf.io/vya39 · Cited by 3
Peer relationships in the transition from primary to secondary education
Lorijn, S. J. (2024) · University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) · doi:10.33612/diss.1037667273 · Cited by 2
Association of lifestyle and flourishing during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
Shibata, T., Yamaoka, Y., Nawa, N., Nishimura, H., Koyama, Y., Kuramochi, J., & Fujiwara, T. (2024) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1341711 · Cited by 2
Schønning, V., Dovran, A., Hysing, M., Hafstad, G. S., Nilsen, S. A., Aaro, L. E., & Sivertsen, B. (2024) · Nordic Psychology · doi:10.1080/19012276.2024.2390428 · Cited by 5
“…problems over the last twenty years has been widely reported (Bor et al., 2014; Twenge et al., 2019), particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic (Lee et al., 2020), and this general increase in mental health problems among children and adolescents should be considered when interpreting the fi…”
Froese, P., & Bonhag, R. (2024) · Social Currents · doi:10.1177/23294965241275209 · Cited by 2
“For instance, shelter in place and mask wearing protocols radically altered social interaction and led many people to feel isolated and anxious (Kovacs et al., 2021; Krendl and Perry 2021; Lee, Cadigan, and Rhew 2020).”
Depressive Symptoms Among US Adults
Inoue, K., Liu, M., Koh, K. A., et al. (2025) · JAMA Internal Medicine · doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2025.0993 · Cited by 2
The gendered effects of COVID-19 on well-being: a household perspective
Patzina, A., Collischon, M., & Kroh, J. (2025) · European Sociological Review · doi:10.1093/esr/jcaf022 · Cited by 2
Kempton, H. M., & Waila, K. (2025) · Religions · doi:10.3390/rel16111439 · Cited by 2
Young, G. R., Mauss, I. B., Jopling, E. N., LeMoult, J., Borelli, J. L., Nusslock, R., Ibonie, S. G., Villanueva, C. M., & Gruber, J. (2025) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-025-22792-8 · Cited by 2
Domingues, M. R. D. S., Moura-Silva, M. G., Cordeiro, F. B., de Souza, M. C., da Rocha, R. W. G., Bento-Torres, N. V. O., & Neto, J. B. T. (2022) · Amazônia Revista de Educação em Ciências e Matemáticas · doi:10.18542/amazrecm.v18i40.11170 · Cited by 4
Mental health enhancement through nostalgia. The study on loneliness and internet use
Andangsari, E. W., Lestari, W., Fitri, R. A., Hurriyati, E. A., & Dhamayanti, M. (2023) · AIP conference proceedings · doi:10.1063/5.0109131 · Cited by 2
Philbrook, L. E., Chen, G. J.-X., Decker, R. A., & Khaner, L. B. (2023) · Emerging Adulthood · doi:10.1177/21676968231174081 · Cited by 3
“…of loneliness have deleterious effects on young adults’ mental and physical health, including elevated symptoms of anxiety and depression, alcohol and drug use, and increased odds of asthma, hypertension, arthritis, and migraines (Christiansen et al., 2021; Horigian et al., 2021; Lee et al., 2020).”
BackgroundBarry, C. T., Moran-Miller, K. E., Levy, H. F., & Gray, T. (2023) · Journal of Technology in Behavioral Science · doi:10.1007/s41347-023-00329-y · Cited by 2
“…these readily available and popular platforms (Ryan et al., 2017; Wang et al., 2014); however, social media have also been implicated in increased rates of loneliness among present-day adolescents and young adults (Twenge et al., 2019), including during the COVID-19 pandemic (Lee et al., 2020).”
Aus der Einsamkeit herausholen: Wie wirken Interventionen?
Bucher, A. A. (2023) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-662-67022-4_6 · Cited by 2
Ahmed, M. S., Khan, S. S., & Ahmed, N. (2023) · EAI Endorsed Transactions on Pervasive Health and Technology · doi:10.4108/eetpht.9.3663 · Cited by 2
“Amid the pandemic, loneliness increased [4] and while staying alone, people use smartphones believing the smartphone to be supportive for removing stress and boredom [42].”
BackgroundTrend in loneliness among Swiss university students during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic
Volken, T., Amendola, S., Zysset, A. E., Huber, M., von Wyl, A., & Dratva, J. (2023) · Health Psychology Report · doi:10.5114/hpr/169721 · Cited by 2
“Lee et al. (2020) showed a worsening trajectory of loneliness between pre-pandemic and pandemic periods (i.e., January 2020 and April/ May 2020, respectively) in a sample of 564 U.S. young adults.”
BackgroundAbbas, S., Chaudhry, W., & Khalil, A. (2023) · Qlantic Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities · doi:10.55737/qjssh.535930108 · Cited by 3
Gunawardana, N. A., Roduan, M. R. M., Ezani, E., Saidi, H. I., Zakuan, N. M., & Nurdin, A. (2024) · Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences · doi:10.47836/mjmhs.20.1.14 · Cited by 2
“It is reported that 36% of people felt lonely during the pandemic due to home quarantine and separation from loved ones [13], which is highly associated with mental health [14].”
BackgroundWarnick, J. E., Pillay, J., & Munongi, L. (2024) · Advances in Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities · doi:10.1108/amhid-02-2024-0009 · Cited by 2
More than convenience: The engagement of university students in research on global and social issues
Murphy, M. A., Zucchetto, J. M., Barber, I., & Annunziato, R. A. (2024) · Journal of Health Psychology · doi:10.1177/13591053241273617 · Cited by 2
“They are knowledgeable and seek knowledge, connected to different sources of media, and accustomed to describing experiences related to wellbeing (Lee et al., 2020).”
The Effect of COVID-19 Restrictions on Calls for Service on Drugs, Alcohol, and Mental Health
Demir, M., & Park, S. (2024) · American Journal of Criminal Justice · doi:10.1007/s12103-024-09783-7 · Cited by 2
“Several studies reported either a deterioration in mental health or high levels of anxiety and depression during the pandemic (Humer et al., 2022; Lee et al., 2020; Wu et al., 2021; Xiong et al., 2020).”
Cho, H., Lee, J. Y., Heo, J., Kang, D., & Cho, J. (2025) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2024-088590 · Cited by 3
Revitalization Education in Problem Areas as a Tool for the Implementation of Social Welfare
Skubiak, B. (2021) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su132011291 · Cited by 2
“This is due to, among other things, the destabilization of family life, isolation from their peers, the need to change their habits and the loss of safe routines in their daily lives [8].”
BackgroundKhan, A., & Fiori, K. L. (2022) · Journal of Social Behavioral and Health Sciences · doi:10.5590/jsbhs.2022.16.1.06 · Cited by 2
Mental Health Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Reflecting on Lockdowns and Social Isolations
Cheshmehzangi, A., Su, Z., Zou, T., Chen, H., Tang, T., & Dawodu, A. (2022) · Advances in Infectious Diseases · doi:10.4236/aid.2022.122017 · Cited by 1
Meirelles, T. V. D. S., & Teixeira, M. B. (2021) · Saúde em Debate · doi:10.1590/0103-11042021e211i · Cited by 16
Galiano, C. S., Andrea, A. M., Brown, T. A., & Rosellini, A. J. (2023) · Cognitive Therapy and Research · doi:10.1007/s10608-023-10364-x · Cited by 2
Designing and developing a compacted immersive virtual therapy environment: RelaXRoom
Taçgın, Z. (2023) · Acibadem Universitesi Saglik Bilimleri Dergisi · doi:10.31067/acusaglik.1084616 · Cited by 2
“Lee, Cadigan (7) indicated that loneliness and reduced social support are the main reinforcers of depression.”
BackgroundChoi, H. S., & Na, H. (2023) · Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services · doi:10.3928/02793695-20230818-04 · Cited by 2
Akinwale, O. D., Bello, C. B., & Elemile, M. G. (2023) · Journal of Integrative Nursing · doi:10.4103/jin.jin_40_22 · Cited by 4
Fan, Q., Hu, W., Han, X., Henderson, S. L., & Geng, Y. (2024) · Journal of Health Psychology · doi:10.1177/13591053241242526 · Cited by 2
“It was observed that loneliness elevated after COVID-19 outbreak, especially for young adults (Lee et al., 2020; Nochaiwong et al., 2021).”
Démuthová, S., & Démuth, A. (2021) · European journal of behavioral sciences · doi:10.33422/ejbs.v4i3.596 · Cited by 2
Hirshberg, M. J., Colaianne, B. A., Inkelas, K. K., Oke, G., Doren, N. V., Davidson, R. J., & Roeser, R. W. (2022) · doi:10.2196/preprints.36717 · Cited by 2
Miller, V., Hill, M. J., & Moreira, T. (2026) · Communication and Change · doi:10.1007/s44382-026-00036-1 · Cited by 2
“This is perhaps not surprising, given the documented rises in, and problematic levels, of loneliness reported in young people (Lee et al., 2020; Twenge et al., 2021), older adults (da Silva, 2024) and the population at large (Infurna et al., 2024): And we had a dog up until almost two years ago,…”
Pandemic Social Media Use, Loneliness and Social Skills Among Emerging Adults
Wright, C. L., & Rivera, J. M. C. (2025) · Media Watch · doi:10.1177/09760911251333362 · Cited by 1
“We also conducted a series of independent samples t -tests to determine if there were differences in the variables of interest based on participant sex, considering the findings of Lee et al. (2020) and Wickens et al. (2021).”
InfluentialTheurel, A., & Witt, A. (2023) · Psychology · doi:10.4236/psych.2023.141005 · Cited by 1
“141005 71 Psychology pression, and suicidal thoughts among young adults (Glowacz & Schmits, 2020; Lee et al., 2020; Wathelet et al., 2020) and highlighted the need for extensive prevention and mental health care for this age group.”
BackgroundInfluentialProblematic Substance Use among Sexual Minority and Heterosexual Young Adults during COVID-19
Haik, A. K., & Hussong, A. M. (2023) · Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.3390/bs13080655 · Cited by 1
“Current pandemic-focused research has highlighted young adults as a uniquely high-risk population for isolation [7], loneliness [7,8], and elevated rates of anxiety and depressive symptoms [9], as well as a population at peak risk for substance use beyond the pandemic [10].”
BackgroundNosa, V. H., Sluyter, J., Kiadarbandsari, A., Ofanoa, M., Heather, M., Fa’alau, F., & Reddy, R. (2023) · COVID · doi:10.3390/covid3110116 · Cited by 1
“The effects of lockdowns have not discriminated by age either, as young adults exhibited increased loneliness and reduced social support during the pandemic [11,12].”
BackgroundLarson, J. H., Ho, K. C., Lai, H., Shaholli, V., Smetona, J. T., Vicari, F., & Naran, S. (2024) · JPRAS Open · doi:10.1016/j.jpra.2024.05.012 · Cited by 1
Reygaerts, H., Smith, S., Renner, L. M., Ruiz, Y., & Schwab-Reese, L. (2024) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0304336 · Cited by 1
AKKAYA, M., & Duy, B. (2024) · Cukurova University Faculty of Education Journal · doi:10.14812/cuefd.1357651 · Cited by 5
Steers, M. N., Wickham, R. E., Ploykao, T., Buchholz, W., Tanygin, A. B., & Ward, R. M. (2024) · Drug and Alcohol Review · doi:10.1111/dar.13946 · Cited by 2
Household size and depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic: A gendered analysis
Kollamparambil, U., & Oyenubi, A. (2024) · Development Southern Africa · doi:10.1080/0376835x.2024.2408651 · Cited by 1
“…distress caused by job losses (McDowell et al., 2021; Posel et al., 2021) and income loss (Ruengorn et al., 2021; Oyenubi & Kollamparambil, 2022), as well as social isolation and loneliness (Killgore et al., 2020; Lee et al., 2020) brought about by the COVID-19 restrictions and self-isolation.”
Wong, P. M., Ong, J. E. C., Chua, J. S., See, A. S. C., & Alibudbud, R. C. (2024) · Frontiers in Sociology · doi:10.3389/fsoc.2024.1452701 · Cited by 2
Kambara, K., Toya, A., Lee, S., Shimizu, H., Abe, K., Shigematsu, J., Zhang, Q., Abe, N., Hayase, R., Abe, N., et al. (2024) · Asian Journal Of Social Psychology · doi:10.1111/ajsp.12658 · Cited by 1
Guo, X., Jiao, Y., & Huang, Z. (2025) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-025-07529-0 · Cited by 1
“Loneliness not only esca-lates the risk of social anxiety, depression, and cognitive decline among adolescents but also potentially fuels suicidal thoughts (Lee et al., 2020).”
Fleming, C. B., Martinez, G., Rhew, I. C., et al. (2025) · AJPM Focus · doi:10.1016/j.focus.2025.100342 · Cited by 1
Self-citationOkazaki, Y., Tsujimoto, Y., Yamada, K., Saka, N., Ariie, T., Taito, S., Banno, M., Kataoka, Y., & Watanabe, N. (2025) · Cureus · doi:10.7759/cureus.83249 · Cited by 1
Fu, X., Hwang, W., Hadi, N., Brown, M. T., & Silverstein, M. D. (2025) · Family Relations · doi:10.1111/fare.13195 · Cited by 3
Lv, F., Feng, R., Tan, J., Li, J., Liu, Y., & Gao, D. (2025) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1512074 · Cited by 2
“Early adulthood is a vital phase for cognitive and personality growth, and it is also the time most susceptible to mental health issues (84).”
COVID-19 Post-Pandemic Adaptation and Resilience: A Cross-Cultural Study of China and Canada
Chen, S.-M., Yan, J., Yang, F., Rebello, C. B., Ignacio, A., Hu, C., & Cupchik, G. C. (2025) · COVID · doi:10.3390/covid5110188 · Cited by 1
Laurence, J. (2025) · Public Health · doi:10.1016/j.puhe.2025.105979 · Cited by 1
Temporal depressive symptom networks in older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic
Odenthal, M., Schlechter, P., Benke, C., & Melzig, C. A. (2025) · Journal of Mood and Anxiety Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.xjmad.2025.100156 · Cited by 1
Social isolation impacts risk perception but not peer influence in mid-adolescence
Thomas, K., Towner, E., Tomova, L., Chierchia, G., & Blakemore, S. (2025) · Acta Psychologica · doi:10.1016/j.actpsy.2025.105886 · Cited by 3
“Loneliness has been linked to negative health outcomes, such as poorer mental health and wellbeing (Lee et al., 2020; Nuyen et al., 2020; Park et al., 2020; Wang et al., 2018), as well as adverse physical health outcomes and mortality (Holt-Lunstad et al., 2015; Leigh-Hunt et al., 2017; Rico-Uribe…”
The Hidden Struggle: Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic in South Africa
Roberts, B. J., Runciman, C., Orkin, M. M., & Gabbidon, A. (2025) · South African Review of Sociology · doi:10.1080/21528586.2025.2560364 · Cited by 2
“These findings mirror the international experience, where young people from a range of different countries experienced social isolation and psychological distress at higher rates than before the COVID-19 pandemic (Groarke et al. 2020; Lee, Cadigan, and Rhew 2020; Varma et al. 2021).”
Barfoot, K. L., Child, J., Dunn, R., & Colombage, R. L. (2026) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-025-08562-9 · Cited by 1
“Similarly, a US study (Lee et al., 2020) (mean age = 25.1, range 22–29, n = 564) found higher loneliness and depression levels in April/May 2020 lockdown compared to pre-pandemic (January 2020), with loneliness contributing to the rise in depression.”
InfluentialSun, X., Ni, S., & Wu, M. (2026) · Children and Youth Services Review · doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2026.108867 · Cited by 1
An exploration of the loneliness experienced by Indonesian students during the COVID-19 pandemic
Afdal, A., Fikri, M., Nirwana, H., & Mudjiran, M. (2021) · COUNS-EDU| The International Journal of Counseling and Education · doi:10.23916/0020200529740 · Cited by 1
Arlinghaus, K. R., Hersch, D., Neumark‐Sztainer, D., & Loth, K. A. (2022) · Journal of Communications In Healthcare · doi:10.1080/17538068.2022.2035923 · Cited by 2
“Perceived social support is a key factor in mitigating negative mental health consequences during COVID-19 [24,25].”
BackgroundGaldós-Bejar, M., Belanovic-Ramirez, I., Valeria, S. A., Tanaka, Z., & Escuela de Medicina, U. C. D. S. (. (2022) · Journal of Public Health and Development · doi:10.55131/jphd/2022/200211 · Cited by 1
Fatima, T., Suneel, I., Nazim, A., & Majeed, S. (2022) · Journal of Business and Social Review in Emerging Economies · doi:10.26710/jbsee.v8i2.2245 · Cited by 1
Metadata
- Authors
- Lee, C. M., Cadigan, J. M., & Rhew, I. C.
- Affiliations
- University of Washington (US)
- Corresponding author
- Lee, Christine M.
- Venue
- Journal of Adolescent Health
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2020-11
- Volume
- 67
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 714-717
- ISSN
- 1054-139X (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC7576375
- OpenAlex
- W3092376919
- Cited by
- 526
- References
- 13
- Citations by year
- 2026: 33 · 2025: 56 · 2024: 85 · 2023: 127 · 2022: 123 · 2021: 95 · 2020: 6
- FWCI
- 35.02
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Journal of Adolescent Health (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › COVID-19 and Mental Health
- Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
- Keywords
- loneliness, young adults, COVID-19 pandemic, depression, anxiety, perceived social support, gender differences, social isolation
- MeSH terms
- COVID-19, Adult, Mental Disorders, Depression, Female, Humans, Loneliness, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Mental Health, Pneumonia, Viral, Social Isolation, Washington, Coronavirus Infections, Young Adult, Pandemics
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
A language model drew the claims from the paper on 2026-10-05, under version 3 of the claim definition (model deepseek-v4.1-flash, prompt extract-v3).
A second model labelled each claim on 2026-10-05 (model jev-1.13-20260917, definition revision gold-guideline-v0.2).
Cited sources are checked with a language model’s help (gpt-6-sol).
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
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