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The growing problem of loneliness
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“The perception that we are connected to others is a basic human need that is linked to mental and physical well-being (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018; Holt-Lunstad et al., 2010, 2015; Lyubomirsky et al., 2005).”
From Enhancing social connectedness in anxiety and depression through amplification of positivity: Preliminary treatment outcomes and process of change (2020) · cites this paper as Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018
In the citing paper
“Companionship provides emotional validation and shared meaning, buffering individuals against stress (Cohen & Wills, 1985;Thoits, 2011), and is crucial for those at risk of isolation (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018;Loades et al., 2020).”
From Artificial intelligence and unconditional love: the rise of generative AI as an alternative form of mental health support (2026) · cites this paper as Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018
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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
Self-citationA Meta-Analysis of Interventions to Reduce Loneliness
Masi, C. M., Chen, H.-Y., Hawkley, L. C., & Cacioppo, J. T. (2011) · Personality and Social Psychology Review · doi:10.1177/1088868310377394 · Cited by 1,995
Self-citationThe neuroendocrinology of social isolation
Cacioppo, J. T., Cacioppo, S., Capitanio, J. P., & Cole, S. W. (2015) · Annual Review of Psychology · doi:10.1146/annurev-psych-010814-015240 · Cited by 977
Self-citationToward a neurology of loneliness
Cacioppo, S., Capitanio, J. P., & Cacioppo, J. T. (2014) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/a0037618 · Cited by 623
Self-citationCole, S. W., Capitanio, J. P., Chun, K., Arevalo, J. M. G., Ma, J., & Cacioppo, J. T. (2015) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1514249112 · Cited by 310
Self-citationHolt‐Lunstad, J., & Smith, T. B. (2016) · Heart · doi:10.1136/heartjnl-2015-309242 · Cited by 282
Why Loneliness Is Hazardous to Your Health
Miller, G. L. (2011) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.331.6014.138 · Cited by 128
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Items 101–200 of 898
Močnik, Š., Moogoor, A., & Yuen, B. (2022) · Journal of Transport & Health · doi:10.1016/j.jth.2022.101386 · Cited by 46
Karagöz, D., & Ramkissoon, H. R. (2023) · Current Issues in Tourism · doi:10.1080/13683500.2023.2175201 · Cited by 45
“Loneliness not only increases these negative emotions and depressive symptoms, but also increases perceived stress, fear of negative evaluation, anxiety and anger, while reducing optimism and self-con fi dence (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018).”
BackgroundWang, H., Hou, Y., Zhang, L., Yang, M. L., Deng, R., & Yao, J. (2022) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2022.998532 · Cited by 49
“Loneliness refers to the subjective feeling of inadequate social relations (16) and has become a public health problem (17).”
BackgroundHammer, L. B., Dimoff, J. K., Mohr, C. D., & Allen, S. J. (2024) · Occupational Health Science · doi:10.1007/s41542-023-00171-x · Cited by 68
“Social support is also a way to combat loneliness and lack of social connection that have been considered major public health concerns (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018; U.S. Surgeon General, 2023), both in the U.S. and internationally (Surkalim et al., 2022).”
Social Isolation, Brain Food Cue Processing, Eating Behaviors, and Mental Health Symptoms
Zhang, X., Ravichandran, S., Gee, G. C., Dong, T. S., Beltrán‐Sánchez, H., Wang, M. C., Kilpatrick, L. A., Labus, J. S., Vaughan, A., & Gupta, A. (2024) · JAMA Network Open · doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.4855 · Cited by 46
Rania, N., & Coppola, I. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.567470 · Cited by 43
“In the past, it has been defined as a complex set of feelings that include reactions to the absence of intimate and social needs (Ernst and Cacioppo, 1999), a problem for society (Cacioppo and Cacioppo, 2018) as well as for the individual, which may have serious health consequences (Luanaigh and Lawlor, 2008; Henrikse…”
BackgroundLoneliness and psychological distress in everyday life among Latinx college students
Yung, S. T., Chen, Y., & Zawadzki, M. J. (2021) · Journal of American College Health · doi:10.1080/07448481.2021.1927051 · Cited by 48
Inagaki, T. K., Hazlett, L. I., & Andreescu, C. (2019) · Journal of Experimental Psychology General · doi:10.1037/xge0000674 · Cited by 38
“…normal development, immediate and longterm health, and the maintenance of relationships over time (Baumeister & Leary, 1995; Bowlby, 1988; Canevello & Crocker, 2010; Durkheim, 1897/1951; Holt-Lunstad et al., 2010), yet feelings of social disconnection are on the rise (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018).”
BackgroundFerreira, M. J., Sofia, R., Carreno, D. F., Eisenbeck, N., Jongenelen, I., & Cruz, J. F. A. (2021) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.647984 · Cited by 40
“Loneliness is considered a severe public health issue associated with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality even before the coronavirus crisis (Cacioppo and Cacioppo, 2018).”
BackgroundChiao, C., Chen, Y., & Yi, C.-C. (2019) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0217777 · Cited by 39
Bahng, S., Kelly, R., & McCormack, J. (2020) · CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems · doi:10.1145/3313831.3376582 · Cited by 40
“Globally, an increasing number of people are choosing to live alone [24], and loneliness has been characterised as a growing problem in many countries [11], especially among older people [51].”
BackgroundAdverse adolescence experiences, feeling lonely across life stages and loneliness in adulthood
Lin, W., & Chiao, C. (2020) · International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.ijchp.2020.07.006 · Cited by 43
Taylor, C. T., Pearlstein, S. L., & Stein, M. B. (2020) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2020.01.041 · Cited by 38
“In contrast, social disconnection and loneliness increase risk for early mortality to levels on par with well-established risk factors such as obesity and smoking (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018; Holt-Lunstad, Smith, Baker, Harris, & Stephenson, 2015; Holt-Lunstad et al., 2010).”
BackgroundPopulism and Layers of Social Belonging: Support of Populist Parties in Europe
Langenkamp, A., & Bienstman, S. (2022) · Political Psychology · doi:10.1111/pops.12827 · Cited by 48
Neuroimaging studies exploring the neural basis of social isolation
Zovetti, N., Rossetti, M. G., Perlini, C., Brambilla, P., & Bellani, M. (2021) · Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences · doi:10.1017/s2045796021000135 · Cited by 39
Personal, social and relational predictors of UK postgraduate researcher mental health problems
Berry, C., Niven, J. E., & Hazell, C. M. (2021) · BJPsych Open · doi:10.1192/bjo.2021.1041 · Cited by 32
“Loneliness 382 on mental health problems is not unique to PGRs, but is a huge global public health issue (51,52) further 383 exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, felt by other student groups (24) and the general public (40).”
BackgroundSoledad no deseada, salud y desigualdades sociales a lo largo del ciclo vital
Martín, U., & González-Rábago, Y. (2020) · Gaceta Sanitaria · doi:10.1016/j.gaceta.2020.07.010 · Cited by 58
“Soledad: no 1 1 1 1 1 Soledad: sí 5,80 (3,68-9,13)a 3,28 (2,59-4,15)a 3,45 (2,57-4,62)a 2,16 (1,56-3,00)a 3,50 (2,99-4,12)a”
Teater, B. A., Chonody, J. M., & Davis, N. (2020) · Social Work in Public Health · doi:10.1080/19371918.2020.1866140 · Cited by 47
“The effects of loneliness on older adults found in the literature indicate that loneliness predicts depression and psychological distress (Ng & Lee, 2019) and premature mortality (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018; Valtorta & Hanratty, 2012).”
BackgroundLoneliness, Social Support, and Adjustment to Aging in Older Portuguese Gay Men
Ribeiro-Gonçalves, J. A., Pereira, H., Costa, P. A., Leal, I. M. P., & de Vries, B. (2021) · Sexuality Research and Social Policy · doi:10.1007/s13178-021-00535-4 · Cited by 46
“…like aloofness, self-centeredness, rejection of companionship, and irritability, all of which can negatively affect relationship quality and, thus, loneliness (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018a; Cacioppo et al., 2010; Christiansen 1 3 et al., 2016; Hawkley & Cacioppo, 2007; Hawkley et al., 2010).”
BackgroundValence processing in the PFC: Reconciling circuit-level and systems-level views
Coley, A. A., Padilla-Coreano, N., Patel, R. R., & Tye, K. M. (2021) · International review of neurobiology · doi:10.1016/bs.irn.2020.12.002 · Cited by 39
“Our ability to socialize is important for survival and health (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018; Matthews & Tye, 2019), and socializing is a complex process influenced by many of the traditional PFC functions such as Fig.”
BackgroundMao, J., Fu, G.-X., & Huang, J. (2023) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1108467 · Cited by 47
“Loneliness is a common phenomenon in modern society and is considered a global public health issue (Cacioppo and Cacioppo, 2018).”
BackgroundSocial media use, loneliness and psychological distress in emerging adults
Taylor, Z., Yankouskaya, A., & Panourgia, C. (2023) · Behaviour and Information Technology · doi:10.1080/0144929x.2023.2209797 · Cited by 43
“Loneliness is a growing public health issue due to its strong association with a high risk of morbidity and mortality (Cacioppo and Cacioppo 2018; Holt-Lunstad et al. 2015); there is also substantial evidence that lonely people are more likely to su ff er from impaired mental health (i.e. Wang et…”
BackgroundNicolaisen, M., & Thorsen, K. (2023) · The International Journal of Aging and Human Development · doi:10.1177/00914150231194243 · Cited by 49
“…in loneliness in both groups in the fi rst period and stable loneliness in the younger group in the second period is unexpected in light of popular assumptions and some studies (e.g., Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018), indicating that lone-liness has become increasingly widespread over recent decades.”
ResultHoughton, S. J., Lawrence, D. M., Hunter, S. C., Zadow, C., Kyron, M. J., Paterson, R. S., Carroll, A., Christie, R., & Brandtman, M. (2020) · Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment · doi:10.1007/s10862-020-09791-x · Cited by 40
Aging, Social Distancing, and COVID-19 Risk: Who is more Vulnerable and Why?
Faraji, J., & Metz, G. A. S. (2021) · Aging and Disease · doi:10.14336/ad.2021.0319 · Cited by 44
Virtual Photovoice With Older Adults: Methodological Reflections during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Ferlatte, O., Karmann, J., Gariépy, G., Frohlich, K. L., Moullec, G., Lemieux, V., & Hébert, R. (2022) · International Journal of Qualitative Methods · doi:10.1177/16094069221095656 · Cited by 37
“Social isolation among this population was already considered a public health crisis prior to the COVID-19 pandemic (Berg-Weger & Morley, 2020; Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018) and, given the strong associations of social isolation with mental health outcomes such as depression, anxiety and suicidal…”
BackgroundWee, L. E., Tsang, T. Y., Yi, H., Toh, S.-A. E. S., Lee, G. L., Yee, J., Lee, S., Oen, K. Q. X., & Koh, G. C. (2019) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph16060967 · Cited by 44
“Loneliness is a growing problem, particularly in urbanized societies [6].”
BackgroundŞimşek, O. M., Koçak, O., & Younis, M. Z. (2021) · Sustainability · doi:10.3390/su13169293 · Cited by 48
“Loneliness is typically defined as the absence of satisfactory social relationships [39,40].”
BackgroundRefaeli, T., & Achdut, N. (2020) · Health & Social Care in the Community · doi:10.1111/hsc.13177 · Cited by 39
Loneliness predicts suicidal ideation and anxiety symptoms in long-term childhood cancer survivors
Ernst, M., Brähler, E., Wild, P. S., Faber, J., Merzenich, H., & Beutel, M. E. (2020) · International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.ijchp.2020.10.001 · Cited by 37
Rodríguez‐González, R., Facal-Mayo, D., Martinez‐Santos, A., & Gandoy‐Crego, M. (2020) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2020.588949 · Cited by 34
Heron, P. N., Spanakis, P., Crosland, S., Johnston, G., Newbronner, E., Wadman, R., Walker, L. E., Gilbody, S. M., & Peckham, E. J. (2022) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0262363 · Cited by 36
Lin, H., Chang, C., Chang, Y., Chen, Y., & Yen, C. (2022) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph19106225 · Cited by 35
“Because of the profound influence of loneliness on health [91], intervention programs to reduce sexual stigma in the general population and within family units and to prevent internalized homonegativity are necessary.”
BackgroundHylkilä, K., Männikkö, N., Castrén, S., Mustonen, T., Peltonen, A., Konttila, J., Männistö, M., & Kääriäinen, M. (2023) · Telematics and Informatics · doi:10.1016/j.tele.2023.101996 · Cited by 46
Loneliness, adolescence, and global mental health: Soledad and structural violence in Mexico
JENKINS, J. H., Sánchez, G., & Hernández, O. L. O. (2019) · Transcultural Psychiatry · doi:10.1177/1363461519880126 · Cited by 38
“…of comparative psychological survey research in poor countries and regions, as is the implicit or explicit presumption that loneliness disproportionately afflicts ‘‘industrialized’’ (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018) societies, or ‘‘individualistic’’ versus ‘‘collectivist’’ societies (Rokach, 2018).”
BackgroundDefining Digital Authoritarianism
Pearson, J. S. (2024) · Philosophy & Technology · doi:10.1007/s13347-024-00754-8 · Cited by 50
“Although loneliness is difficult to measure, studies indicate that approximately a third of people currently living in industrialized countries suffer from loneliness, with one in twelve being severely affected (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018).”
McDonald, A. J., Wickens, C. M., Bondy, S. J., Elton‐Marshall, T., Wells, S. L., Nigatu, Y. T., Jankowicz, D., & Hamilton, H. A. (2022) · Psychiatry Research · doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114446 · Cited by 37
“At the outset of the pandemic, loneliness was already recognized as an epidemic in the health literature (Cacioppo and Cacioppo, 2018; Fried et al., 2020; Jeste et al., 2020; The Lancet, 2020).”
Morese, R., & Palermo, S. (2022) · Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnagi.2022.896218 · Cited by 36
“In industrialized countries about one-third of people are affected by this condition, with one in severely affected, with these proportions constantly increasing (Cacioppo and Cacioppo, 2018).”
BackgroundFryburg, D. A. (2021) · American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine · doi:10.1177/1559827620988268 · Cited by 37
Mahmoudpour, A., Rayesh, N., Ghanbarian, E., & Rezaee, M. (2021) · Journal of Marital and Family Therapy · doi:10.1111/jmft.12492 · Cited by 32
Loneliness in urbanising China
Chen, J., & Gong, L. (2021) · Health & Social Care in the Community · doi:10.1111/hsc.13451 · Cited by 34
Loneliness is Associated With Lower Coping Self-Efficacy Among Older Adults
Lee, J. W., Nersesian, P. V., Suen, J. J., Cudjoe, T., Gill, J., Szanton, S. L., & Hladek, M. D. (2022) · Journal of Applied Gerontology · doi:10.1177/07334648221129858 · Cited by 36
“Despite any individual’s susceptibility to loneliness and its pervasive effects, stigmatization limits its disclosure, which may adversely affect health (J. T. Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018).”
BackgroundInfluentialMuhammad, T., Pai, M., Afsal, K., Saravanakumar, P., & Irshad, C. V. (2023) · BMC Geriatrics · doi:10.1186/s12877-023-04017-7 · Cited by 46
Qu, Y., Liu, Z., Wang, Y., Chang, L., & Fan, H. (2023) · Healthcare · doi:10.3390/healthcare11142025 · Cited by 33
Patient Experiences with Screening and Assistance for Social Isolation in Primary Care Settings
Tung, E. L., Marchis, E. H. D., Gottlieb, L. M., Lindau, S. T., & Pantell, M. S. (2021) · Journal of General Internal Medicine · doi:10.1007/s11606-020-06484-9 · Cited by 44
Chinese only children and loneliness: Stereotypes and realities.
Lin, S., Falbo, T. L., Qu, W., Wang, Y., & Feng, X. (2021) · American Journal of Orthopsychiatry · doi:10.1037/ort0000554 · Cited by 36
Mental health and COVID-19 in a general population cohort in Spain (COVICAT study)
Goldberg, X., Castaño‐Vinyals, G., Espinosa, A., Carreras, A., Liutsko, L., Sicuri, E., Foraster, M., O’Callaghan‐Gordo, C., Dadvand, P., Moncunill, G., et al. (2022) · Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology · doi:10.1007/s00127-022-02303-0 · Cited by 31
Experiences and meaning of loneliness beyond age and group identity
Malli, M. A., Ryan, S., Maddison, J., & Kharicha, K. (2022) · Sociology of Health & Illness · doi:10.1111/1467-9566.13539 · Cited by 44
“Globally, surveys indicate an unprecedented rise in loneliness with around a third of people affected and one in twelve affected severely (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018).”
BackgroundSocial isolation shortens lifespan through oxidative stress in ants
Koto, A., Tamura, M., Wong, P. S., Aburatani, S., Privman, E., Stoffel, C., Crespi, A., McKenzie, S. K., Mendola, C. L., Kay, T., et al. (2023) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/s41467-023-41140-w · Cited by 29
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Loneliness in Young People with ADHD: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Jong, A., Odoi, C. M., Lau, J., & J.Hollocks, M. (2024) · Journal of Attention Disorders · doi:10.1177/10870547241229096 · Cited by 29
“Loneliness is a public health concern with well-documented adverse effects on mental health (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018; Cacioppo et al., 2002; Christiansen et al., 2021; Eccles et al., 2020), in addition to worsened physical health (Hawkley & Cacioppo, 2010; Holt-Lunstad et al., 2015).”
BackgroundAssessment of an Epidemic Urgency: Psychometric Evidence for the UCLA Loneliness Scale
Bottaro, R., Valenti, G. D., & Faraci, P. (2023) · Psychology Research and Behavior Management · doi:10.2147/prbm.s406523 · Cited by 30
“In Studies 2, 3, and 4, we examined the associations between loneliness and related constructs to explore the convergent and discriminant validity of our purposed short version.”
How Diet and Lifestyle Can Fine-Tune Gut Microbiomes for Healthy Aging
Tamayo, M., Olivares, M., Ruas‐Madiedo, P., Margollés, A., Espı́n, J. C., Medina, I., Moreno-Arribas, M. V., Canals, S., Mirasso, C. R., Ortín, S., et al. (2024) · Annual Review of Food Science and Technology · doi:10.1146/annurev-food-072023-034458 · Cited by 33
Loneliness and Personality Profiles Involved in Bullying Victimization and Aggressive Behavior
Machimbarrena, J. M., Álvarez-Bardón, A., Mejía, A. L., Gutiérrez‐Ortega, M., Cabrales, A. C., & González‐Cabrera, J. M. (2019) · School Mental Health · doi:10.1007/s12310-019-09328-y · Cited by 32
Luiggi-Hernández, J. G., & Rivera-Amador, A. I. (2020) · Journal of Humanistic Psychology · doi:10.1177/0022167820937503 · Cited by 32
“…as an epidemic by public health professionals, researchers, and institutions, including the 17th Surgeon General of the United State (Murthy, 2016) as research suggests that its prolonged experience affects about one third of people from industrialized countries (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018).”
BackgroundOllier, J., Neff, S., Dworschak, C., Sejdiji, A., Santhanam, P., Keller, R., Xiao, G., Asisof, A., Rüegger, D., Bérubé, C., et al. (2021) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2021.625640 · Cited by 28
“Prior to COVID-19 outbreak, loneliness was a major public health concern and had been linked to increased morbidity and mortality risks (120–122).”
BackgroundGuingrich, R. E., & Graziano, M. S. A. (2025) · Oxford Intersections: AI in Society · doi:10.1093/9780198945215.003.0011 · Cited by 28
“…or who have experienced social rejection are arguably a significant and growing source of dissatisfaction and disruption in modern society, and the isolation period of the COVID pandemic exacerbated these issues (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018; Hawkley & Cacioppo, 2010; Holt-Lunstad & Steptoe, 2022).”
Collet, J., Thiele, H., Barbato, E., Barthélémy, O., Bauersachs, J. K., Bhatt, D. L., Dendale, P., Dorobanţu, M., Edvardsen, T., Folliguet, T. A., et al. (2021) · Revista Española de Cardiología · doi:10.1016/j.recesp.2020.12.024 · Cited by 38
Smith, K. J., & Victor, C. R. (2021) · The Gerontologist · doi:10.1093/geront/gnab177 · Cited by 28
Thinking too much: How young people experience rumination in the context of loneliness
Yun, R. C., Fardghassemi, S., & Joffé, H. (2022) · Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology · doi:10.1002/casp.2635 · Cited by 27
“The number of people who experience loneliness appears to be growing rapidly (King, 2018), especially in industrialized societies where approximately a third of the population is affected by loneliness (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018), giving credence to the term ‘ the loneliness epidemic ’ .”
Wang, Y., Li, S., Zou, X., Xu, L., & Ni, Y. (2022) · Geriatric Nursing · doi:10.1016/j.gerinurse.2022.10.004 · Cited by 26
Valle, V. I.-D., Corchón, S., Zaharia, G., & Cauli, O. (2022) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph192416622 · Cited by 63
“Loneliness and social isolation are considered public health concerns [6].”
BackgroundPrell, T., Schönenberg, A., & Heimrich, K. G. (2023) · Frontiers in Medicine · doi:10.3389/fmed.2023.1183289 · Cited by 28
“Loneliness is becoming a growing concern for public health in the aging society (1).”
BackgroundInfluentialHead versus heart: social media reveals differential language of loneliness from depression
Liu, T., Ungar, L., Curtis, B. L., Sherman, G. T., Yadeta, K., Tay, L., Eichstaedt, J. C., & Guntuku, S. C. (2022) · npj Mental Health Research · doi:10.1038/s44184-022-00014-7 · Cited by 33
Kassam, K., & McMillan, J. M. (2023) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1287391 · Cited by 28
“It has been identified as a significant public health issue (17).”
Guerra, V., Paladines-Costa, B., Vaca, S., Cacho, R., Fernández‐Montalvo, J., & Ruisoto, P. (2019) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0219618 · Cited by 30
Kumar, R. G., Ornstein, K. A., Bollens‐Lund, E., Watson, E. M., Ankuda, C. K., Kelley, A. S., & Dams-O’Connor, K. (2020) · International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry · doi:10.1002/gps.5271 · Cited by 29
“The distress associated with loneliness has received tremendous attention from researchers and clinicians in recent years.(14) Loneliness has been documented to be associated with a range of negative consequences, including decreased longevity and poor physical, mental, and cognitive well-being.”
BackgroundWettstein, M., Wahl, H., & Kornadt, A. E. (2021) · Psychology and Aging · doi:10.1037/pag0000632 · Cited by 29
Perkins, R., Spiro, N., & Waddell, G. (2023) · Public Health · doi:10.1016/j.puhe.2023.04.017 · Cited by 24
Beware the medicalisation of loneliness
McLennan, A. K., & Ulijaszek, S. J. (2018) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(18)30577-4 · Cited by 26
Loneliness in the Daily Lives of People With Mood and Psychotic Disorders
Moran, E. K., Shapiro, M., Culbreth, A. J., Nepal, S. K., Ben‐Zeev, D., Campbell, A. T., & Barch, D. M. (2024) · Schizophrenia Bulletin · doi:10.1093/schbul/sbae022 · Cited by 27
“Loneliness is a worldwide epidemic associated with premature mortality and psychopathology 30 including being recognized as a profound threat to physical and mental well-being in the 2023 US Surgeon General Report.”
BackgroundBarton, S., Zovko, A., Müller, C., Krabichler, Q., Schulze, J., Wagner, S., Grinevich, V., Shamay‐Tsoory, S., & Hurlemann, R. (2024) · Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105734 · Cited by 27
“Loneliness is also often stigmatized (Cacioppo and Cacioppo, 2018) both by the lonely individuals themselves as well as their social environment.”
How people think about being alone shapes their experience of loneliness
Rodriguez, M., Schertz, K. E., & Kross, E. F. (2025) · Nature Communications · doi:10.1038/s41467-025-56764-3 · Cited by 44
Close knit: using consumption communities to overcome loneliness
Sullivan, M. O., & Richardson, B. (2020) · European Journal of Marketing · doi:10.1108/ejm-02-2019-0145 · Cited by 25
A Look Back and a Path Forward: Poetry's Healing Power during the Pandemic
Xiang, D. H., & Yi, A. (2020) · Journal of Medical Humanities · doi:10.1007/s10912-020-09657-z · Cited by 31
“* David Haosen Xiang dxiang@hms.harvard.edu 1 Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck Street, Boston, MA 02115, United States 2 Harvard College, Cambridge, MA, USA most industrialized countries (Cacioppo and Cacioppo 2018).”
BackgroundCohen, E. E. A., Davis, A., & Taylor, J. (2022) · Applied Psychology Health and Well-Being · doi:10.1111/aphw.12351 · Cited by 29
“Although considerable research has examined the negative health effects of social isolation and the growing problem of loneliness (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018; Hawkley & Cacioppo, 2010), studies on the opposite of loneliness , or social bonding, and on associations among joint activity,…”
A lonely planet: time to tackle loneliness as a public health issue
Ding, D., Eres, R., & Surkalim, D. L. (2022) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.o1464 · Cited by 25
Liu, A. R., Pataranutaporn, P., & Maes, P. (2024) · arXiv · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2410.21596 · Cited by 25
For Whom and What Does Cognitive Reappraisal Help? A Prospective Study
Dawel, A., Mewton, P., Gulliver, A., Farrer, L. M., Calear, A. L., Newman, E. J., & Cherbuin, N. (2023) · Cognitive Therapy and Research · doi:10.1007/s10608-023-10407-3 · Cited by 33
Liu, R., -, L. X., Peng, Y., Du, X., He, L., Chen, T., Li, X., Xie, G., Wu, S., Su, J., et al. (2020) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2020-042487 · Cited by 24
Zeytinoglu, M., Wroblewski, K., Vokes, T., Huisingh-Scheetz, M. J., Hawkley, L. C., & Huang, E. S. (2021) · Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine · doi:10.1177/2333721421989217 · Cited by 30
“Loneliness also predicts poorer mental health, including greater depressive symptomatology (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018a; Courtin & Knapp, 2017).”
BackgroundEndo, K., Yamasaki, S., Nakanishi, M., DeVylder, J., Usami, S., Morimoto, Y., Stanyon, D., Suzuki, K., Miyashita, M., Arai, M., et al. (2021) · Schizophrenia Research · doi:10.1016/j.schres.2021.11.031 · Cited by 24
“Although adolescent loneliness has received attention as a target of interventions (Cacioppo and Cacioppo, 2018), there may be a risk of underestimation of background pathology, including psychotic experiences, of perceived loneliness in school settings.”
BackgroundRochelle, T. L. (2022) · Psychology Health & Medicine · doi:10.1080/13548506.2022.2058028 · Cited by 29
Pollerhoff, L., Stietz, J., Depow, G. J., Inzlicht, M., Kanske, P., Li, S., & Reiter, A. M. F. (2022) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-022-06620-x · Cited by 33
“The groups were divided into (1) 18 to 24 years (n = 14), (2) 25 to 34 years (n = 57), (3) 35 to 44 years (n = 59), (4) 45 to 54 years (n = 51), (5) 55 to 64 years (n = 42), and (6) 65 years and older (n = 20).”
Alvarez, C. V., Mirza, L., Das‐Munshi, J., & Oswald, T. K. (2024) · Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology · doi:10.1007/s00127-024-02722-1 · Cited by 34
“Tassia Kate Oswald tassia.oswald@kcl.ac.uk It is widely documented that loneliness is associated with an increased risk for depression [6, 7].”
Perceptions of loneliness among people accessing treatment for substance use disorders
Ingram, I., Kelly, P. J., Deane, F. P., Baker, A., & Dingle, G. A. (2020) · Drug and Alcohol Review · doi:10.1111/dar.13120 · Cited by 30
Ageing in Developing Societies: Issues and Challenges
Kohli, N., Chawla, S. K., Banerjee, A., & Srinete, T. P. (2020) · Psychology and Developing Societies · doi:10.1177/0971333620943408 · Cited by 25
“In this modern era, loneliness is one of the rapidly increasing psycho-social health concerns (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018).”
BackgroundTorres, J. L., Braga, L. D. S., Moreira, B. D. S., de Castro, C. M. S., Vaz, C. T., Andrade, A. C. D. S., de Andrade, F. B., Lima‐Costa, M. F., & Caiaffa, W. T. (2021) · Aging & Mental Health · doi:10.1080/13607863.2021.1913479 · Cited by 25
“…studies Also, loneliness presents a similar mortality risk to well-established risk factors, such as smoking, and constitutes a major public health concern among older adults (Armitage & Nellums, 2020; Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018; Gerst-Emerson & Jayawardhana, 2015; Patel & Clark-Ginsberg, 2020).”
BackgroundJensen, S. S., & Reimer, D. (2021) · SSM - Population Health · doi:10.1016/j.ssmph.2021.100945 · Cited by 22
“S.S. Jensen and D. Reimer SSM - Population Health 16 (2021) 100945 (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018).”
The impact of narcolepsy on social relationships in young adults
Davidson, R. D., Biddle, K. D., Nassan, M. M., Scammell, T. E., & Zhou, E. S. (2022) · Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine · doi:10.5664/jcsm.10212 · Cited by 23
“For example, loneliness is associated with a 26% increase in premature death.(8) Evidence suggests that infrequent social contact is associated with loneliness across young adulthood and into adulthood,(9) and recent findings indicate that young adulthood is a period of increased loneliness.”
Pecchinenda, A., Yankouskaya, A., Boccia, M., Piccardi, L., Guariglia, C., & Giannini, A. M. (2023) · Aging & Mental Health · doi:10.1080/13607863.2023.2242291 · Cited by 27
“…social pain it engenders rely on the same mechanisms and neural substrates as physical pain and this overlay occurs because the physical pain detection system was already developed when animals evolved to respond to social exclusion (e.g. Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018; Eisenberger & Lieberman, 2004).”
BackgroundConsumer loneliness: A systematic review and research agenda
Huang, S., & Li, M. (2023) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1071341 · Cited by 26
“Prior research has related loneliness to a range of negative health outcomes (heart disease, suicide, mortality, etc.) and psychological outcomes (depression, anxiety, anger, etc.) across life spans and cultures (Heinrich and Gullone, 2006; Cacioppo and Cacioppo, 2018; Chen et al., 2021).”
BackgroundLoneliness and its association with health service utilization in people with a psychotic disorder
Badcock, J. C., Prinzio, P. D., Waterreus, A. J., Neil, A. L., & Morgan, V. A. (2020) · Schizophrenia Research · doi:10.1016/j.schres.2020.05.059 · Cited by 22
“Previous evidence suggests that the pain of loneliness may serve an adaptive social function, prompting people to reach out and rebuild social ties (Cacioppo and Cacioppo, 2018b).”
BackgroundBatra, K., Morgan, A. E., & Sharma, M. (2020) · Signa Vitae · doi:10.22514/sv.2020.16.0070 · Cited by 24
“Social isolation and loneliness are among the main drivers of physical and psychosocial health outcomes among older adults [25, 26].”
BackgroundZawadzki, M. J., & Gavrilova, L. (2021) · International Journal of Psychophysiology · doi:10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2021.06.016 · Cited by 24
Laslo‐Roth, R., George‐Levi, S., & Ben-Yaakov, L. (2022) · Journal of Social and Personal Relationships · doi:10.1177/02654075221113031 · Cited by 22
“Loneliness is considered to be painful and may signal a reduction in beneficial social interactions such as a lack of supportive or positive relationships (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018).”
BackgroundInfluentialCOVID-19 lockdowns and changes in loneliness among young people in the U.K.
Kung, C. S. J., Kunz, J., & Shields, M. A. (2023) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.115692 · Cited by 28
“There is increasing concern about the high prevalence of loneliness and its potential impacts on health and well-being, with estimates suggesting that loneliness is as big a risk factor for mortality as smoking and is strongly linked to increased healthcare usage (Cacioppo and Cacioppo, 2018; Holt-Lunstad et al., 2015…”
BackgroundTakács, J., Katona, Z. B., & Ihász, F. (2023) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2023.01.067 · Cited by 23
“The level of loneliness was also significant before the covid-19 pandemic, it has already been recognised as a major public health concern (Leigh-Hunt et al., 2017; Cacioppo and Cacioppo, 2018; Jeste et al., 2020).”
BackgroundWise Reasoning in an Uncertain World
Grossmann, I., & Dorfman, A. (2019) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-20287-3_3 · Cited by 21
Ypsilanti, A., Mullings, E. L., Hawkins, O., & Lazuras, L. (2021) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2021.08.031 · Cited by 24
Metadata
- Authors
- Cacioppo, J. T., & Cacioppo, S.
- Affiliations
- University of Chicago (US)
- Corresponding author
- Cacioppo, John T
- Venue
- The Lancet
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2018-02
- Volume
- 391
- Issue
- 10119
- Pages
- 426
- ISSN
- 0099-5355 (ISSN-L)
- 0140-6736
- PMC
- PMC6530780
- OpenAlex
- W2787145468
- Cited by
- 897
- References
- 7
- Citations by year
- 2026: 107 · 2025: 155 · 2024: 134 · 2023: 131 · 2022: 117 · 2021: 126 · 2020: 94 · 2019: 28 · 2018: 5
- FWCI
- 67.73
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- The Lancet (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute on Aging (R01AG033590)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › COVID-19 and Mental Health
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
- Keywords
- loneliness, social isolation, premature mortality, depression, irritability, self-centeredness, social contagion, socioeconomic factors
- MeSH terms
- Humans, Loneliness, Public Health, Social Isolation
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