Cited by 898Health disparities and outcomesCOVID-19 and Mental HealthDeath Anxiety and Social Exclusion

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The growing problem of loneliness

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Cacioppo, John T, Cacioppo, Stephanie·2018·The Lancet

DOI 10.1016/s0140-6736(18)30142-9PMC PMC6530780

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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-citation
A 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-citation
The 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-citation
Toward a neurology of loneliness
Cacioppo, S., Capitanio, J. P., & Cacioppo, J. T. (2014) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/a0037618 · Cited by 623
Self-citation
Myeloid differentiation architecture of leukocyte transcriptome dynamics in perceived social isolation
Cole, 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-citation
Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors for CVD: implications for evidence-based patient care and scientific inquiry
Holt‐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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Yadav, V., Chauhan, S., & Patel, R. (2022) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-022-13108-w · Cited by 8
“the most devastating mental illnesses among city dwellers in the modern age [3]–[5].”
Background
Loneliness is not a homogeneous experience: An empirical analysis of adaptive and maladaptive forms of loneliness in the UK
Ypsilanti, A., & Lazuras, L. (2022) · Psychiatry Research · doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114571 · Cited by 8
“2 on public health remains timely and relevant (Cacioppo and Cacioppo, 2018; Klinenberg, 2016).”
Background
Arts, cultural and creative engagement during COVID-19: Enhancing the mental wellbeing and social connectedness of university staff and students
Wilson, C., Munn‐Giddings, C., Bungay, H., & Dadswell, A. (2022) · Nordic Journal of Arts Culture and Health · doi:10.18261/njach.4.1.2 · Cited by 8
Barriers and facilitators of digital interventions use to reduce loneliness among older adults: a protocol for a qualitative systematic review
Zhang, H., Valimaki, M. A., Li, X., Nan, J., Wu, S., Zeng, X., Duan, Y., & Feng, H. (2022) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2022-067858 · Cited by 8
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Satisfaction with adult children’s achievements is associated with depression and loneliness in later-life: the mediating roles of children’s support and gratitude
Olawa, B. D., & Idemudia, E. S. (2019) · Educational Gerontology · doi:10.1080/03601277.2019.1612559 · Cited by 9
“…predict depression and psychological distress (Dahlberga et al., 2018; Ng & Lee, 2019), cognitive deficits (Donovan et al., 2016), malnutrition (Eskelinen, Hartikainen, & Nykanen, 2016), physical health decline (Singer, 2018) and premature mortality (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018) among older adults.”
Background
Virtual Groups to Address the Health of Homebound Adults During COVID-19: A Biopsychosocial Framework
Zubatsky, M. (2021) · The journal of nutrition health & aging · doi:10.1007/s12603-021-1584-8 · Cited by 8
Dancing with robots: acceptability of humanoid companions to reduce loneliness during COVID-19 (and beyond)
Ross, G. M. (2023) · AI & Society · doi:10.1007/s00146-023-01738-6 · Cited by 8
“The implication is that we are facing a public health problem (Cacioppo and Cacioppo 2018), and this is without even taking into consideration the COVID-19 crisis.”
Self-Disclosure of Loneliness by LGBTQ+ Twitter Users During COVID-19
Mejova, Y., & Lu, A. H. (2023) · Journal of Homosexuality · doi:10.1080/00918369.2023.2263801 · Cited by 8
“As such, loneliness has been called an epidemic in the US (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018).”
Has human progress stagnated in recent decades? Evaluating Seligman’s (2021) model of agency and its correlates using the MIDUS three-wave longitudinal study
Li, P. F. J., & Chow, A. (2024) · The Journal of Positive Psychology · doi:10.1080/17439760.2024.2314288 · Cited by 8
“Indeed, researchers have observed that one in three people in countries like the U.S. experience loneliness–a contagious public health concern associated with irritability and depressive symptoms (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018).”
Background
Playing online videogames—more than just entertainment? A qualitative study of virtual social participation in persons with spinal cord injury
Nilsen, R., Johansen, T., Løvstad, M., & Linnestad, A.-M. (2024) · Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences · doi:10.3389/fresc.2024.1395678 · Cited by 7
Understanding belongingness at work: the self in a relational context
Zimmerman, N., Kuntz, J., & Wright, S. (2025) · International journal of organizational analysis · doi:10.1108/ijoa-10-2024-4880 · Cited by 7
Social anxiety influences the stress-buffering potential of social presence: Evidence from cardiovascular and affective reactivity under stress
Maffei, A., Scarpa, E., Patron, E., & Sessa, P. (2025) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0325303 · Cited by 10
“This protective effect translates into a reduced risk of developing the negative sequelae of chronic stress [10], while lack of social support would have a detrimental effect on an individual’s ability to deal with stressors, and is a negative predictor of their health status [11].”
Are patients with mental disorders more vulnerable to loneliness and social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic? – Findings from the Japan COVID-19 and Society Internet Survey
Goh, K. W., Ishikawa, S., Okubo, R., Kusumi, I., & Tabuchi, T. (2023) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2023.08.035 · Cited by 8
Understanding Adolescent Self-esteem and Self-image Through Social Media Behaviors
Charmaraman, L., Hojman, H. B., Auqui, J. Q., & Bilyalova, Z. (2024) · Pediatric Clinics of North America · doi:10.1016/j.pcl.2024.07.034 · Cited by 7
Ebeveyn Duygusal Erişilebilirliği, Romantik İlişki Kalitesi ve Sosyal Bağlılık ile İyi Oluş Arasındaki İlişkide Yalnızlığın Aracılık Rolü
ÖZDOĞAN, A. Ç. (2020) · Pamukkale University Journal of Education · doi:10.9779/pauefd.770592 · Cited by 8
Free Listening: Identifying and evaluating listening barriers through empathic listening
Tietsort, C. J., Hanners, K. A., Tracy, S. J., & Adame, E. A. (2020) · Communication Teacher · doi:10.1080/17404622.2020.1851734 · Cited by 12
Morphological changes in the basolateral amygdala and behavioral disruptions associated with social isolation
Hylin, M. J., Watanasriyakul, W. T., Hite, N. J., McNeal, N., & Grippo, A. J. (2021) · Behavioural Brain Research · doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113572 · Cited by 7
Factors Associated with Depressive Symptoms in Elderly Individuals Living in Urban Communities
Naviganuntana, Y., Kerdcharoen, N., & Rawdaree, P. (2022) · Psychology Research and Behavior Management · doi:10.2147/prbm.s348782 · Cited by 7
“Consequently, some elderly individuals feel worthless and lonely, which often results in depression.(1,2) International studies on mental illnesses and conditions have found that 10% to 15% of the elderly in England were depressed, 12.”
Background
The social regulation of emotion: Inconsistencies suggest no mediation through ventromedial prefrontal cortex
Beckes, L., Medina-DeVilliers, S., & Coan, J. A. (2020) · Social Neuroscience · doi:10.1080/17470919.2020.1767686 · Cited by 7
“John Cacioppo (e.g., Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018) has long argued that loneliness is a major health issue.”
Background
Loneliness within the general population of Slovenia
Lavrič, M., Gomboc, V., Krohne, N., Podlogar, T., Poštuvan, V., Šedivy, N. Z., & Leo, D. D. (2020) · International Journal of Social Psychiatry · doi:10.1177/0020764020943230 · Cited by 7
“It is a state in which individuals perceive themselves as socially isolated, even when they are among other people (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018).”
Background
Decreased self-reported receiving of social touch and social support predict loneliness in healthy adults
Araújo, C. R. V., Mota, B. E. F., Campagnoli, R. R., Rocha-Rego, V., Volchan, E., & Souza, G. G. L. (2022) · Psicologia Reflexão e Crítica · doi:10.1186/s41155-022-00228-w · Cited by 10
“Nonetheless, even before the current pandemic, loneliness had already been reported as an emerging public health issue (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018).”
Background
Prevalence and correlates of loneliness in India: A systematic reviewPreprint
Hossain, M. M., Purohit, N., Khan, N., McKyer, E. L. J., Ma, P., Bhattacharya, S., & Pawar, P. P. (2020) · SocArXiv (OSF Preprints) · doi:10.31235/osf.io/x4ctz · Cited by 9
“Loneliness is one of the fastest-growing psychosocial health concerns in the modern age (Cacioppo and Cacioppo, 2018; Rubin, 2017).”
Unraveling the dynamics of loneliness in the Baltic-Nordic region: a comparative analysis in the wake of COVID-19
Reine, I., Miķelsone, M., Tomsone, S., Guðmundsson, H., Ivanovs, A., Guðmundsson, H. S., & Koroļeva, I. (2024) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2024.1360285 · Cited by 6
The Role of World Beliefs in Loneliness: Implications for Daily Social Interaction and Persistence of Loneliness Over Time
Lemay, E. P., Cutri, J. N., Or, R. T., Davis, A. J., & Xiao, Z. (2024) · Journal of Personality · doi:10.1111/jopy.12999 · Cited by 7
Exploring patterns of social participation and its relationship with loneliness among older adults in rural China through a person-centered approach: A cross-sectional study using latent profile analysis
Wang, Y., Wang, X., Li, X., Wen, S., Xu, L., & Ni, Y. (2025) · Geriatric Nursing · doi:10.1016/j.gerinurse.2025.01.039 · Cited by 7
Associations of subjective age trajectories with loneliness and stress across adulthood
Kornadt, A. E., Wettstein, M., Lepinteur, A., Vögele, C., & D’Ambrosio, C. (2025) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0320673 · Cited by 8
Insomnia mediates the longitudinal association between loneliness and burnout among nurses
Świtaj, P., Baka, Ł., Kapica, Ł., Bugajska, J., Januszczak, J., & Sienkiewicz‐Jarosz, H. (2025) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-025-11264-8 · Cited by 8
Geriatric patient-centered care during the COVID-19: Provision of interactions vs. the imposition of isolation
Rottenberg, Y., Goldzweig, G., & Baider, L. (2020) · Journal of Geriatric Oncology · doi:10.1016/j.jgo.2020.06.016 · Cited by 6
“Cacioppo and Cacioppo noted that while loneliness can hurt, aloneness can heal and solitude can be the springboard for health and positive coping [5].”
Social network size and personality traits independently and prospectively predict distress disorders and suicidal behavior in U.S. Army soldiers
Taylor, C. T., Campbell‐Sills, L., Kessler, R. C., Sun, X., Nock, M. K., Ursano, R. J., Jain, S., & Stein, M. B. (2022) · Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1017/s0033291722002082 · Cited by 6
“The social environment also influences vulnerability to psychopathology (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018; Umberson & Montez, 2010), in part through regulating positive outcomes (e.g. engagement in pleasurable or meaningful activities) and negative outcomes (e.g. perceived availability of support during…”
Loneliness and Psychosocial Resources among Indigenous and Afro-Descendant Older People in Rural Areas of Chile
Gallardo-Peralta, L. P., Gálvez-Nieto, J. L., Fernández-Dávila, P. A., & Veloso-Besio, C. B. (2023) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph20032138 · Cited by 8
“One recent estimate suggests that one-third of the population in industrialized countries experiences loneliness, with one in twelve people reporting problematic levels [4].”
Background
To reappraise or not to reappraise? Emotion regulation strategies moderate the association of loneliness during COVID-19 with depression and anxiety
Kaplan, G., Mikulincer, M., Ginzburg, K., Ohry, A., & Solomon, Z. (2023) · Anxiety Stress & Coping · doi:10.1080/10615806.2023.2296935 · Cited by 8
“It is viewed as a public health problem, affecting a rising number of people, with a peak of more than 3 out of 5 Americans in 2019 (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018; Daniel et al., 2018; Jeste et al., 2020; OECD Data, 2019; Renken, 2020).”
Background
Modification of socioemotional processing in loneliness through feedback-based interpretation training
Jeong, Y., & Kim, S. H. (2020) · Computers in Human Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.chb.2020.106668 · Cited by 8
Effects of Shopping Rehabilitation on Older People’s Daily Activities
Mouri, N., Ohta, R., & Sano, C. (2022) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph19010569 · Cited by 6
“Future studies should investigate the relationship between the effect of rehabilitation and older people’s perceptions of living conditions, such as isolation and loneliness, as aged societies can be prone to such negative aspects, due to diminished mobility among the older members of the society [26,27].”
Background
Social Interactivity in Live Video Experiences Reduces Loneliness
Kaveladze, B. T., Morris, R. R., Dimitrova-Gammeltoft, R. V., Goldenberg, A., Gross, J. J., Antin, J., Sandgren, M., & Thomas-Hunt, M. C. (2022) · Frontiers in Digital Health · doi:10.3389/fdgth.2022.859849 · Cited by 8
“Cacioppo & Cacioppo (43) describe loneliness as “a public health problem that can be largely solved in our lifetime”, but effective and scalable loneliness solutions remain elusive (11).”
Background
Deception is associated with reduced social connection
Sprigings, S., Brown, C. J. V., & ten Brinke, L. (2023) · Communications Psychology · doi:10.1038/s44271-023-00021-0 · Cited by 11
“Lone-liness, or the subjective sense of lacking social connection, is associated with depression, poor sleep quality, excessive reactivity, decreased immunity, and increased mortality 2 .”
ACTIVA: Innovation in Quality of Care for Nursing Homes Through Activity Recognition
Lendínez, A. M., Ruiz, J. L. L., Nugent, C., & Espinilla, M. (2023) · IEEE Access · doi:10.1109/access.2023.3329748 · Cited by 6
“Among these social afflictions, there is The associate editor coordinating the review of this manuscript and approving it for publication was Vicente García-Díaz . also the unwanted loneliness suffered by elderly people which can greatly affect their quality of life [4], [5].”
Background
Totally All Alone with My Thoughts: Development, Psychometric Properties and Correlates of the Loneliness Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire
Rose, A. L., Goldberg, J. O., Flett, G. L., Nepon, T. B., & Avi Besser, A. (2024) · Psychology Research and Behavior Management · doi:10.2147/prbm.s433211 · Cited by 6
“The need for greater understanding of loneliness is suggested, in part, by indications that there may be an epidemic of loneliness, especially when certain age groups are considered 12 and loneliness seemed to be amplified among young people during the pandemic.”
Background
Physical isolation and loneliness: Evidence from COVID lock-downs in Australia
Kong, N., & Lam, J. (2024) · Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization · doi:10.1016/j.jebo.2024.06.034 · Cited by 6
The Role of Good Human Uniqueness in Social Robot Anthropomorphism Influenced by Chronic Loneliness
Li, S., Ni, S., & Peng, K. (2020) · IEEE International Conference on Human-Machine Systems (ICHMS) · doi:10.1109/ichms49158.2020.9209343 · Cited by 7
Is smartphone usage predicting fear of missing out and loneliness in a sample from the generation z?
Brazil, C. K., & Rys, M. J. (2020) · Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting · doi:10.1177/1071181320641183 · Cited by 6
Worry about crime and loneliness in nine countries of the former Soviet Union
Stickley, A., Kondo, N., Inoue, Y., Kanamori, M., Kino, S., Arakawa, Y., & McKee, M. (2022) · SSM - Population Health · doi:10.1016/j.ssmph.2022.101316 · Cited by 6
“This is important as, third, loneliness is increasingly being recognised as a serious public health problem (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018).”
Background
Genome Editing for Longer Lives: The Problem of Loneliness
Wareham, C. S. (2020) · Journal of Bioethical Inquiry · doi:10.1007/s11673-020-09967-w · Cited by 7
“With regard to the first, the harmful impact of loneliness should certainly not be underestimated, with research pointing to association with innumerable negative conditions (Cacioppo and Cacioppo 2018).”
Background
Lonely But Not Alone: Loneliness and Social Positive Valence Sensitivity in Emerging Adults’ Everyday LivesPreprint
Katz, B. A., Karalis, J., Hawes, M. T., & Klein, D. N. (2023) · PsyArXiv (OSF Preprints) · doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2024.104453 · Cited by 9
The mediating role of distress intolerance in the bidirectional relationships between loneliness and short-form video addiction
Zhao, Y., Wang, Z., Feng, N., Griffiths, M. D., & Cui, L. (2025) · Applied Research in Quality of Life · doi:10.1007/s11482-025-10512-3 · Cited by 6
“Individuals who remain in this negative state for an extended period may deplete their psychological resources for stress coping, making it difficult for them to effectively regulate negative emotions (Cacioppo & S. Cacioppo, 2018).”
Loneliness partially mediates the relation between substance use and suicidality in Veterans
Schafer, K. M., Wilson, E., Campione, M. T., Dougherty, S. P., Melia, R., & Joiner, T. E. (2024) · Military Psychology · doi:10.1080/08995605.2024.2307669 · Cited by 5
“The epidemic of loneliness has been an underappreciated public health crisis that has harmed individual and societal health (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018).”
Social Connection, Loneliness, and Solutions: Perceptions of Older Adults
White, J. H., Falcioni, D., Thomacos, N., Mackenzie, L., Noble, N., & Boyes, A. (2025) · Activities Adaptation & Aging · doi:10.1080/01924788.2025.2492991 · Cited by 6
“…& Committee on the Health Medical Dimensions of Social Isolation Loneliness in Older Adults, 2020a), in addition to a 26% risk of early mortality (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018), increased risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke (Valtorta et al., 2016), cognitive changes, depression, anxiety and…”
ADHD, social skills and risky internet use among elementary school children
Derin, S., Celik, S., & Selman, S. B. (2025) · Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health · doi:10.1186/s13034-025-00926-0 · Cited by 7
“In addition, social isolation and peer rejection can erode self-esteem, coinciding with the increased likelihood of RIU [5, 28, 29].”
The relationship between shyness, loneliness, and mobile phone addiction in Chinese university students: a cross-lagged analysis
Bai, J., Chen, Q., & Hu, C. (2025) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1626175 · Cited by 5
“Additionally, from an emotion regulation standpoint, loneliness is frequently linked to adverse emotional states, including depression, anxiety, and a sense of emptiness (Cacioppo and Cacioppo, 2018; Elhai et al., 2017).”
Examining Online Behaviors of Young Adults During the Covid-19 Pandemic Social Isolation Period with Regard to Life Satisfaction, Loneliness, and Hostility
Yıldırım, T., & Caner, S. (2023) · Psychological Reports · doi:10.1177/00332941231169671 · Cited by 6
“Loneliness, a state of emotional distress characterized by a sense of being alone or an unmet need for social interaction (Cacioppo et al., 2002), considered an important public health problem even before the pandemic (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018; Holt-Lunstad, 2017).”
Coping trajectory of social isolation in individuals with maintenance haemodialysis: A descriptive qualitative study
Zou, J., Xie, J., Zhang, J., Zhao, H., & Lu, P. (2024) · International Journal of Nursing Studies Advances · doi:10.1016/j.ijnsa.2024.100193 · Cited by 5
“…social isolation, loneliness, and adverse health effects, including cardiovascular disease, depression, coronary heart disease, and stroke, which have emerged as a global public health challenge impacting health status (Cacioppo and Cacioppo, 2018; Cudjoe et al., 2020; Zhang et al., 2021).”
Background
An exploratory study of the mental health and emotional challenges of women inside Ghanaian witches’ camps
Yakubu, Y. H., Siegert, R. J., Krägeloh, C. U., Aziato, L., & Holroyd, E. A. (2024) · Current Psychology · doi:10.1007/s12144-024-06328-3 · Cited by 5
“…frail, from their families meant that the women were profoundly vulnerable to social isolation and loneliness and that, in turn, appeared to give rise to attendant health problems such as depression, cognitive decline, and heart disease (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2014 , 2018 ; Donovan & Blazer, 2020).”
Loneliness and brain rhythmic activity in resting state: an exploratory report
Hu, X., Wang, X., Long, C., & Lei, X. (2024) · Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience · doi:10.1093/scan/nsae052 · Cited by 6
“This feeling is subjective, and individuals may perceive themselves as socially isolated even if they are not objectively isolated (Cacioppo and Cacioppo 2018).”
Background
The life course effects of socioeconomic status on later life loneliness: The role of gender and ethnicity
Szabó, Á., Stephens, C. V., & Breheny, M. (2024) · Journal of Aging Studies · doi:10.1016/j.jaging.2024.101263 · Cited by 7
Resilience in Solitude: A Review of Loneliness and Its Impact on Nurses’ Wellbeing
Nashwan, A. J., Alsalamah, Y., Abu‐Mahfouz, M. S., Palanivelu, P., Masoud, A., Baker, R. A., & Fradelos, Ε. C. (2024) · Perspectives In Psychiatric Care · doi:10.1155/ppc/5225026 · Cited by 7
Learning From Anishinaabe Principles of Relationality, Process, and Reciprocity to Expand the Reach of Positive Psychology and Address Loneliness
Nelson, J. M., Jeffrey, A., Ferguson, M. A., & Schnitker, S. A. (2025) · International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology · doi:10.1007/s41042-024-00212-y · Cited by 5
“The consequences of chronic loneliness can be profound, including elevated risks for depression and anxiety (Kristensen et al., 2023), cardiovascular disease (Hawkley et al., 2006), and even premature mortality (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018; Shiovitz-Ezra & Ayalon, 2010).”
Frequent Neighborhood Participation Reduces the Probability of Loneliness Among Older Adults: A Longitudinal Study From Singapore
Lee, J., Visaria, A., & Chan, A. W.-M. (2025) · The Journals of Gerontology Series B · doi:10.1093/geronb/gbaf039 · Cited by 5
Changes in audiologists’ mental wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic: the supportive role of professional associations, workplaces and hearing device manufacturers
Bennett, R. J., Cumming-Potvin, E., Eikelboom, R. H., Manchaiah, V. K. C., Badcock, J. C., & Swanepoel, D. W. (2022) · International Journal of Audiology · doi:10.1080/14992027.2022.2058626 · Cited by 5
“Indeed, there were reports that there was an epidemic of loneliness within industrialised countries that were present even before the spread of COVID-19 (Cacioppo and Cacioppo 2018).”
Background
All the lonely people: Effects of social isolation on self-disclosure of loneliness on Twitter
Lu, A. H., & Mejova, Y. (2022) · New Media & Society · doi:10.1177/14614448221099900 · Cited by 8
“Loneliness—or the perceived discrepancy between one’s desired and actual level of social connection (Paloutzian and Ellison, 1982)—is fast becoming acknowledged as an epidemic (Cacioppo and Cacioppo, 2018).”
Background
Being an adult sibling of an individual with autism spectrum disorder may be a predictor of loneliness and depression – Preliminary findings from a cross-sectional study
Sipowicz, K., Podlecka, M., Mokros, Ł., Pietras, T., & Łuczyńska, K. (2022) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.915915 · Cited by 5
“High severity of depressive symptoms and reduced social competencies are often associated with feelings of loneliness, understood as a discrepancy between the desired and currently available social relationship resources (Cacioppo et al., 2015; Cacioppo and Cacioppo, 2018).”
Background
On the relevance of considering temporal dynamics in loneliness research
Scholz, U. (2022) · Applied Psychology Health and Well-Being · doi:10.1111/aphw.12422 · Cited by 6
How is grandparenting linked to life satisfaction among community-dwelling older migrants in Nanjing, China: The mediating role of loneliness and self-esteem
Wang, H., Yang, M. L., Fang, X., Hou, Y., Zhang, L., Deng, R., & Yao, J. (2023) · Geriatric Nursing · doi:10.1016/j.gerinurse.2023.01.011 · Cited by 10
The Role of Acceptance in Everyday Loneliness Among Adults with Serious Mental Illness
McCormick, B. P., Brusilovskiy, E., Nagata, S., Townley, G., Snethen, G., & Salzer, M. S. (2023) · Community Mental Health Journal · doi:10.1007/s10597-023-01172-4 · Cited by 5
POSITIVE THINKING PRACTICES IN SCHOOLS
Gür, Ç., & Eser, B. (2023) · Problems of Education in the 21st Century · doi:10.33225/pec/23.81.462 · Cited by 5
Effectiveness of social support programmes on loneliness in community-dwelling older adults: study protocol for a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
Wang, Y., Li, X. D., Yao, L., Ren, T., & Wang, T. (2023) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2023-073739 · Cited by 5
Loneliness in emerging adulthood: A qualitative study using cultural probes and in-depth interviews
Nielsen, B. K., Nielsen, L. A., & Lasgaard, M. (2024) · Current Research in Behavioral Sciences · doi:10.1016/j.crbeha.2024.100154 · Cited by 10
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“Assumptions and rationale for the current study In support of the induction hypothesis, evidence indicates that lonely individuals tend to develop clusters (Cacioppo et al., 2009).”
BackgroundInfluential
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Zeynep, B. A. L., KANTAR, E. C., & Uçar, T. (2021) · Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi Hemşirelik Dergisi · doi:10.48071/sbuhemsirelik.833156 · Cited by 5
A pandemic of creative loneliness
Redmond, S. (2021) · Continuum · doi:10.1080/10304312.2021.1962249 · Cited by 4
“While a crisis in loneliness existed before the pandemic (Cacioppo and Cacioppo 2018), the various lockdowns not only exacerbated it, but drew swathes of new people into its disabling arms (Luchetti et al. 2020).”
Background
Teaching in a Lonely World: Educating Students About the Nature of Loneliness and Promoting Social Connection in the Classroom
Kerr, N. A. (2021) · Teaching of Psychology · doi:10.1177/00986283211043787 · Cited by 5
“Indeed, health experts are sounding the alarm about a lone-liness epidemic in the United States (Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018a; Murthy, 2017), where at least one-third of adults are lonely (Anderson & Thayer, 2018; Bruce et al., 2019; Cigna, 2018, 2020).”
BackgroundInfluential
Not moved, still lonely: the negative relation between loneliness and being moved
Śmieja, M., Blaut, A., Kłosowska, J., & Wiecha, J. (2022) · Motivation and Emotion · doi:10.1007/s11031-022-09955-0 · Cited by 7
“However, based on the socio-cognitive models of loneliness (e.g., Cacioppo & Cacioppo, 2018; Cacioppo & Hawkley, 2009; Christensen & Kashy, 1998; Tsai & Reis, 2009; van Roekel et al., 2018), we can assume that it is a two-way relationship.”
Background

Authors: Cacioppo, J. T., & Cacioppo, S.
Affiliations: University of Chicago (US)
Corresponding author: Cacioppo, John T
ORCID: Cacioppo, John T
Cacioppo, Stephanie
Venue: The Lancet
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Published: 2018-02
Volume: 391
Issue: 10119
Pages: 426
ISSN: 0099-5355 (ISSN-L)
0140-6736
DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(18)30142-9
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
Licence: www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
www.elsevier.com/legal/tdmrep-license (tdm)
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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