The prevalence of loneliness across 113 countries: systematic review and meta-analysis
Open accessAbstract
Objectives: To identify data availability, gaps, and patterns for population level prevalence of loneliness globally, to summarise prevalence estimates within World Health Organization regions when feasible through meta-analysis, and to examine temporal trends of loneliness in countries where data exist. Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Data sources: Embase, Medline, PsycINFO, and Scopus for peer reviewed literature, and Google Scholar and Open Grey for grey literature, supplemented by backward reference searching (to 1 September 2021) Eligibility criteria for selecting studies: Observational studies based on nationally representative samples (n≥292), validated instruments, and prevalence data for 2000-19. Two researchers independently extracted data and assessed the risk of bias using the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist. Random effects meta-analysis was conducted in the subset of studies with relatively homogeneous research methods by measurement instrument, age group, and WHO region. Results: Prevalence data were available for 113 countries or territories, according to official WHO nomenclature for regions, from 57 studies. Data were available for adolescents (12-17 years) in 77 countries or territories, young adults (18-29 years) in 30 countries, middle aged adults (30-59 years) in 32 countries, and older adults (≥60 years) in 40 countries. Data for all age groups except adolescents were lacking outside of Europe. Overall, 212 estimates for 106 countries from 24 studies were included in meta-analyses. The pooled prevalence of loneliness for adolescents ranged from 9.2% (95% confidence interval 6.8% to 12.4%) in South-East Asia to 14.4% (12.2% to 17.1%) in the Eastern Mediterranean region. For adults, meta-analysis was conducted for the European region only, and a consistent geographical pattern was shown for all adult age groups. The lowest prevalence of loneliness was consistently observed in northern European countries (2.9%, 1.8% to 4.5% for young adults; 2.7%, 2.4% to 3.0% for middle aged adults; and 5.2%, 4.2% to 6.5% for older adults) and the highest in eastern European countries (7.5%, 5.9% to 9.4% for young adults; 9.6%, 7.7% to 12.0% for middle aged adults; and 21.3%, 18.7% to 24.2% for older adults). Conclusion: Problematic levels of loneliness are experienced by a substantial proportion of the population in many countries. The substantial difference in data coverage between high income countries (particularly Europe) and low and middle income countries raised an important equity issue. Evidence on the temporal trends of loneliness is insufficient. The findings of this meta-analysis are limited by data scarcity and methodological heterogeneity. Loneliness should be incorporated into general health surveillance with broader geographical and age coverage, using standardised and validated measurement tools. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42019131448.
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
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?
Pre-COVID-19 nationally representative data from WHO regions suggest that only 9.2% to 14.4% of adolescents experienced loneliness.
“Data based on nationally representative samples within World Health Organization regions pre-COVID-19 suggest that only 9.2% to 14.4% of adolescents experienced loneliness.16”
From A Longitudinal Study of Loneliness Before the End of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Trajectories, Predictors, and Impact on Chinese Adolescent Mental Health (2024) · cites this paper as [16]
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Cites
Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: the PRISMA statement
Moher, D., Liberati, A., Tetzlaff, J., Altman, D. G., & for the PRISMA Group (2009) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.b2535 · Cited by 83,823 · see citing works
Measuring inconsistency in meta-analyses
Higgins, J. P. T., Thompson, S. G., Deeks, J. J., & Altman, D. G. (2003) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7414.557 · Cited by 63,139 · see citing works
Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: the PRISMA Statement.
(2009) · PubMed Central · Cited by 44,859 · see citing works
The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation.
Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (1995) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037//0033-2909.117.3.497 · Cited by 23,245 · see citing works
The metabolic phenotype in obesity: Fat mass, body fat distribution, and adipose tissue function
Goossens, G. H. (2017) · Obesity Facts · doi:10.1159/000471488 · Cited by 8,481 · see citing works
Lee, I.-M., Shiroma, E. J., Lobelo, F., Puska, P., Blair, S. N., & Katzmarzyk, P. T. (2012) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(12)61031-9 · Cited by 8,215 · see citing works
Loneliness and Social Isolation as Risk Factors for Mortality: A Meta-Analytic Review
Holt-Lunstad, J., Smith, T. B., Baker, M., Harris, T., & Stephenson, D. (2015) · Perspectives on Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/1745691614568352 · Cited by 6,043 · see citing works
UCLA loneliness scale (version 3): reliability, validity, and factor structure
Russell, D. W. (1996) · Journal of Personality Assessment · doi:10.1207/s15327752jpa6601_2 · Cited by 5,800 · see citing works
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 · see citing works
Munn, Z., Moola, S., Lisy, K., Riitano, D., & Tufanaru, C. (2015) · International Journal of Evidence-Based Healthcare · doi:10.1097/xeb.0000000000000054 · Cited by 3,131 · see citing works
Interpretation of random effects meta-analyses
Riley, R. D., Higgins, J. P. T., & Deeks, J. J. (2011) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.d549 · Cited by 2,884 · see citing works
Di Angelantonio, E., Bhupathiraju, S. N., Wormser, D., Gao, P., Kaptoge, S., de Gonzalez, A. B., Cairns, B. J., Huxley, R., Jackson, C. L., Joshy, G., et al. (2016) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(16)30175-1 · Cited by 2,821 · see citing works
Fit Yourself and Take Your Lungs to Heart
Palange, P., & Bonini, M. (2013) · Respiration · doi:10.1159/000350831 · Cited by 2,780 · see citing works
The arcsine is asinine: the analysis of proportions in ecology.
Warton, D., & Hui, F. K. C. (2011) · Ecology · doi:10.1890/10-0340.1 · Cited by 2,306 · see citing works
Barendregt, J. J., Doi, S. A., Lee, Y. Y., Norman, R. E., & Vos, T. (2013) · Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health · doi:10.1136/jech-2013-203104 · Cited by 2,169 · see citing works
Leigh-Hunt, N., Bagguley, D., Bash, K., Turner, V., Turnbull, S., Valtorta, N., & Caan, W. (2017) · Public Health · doi:10.1016/j.puhe.2017.07.035 · Cited by 2,158 · see citing works
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 · see citing works
Valtorta, N. K., Kanaan, M., Gilbody, S., Ronzi, S., & Hanratty, B. (2016) · Heart · doi:10.1136/heartjnl-2015-308790 · Cited by 1,971 · see citing works
Wang, J., Mann, F., Lloyd-Evans, B., Ma, R., & Johnson, S. (2018) · BMC Psychiatry · doi:10.1186/s12888-018-1736-5 · Cited by 1,494 · see citing works
A 6-Item Scale for Overall, Emotional, and Social Loneliness: Confirmatory Tests on Survey Data
Gierveld, J. D. J., & Tilburg, T. V. (2006) · Research on Aging · doi:10.1177/0164027506289723 · Cited by 1,467 · see citing works
Practical Issues in Calculating the Sample Size for Prevalence Studies
Naing, L., & Winn, T. (2006) · Cited by 1,441 · see citing works
Undue reliance on I 2 in assessing heterogeneity may mislead
Rücker, G., Schwarzer, G., Carpenter, J. R., & Schumacher, M. (2008) · BMC Medical Research Methodology · doi:10.1186/1471-2288-8-79 · Cited by 1,287 · see citing works
Influences on Loneliness in Older Adults: A Meta-Analysis
Pinquart, M., & Sorensen, S. (2001) · Basic and Applied Social Psychology · doi:10.1207/s15324834basp2304_2 · Cited by 1,036 · see citing works
The growing problem of loneliness
Cacioppo, J. T., & Cacioppo, S. (2018) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(18)30142-9 · Cited by 897 · see citing works
Loneliness around the world: age, gender, and cultural differences in loneliness
Barreto, M., Victor, C., Hammond, C., Eccles, A., Richins, M. T., & Qualter, P. (2021) · Personality and Individual Differences · doi:10.1016/j.paid.2020.110066 · Cited by 828 · see citing works
Depression as a disease of modernity: explanations for increasing prevalence
Hidaka, B. H. (2012) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2011.12.036 · Cited by 769 · see citing works
Stijnen, T., Hamza, T. H., & Özdemir, P. (2010) · Statistics in Medicine · doi:10.1002/sim.4040 · Cited by 757 · see citing works
The Prevalence of Loneliness Among Adults: A Case Study of the United Kingdom
Victor, C. R., & Yang, K. (2012) · The Journal of Psychology · doi:10.1080/00223980.2011.613875 · Cited by 746 · see citing works
MOOSE Reporting Guidelines for Meta-analyses of Observational Studies
Brooke, B. S., Schwartz, T. A., & Pawlik, T. M. (2021) · JAMA Surgery · doi:10.1001/jamasurg.2021.0522 · Cited by 742 · see citing works
VICTOR, C. R., SCAMBLER, S. J., BOWLING, A., & BOND, J. (2005) · Ageing and Society · doi:10.1017/s0144686x04003332 · Cited by 572 · see citing works
Interpretation of subgroup analyses in systematic reviews: A tutorial
Richardson, M., Garner, P., & Donegan, S. (2018) · Clinical Epidemiology and Global Health · doi:10.1016/j.cegh.2018.05.005 · Cited by 559 · see citing works
Age and loneliness in 25 European nations
YANG, K., & VICTOR, C. (2011) · Ageing and Society · doi:10.1017/s0144686x1000139x · Cited by 540 · see citing works
McClelland, H., Evans, J. J., Nowland, R., Ferguson, E., & O'Connor, R. C. (2020) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2020.05.004 · Cited by 466 · see citing works
Lim, M. H., Eres, R., & Vasan, S. (2020) · Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology · doi:10.1007/s00127-020-01889-7 · Cited by 438 · see citing works
Self-citationCross-National Differences in Older Adult Loneliness
Fokkema, T., Gierveld, J. D. J., & Dykstra, P. A. (2011) · The Journal of Psychology · doi:10.1080/00223980.2011.631612 · Cited by 372 · see citing works
How are systematic reviews of prevalence conducted? A methodological study
on behalf of the Prevalence Estimates Reviews – Systematic Review Methodology Group (PERSyst), Borges Migliavaca, C., Stein, C., Colpani, V., Barker, T. H., Munn, Z., & Falavigna, M. (2020) · BMC Medical Research Methodology · doi:10.1186/s12874-020-00975-3 · Cited by 359 · see citing works
Lara, E., Martín-María, N., De la Torre-Luque, A., Koyanagi, A., Vancampfort, D., Izquierdo, A., & Miret, M. (2019) · Ageing Research Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.arr.2019.03.002 · Cited by 351 · see citing works
Kasar, K. S., & Karaman, E. (2021) · Geriatric Nursing · doi:10.1016/j.gerinurse.2021.03.010 · Cited by 334 · see citing works
(2018) · Acta bio-medica dell'Ateneo parmense/Acta biomedica · doi:10.23750/abm.v89i2.7404 · Cited by 329 · see citing works
Lykes, V. A., & Kemmelmeier, M. (2013) · Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology · doi:10.1177/0022022113509881 · Cited by 326 · see citing works
Nicolaisen, M., & Thorsen, K. (2014) · The International Journal of Aging and Human Development · doi:10.2190/ag.78.3.b · Cited by 277 · see citing works
van Oostrom, S. H., Gijsen, R., Stirbu, I., Korevaar, J. C., Schellevis, F., Picavet, H. S. J., & Hoeymans, N. (2016) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0160264 · Cited by 277 · see citing works
Loneliness among older Europeans
Sundström, G., Fransson, E. I., Malmberg, B., & Davey, A. (2009) · European Journal of Ageing · doi:10.1007/s10433-009-0134-8 · Cited by 270 · see citing works
Quality assessment of prevalence studies: a systematic review
Migliavaca, C. B., Stein, C., Colpani, V., Munn, Z., & Falavigna, M. (2020) · Journal of Clinical Epidemiology · doi:10.1016/j.jclinepi.2020.06.039 · Cited by 253 · see citing works
Late-Life Loneliness in 11 European Countries: Results from the Generations and Gender Survey
Hansen, T., & Slagsvold, B. (2016) · Social Indicators Research · doi:10.1007/s11205-015-1111-6 · Cited by 251 · cited 1× · see citing works
“J Child Adolesc Ment Health 2020; 32(2-3): 67-76.”
Lonelier than ever? Loneliness of older people over two decades
Dahlberg, L., Agahi, N., & Lennartsson, C. (2017) · Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics · doi:10.1016/j.archger.2017.11.004 · Cited by 221 · see citing works
Chawla, K., Kunonga, P., Stow, D., Barker, R., Craig, D., & Hanratty, B. (2021) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0255088 · Cited by 214 · see citing works
Loneliness and sleep: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Griffin, S. C., Williams, A. B., Ravyts, S. G., Mladen, S. N., & Rybarczyk, B. D. (2020) · Health Psychology Open · doi:10.1177/2055102920913235 · Cited by 195 · see citing works
Hodgson, S., Watts, I. V. C., Fraser, S. D., Roderick, P., & Dambha‐Miller, H. (2020) · Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine · doi:10.1177/0141076820918236 · Cited by 191 · see citing works
Consensus statement: loneliness in older adults, the 21st century social determinant of health?
PROHASKA, T. R., Burholt, V., Burns, A., Golden, J., Hawkley, L. C., LAWLOR, B. A., Leavey, G., Lubben, J., O’Sullivan, R., Perissinotto, C. M., et al. (2020) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2019-034967 · Cited by 190 · see citing works
Heu, L. C., van Zomeren, M., & Hansen, N. (2018) · Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin · doi:10.1177/0146167218796793 · Cited by 169 · see citing works
Penning, M., Liu, G.-P., & Chou, P. H. B. (2014) · Social Indicators Research · doi:10.1007/s11205-013-0461-1 · Cited by 160 · see citing works
Crowe, C. L., Domingue, B. W., Graf, G. H.-J., Keyes, K. M., Kwon, D., & Belsky, D. W. (2021) · The Journals of Gerontology Series A · doi:10.1093/gerona/glab128 · Cited by 140 · see citing works
Stickley, A., Koyanagi, A., Roberts, B., Richardson, E., Abbott, P., Tumanov, S., & McKee, M. (2013) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0067978 · Cited by 139 · see citing works
Pandey, A. R., Bista, B., Dhungana, R. R., Aryal, K. K., Chalise, B., & Dhimal, M. (2019) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0210383 · Cited by 137 · see citing works
Victor, C. R., & Pikhartova, J. (2020) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-020-08703-8 · Cited by 134 · cited 3× · see citing works
“Aging Ment Health 2015; 19(5): 409-17.”
InfluentialCOVID-19 and loneliness: A rapid systematic review
Pai, N. B., & Vella, S. (2021) · Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1177/00048674211031489 · Cited by 133 · see citing works
Smith, T. O., Dainty, J. R., Williamson, E. M., & Martin, K. R. (2018) · British Journal of Pain · doi:10.1177/2049463718802868 · Cited by 121 · cited 2× · see citing works
“Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 2017; 52(4): 381-90.”
Domènech‐Abella, J., Mundó, J., Leonardi, M., Chatterji, S., Tobiasz‐Adamczyk, B., Koskinen, S. V. P., Ayuso‐Mateos, J. L., & Haro, J. M. (2018) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2018.08.077 · Cited by 119 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Eur J Public Health 2019; 29(6): 1096-102.”
Trends in social inequality in loneliness among adolescents 1991–2014
Madsen, K. R., Holstein, B. E., Damsgaard, M. T., Rayce, S. B., Jespersen, L. N., & Due, P. (2019) · Journal of Public Health · doi:10.1093/pubmed/fdy133 · Cited by 96 · see citing works
Khan, M. M. A., Rahman, M. M., Islam, M. R., Karim, M., Hasan, M., & Jesmin, S. S. (2020) · Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology · doi:10.1007/s00127-020-01867-z · Cited by 90 · see citing works
Baiden, P., Kuuire, V. Z., Shrestha, N., Tonui, B. C., Dako‐Gyeke, M., & Peters, K. E. (2018) · Journal of School Violence · doi:10.1080/15388220.2018.1486200 · Cited by 82 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021; 18(14): 7405.”
BackgroundUysal‐Bozkir, Ö., Parlevliet, J. L., & de Rooij, S. E. (2013) · Journal of Clinical Epidemiology · doi:10.1016/j.jclinepi.2012.12.004 · Cited by 74 · see citing works
Vancampfort, D., Ashdown‐Franks, G., Smith, L., Firth, J., Damme, T. V., Christiaansen, L., Stubbs, B., & Koyanagi, A. (2019) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2019.03.076 · Cited by 64 · cited 1× · see citing works
“Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2019; 34(12): 1855-64.”
Loneliness and friendlessness among adolescents in 25 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean
Sauter, S. R., Kim, L. P., & Jacobsen, K. H. (2020) · Child and Adolescent Mental Health · doi:10.1111/camh.12358 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
Yang, K. (2019) · Routledge eBooks · doi:10.4324/9781315148410 · Cited by 47 · see citing works
Myhr, A., Anthun, K. S., Lillefjell, M., & Sund, E. R. (2020) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01472 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
Suicide Attempt and Associated Factors Among Adolescents in Five Southeast Asian Countries in 2015
Pengpid, S., & Peltzer, K. (2020) · Crisis · doi:10.1027/0227-5910/a000642 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
Bullying Victimization Among School-Going Adolescents in Malaysia: Prevalence and Associated Factors
Tan, L., Ganapathy, S. S., Sooryanarayana, R., Hasim, M. H., Saminathan, T. A., Anuar, M. F. M., Ahmad, F. H., Razak, M. A. A., & Rosman, A. (2019) · Asia Pacific Journal of Public Health · doi:10.1177/1010539519870665 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
Refaeli, T., & Achdut, N. (2020) · Health & Social Care in the Community · doi:10.1111/hsc.13177 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
Elia, C., Karamanos, A., Dregan, A., O'Keeffe, M. M., Wolfe, I., Sandall, J., Morgan, C., Cruickshank, J. K., Gobin, R., Wilks, R., et al. (2020) · PLoS Medicine · doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1003443 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
Das, A. (2018) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2018.10.021 · Cited by 34 · cited 9× · see citing works
“…P<0.001; I2=98% ≥7 US (Crowe 2021) US (Crowe 2021) Random effects model Test for heterogeneity: τ2=0.118; P<0.001; I2=100% At least one “oen” England (Das 2019) England (Das 2019) England (Das 2019) US (Das 2019) US (Das 2019) US (Das 2019) Random effects model Test for heterogeneity:…”
InfluentialPengpid, S., & Peltzer, K. (2020) · BMC Pediatrics · doi:10.1186/s12887-020-02252-0 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
(2015) · Psychology Press eBooks · doi:10.4324/9781315774374 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
Antunes, J. T., Machado, Í. E., & Malta, D. C. (2021) · Jornal de Pediatria · doi:10.1016/j.jped.2021.04.004 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
In Practice: Loneliness: a public health issue
Hunter, D. (2012) · Perspectives in Public Health · doi:10.1177/1757913912449564 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
The Elderly in a Period of Transition
Petrov, I. (2007) · Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1196/annals.1396.041 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Prevalence and correlates of past 12-month suicide attempt among in-school adolescents in Guatemala
Pengpid, S., & Peltzer, K. (2019) · Psychology Research and Behavior Management · doi:10.2147/prbm.s212648 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Amu, H., Seidu, A., Agbemavi, W., Ahinkorah, B. O., Ameyaw, E. K., Amoah, A., Dadzie, L. K., & Kissah-Korsah, K. (2020) · Psychological Studies · doi:10.1007/s12646-020-00580-w · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Pengpid, S., & Peltzer, K. (2020) · Psychology Research and Behavior Management · doi:10.2147/prbm.s277844 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Health related social exclusion in Europe: a multilevel study of the role of welfare generosity
Saltkjel, T., Dahl, E. S., & van der Wel, K. A. (2013) · International Journal for Equity in Health · doi:10.1186/1475-9276-12-81 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Simpson, I. C., Dumitrache, C. G., & Calet, N. (2018) · Aging & Mental Health · doi:10.1080/13607863.2018.1448969 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Seidu, A., Dadzie, L. K., & Ahinkorah, B. O. (2019) · Journal of Public Health · doi:10.1007/s10389-019-01165-2 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Shahedifar, N., Shaikh, M. A., Oporia, F., & Wilson, M. L. (2020) · Journal of Injury and Violence Research · doi:10.5249/jivr.v12i3.1371 · Cited by 9 · cited 3× · see citing works
“In contrast, eastern European countries tend to have poorer health outcomes, healthcare services, and state welfare.41 Other demographic characteristics, such as large gaps in life expectancy between men and women (hence a high proportion of widows) and increasing emigration among young people, might have contributed.…”
InfluentialDendup, T., Putra, I. G. N. E., Dorji, T., Tobgay, T., Dorji, G., Phuntsho, S., & Tshering, P. (2020) · Children and Youth Services Review · doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105520 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Jamaican youth health status 2005.
Fox, K., Gordon-Strachan, G. M., Johnson, A. C., & Ashley, D. (2009) · PubMed · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
1 of the 87 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.
Research works printed but not linked: 3
- [1]Peplau LA Perlman D. Perspective on loneliness. Loneliness: A sourcebook of current theory, research and therapy. John Wiley and Sons, 1982: 1- 18.
- [31]Munn Z Moola S Lisy K Riitano D Tufanaru C. Methodological guidance for systematic reviews of observational epidemiological studies reporting prevalence and cumulative incidence data. Int J Evid Based Healthc 2015; 13: 147- 53. 10.1097/XEB.0000000000000054. 26317388 · DOI · Paper page
- [38]Russell D. The measurement of loneliness. In: Peplau L Perlman D, eds. Loneliness: A Sourcebook of Current Theory, Research and Theory. John Wiley & Sons, 1982: 81- 104.
Cited by
Sorted by citations
The social determinants of mental health and disorder: evidence, prevention and recommendations
Kirkbride, J. B., Anglin, D. M., Colman, I., Dykxhoorn, J. L., Jones, P. B., Patalay, P., Pitman, A., Soneson, E., Steare, T., Wright, T., et al. (2024) · World Psychiatry · doi:10.1002/wps.21160 · Cited by 1,417 · see citing works
“Estimates of the prevalence of loneliness internationally range from 9 to 14% in adolescents, falling to 310% in middle age, and rising again to 521% in older adults 220 .”
BackgroundHolt‐Lunstad, J. (2024) · World Psychiatry · doi:10.1002/wps.21224 · Cited by 498 · see citing works
“Furthermore, a meta analysis of data from 113 countries concluded that a sub stantial proportion of the population in many countries experi ences problematic levels of loneliness 85 .”
Risk factors for loneliness: A literature review
Barjaková, M., Garnero, A., & d’Hombres, B. (2023) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116163 · Cited by 245 · see citing works
Loneliness and suicide mitigation for students using GPT3-enabled chatbots
Maples, B., Cerit, M., Vishwanath, A., & Pea, R. (2024) · npj Mental Health Research · doi:10.1038/s44184-023-00047-6 · Cited by 250 · see citing works
Social participation and risk of developing dementia
Sommerlad, A., Kivimäki, M., Larson, E. B., Röhr, S., Shirai, K., Singh-Manoux, A., & Livingston, G. (2023) · Nature Aging · doi:10.1038/s43587-023-00387-0 · Cited by 207 · see citing works
“Furthermore, longstanding societal changes and those related to the COVID-19 pandemic have increased the focus on social isolation and loneliness 17,18 .”
Loneliness across time and space
Luhmann, M., Buecker, S., & Rüsberg, M. (2022) · Nature Reviews Psychology · doi:10.1038/s44159-022-00124-1 · Cited by 197 · see citing works
Song, Y., Zhu, C., Shi, B., Song, C., Cui, K., Chang, Z., Gao, G., Jia, L., Fu, R., Dong, Q., et al. (2023) · EClinicalMedicine · doi:10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.102236 · Cited by 162 · see citing works
The relationship between frailty and social vulnerability: a systematic review
Hanlon, P., Wightman, H., Politis, M., Kirkpatrick, S., Jones, C. E., Andrew, M. K., Vetrano, D. L., Dent, E., & Hoogendijk, E. O. (2024) · The Lancet Healthy Longevity · doi:10.1016/s2666-7568(23)00263-5 · Cited by 146 · see citing works
Akhter‐Khan, S. C., Prina, M. A., Wong, G. H. Y., Mayston, R., & Li, L. (2022) · Perspectives on Psychological Science · doi:10.1177/17456916221127218 · Cited by 154 · see citing works
Farrell, A. H., Vitoroulis, I., Eriksson, M., & Vaillancourt, T. (2023) · Children · doi:10.3390/children10020279 · Cited by 130 · see citing works
“In a recent meta-analysis of pre-pandemic studies (i.e., studies conducted prior to the pandemic), the prevalence rates of loneliness among adolescents between ages 12 and 17 across 76 countries ranged from 9.2% to 14.4% depending on the geographic region [8].”
BackgroundInfluentialThe state of loneliness and social isolation research: current knowledge and future directions
Taylor, H. O., Cudjoe, T., Bu, F., & Lim, M. H. (2023) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-023-15967-3 · Cited by 132 · see citing works
“In prevalence studies, these issues occur all over the world [6, 14]; hence global policy and advocacy is sorely needed.”
BackgroundInfluentialHussain, B., Mirza, M., Baines, R., Burns, L., Stevens, S., Asthana, S., & Chatterjee, A. (2023) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2023.1113864 · Cited by 111 · see citing works
“(6) review specifically noted that up to 6.”
InfluentialEilert, D. W., & Buchheim, A. (2023) · Brain Sciences · doi:10.3390/brainsci13060884 · Cited by 114 · see citing works
“Secondly, a meta-analysis showed that problematic levels of loneliness are experienced by a substantial proportion of the population in many countries [16].”
BackgroundKojima, G., Taniguchi, Y., Aoyama, R., & Tanabe, M. K. G. (2022) · Ageing Research Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.arr.2022.101705 · Cited by 95 · see citing works
Hanna, K. L., Cross, J., Nicholls, A., & Gallegos, D. (2023) · Appetite · doi:10.1016/j.appet.2023.107051 · Cited by 85 · see citing works
“Across a range of countries, estimates for the prevalence of loneliness in adults across age groups range from 1.8 to 24% and in the USA and Europe the prevalence ranges from 5 to 43% (Surkalim et al., 2022).”
InfluentialThe prevalence of chronic and episodic loneliness and social isolation from a longitudinal survey
Lim, M. H., Manera, K., Owen, K., Phongsavan, P., & Smith, B. J. (2023) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-023-39289-x · Cited by 80 · see citing works
Yu, D. S.-F., Li, P. W.-C., Lin, R. S.-Y., Kee, F., Chiu, A., & Wu, W. (2023) · International Journal of Nursing Studies · doi:10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2023.104524 · Cited by 76 · see citing works
Changing the narrative: Loneliness as a social justice issue
Barreto, M., Doyle, D. M., & Qualter, P. (2024) · Political Psychology · doi:10.1111/pops.12965 · Cited by 80 · see citing works
Meehan, D. E., Grunseit, A. C., Condie, J., HaGani, N., & Merom, D. (2023) · BMC Geriatrics · doi:10.1186/s12877-023-04418-8 · Cited by 79 · see citing works
“The global spread of studies investigating the community and societal factors of loneliness and SI for older people is limited, with no research in the African and South American continents, consistent with conclusions from other research not just in older people, but across the life course [10].”
BackgroundResultSalari, N., Najafi, H., Rasoulpoor, S., Canbary, Z., Heidarian, P., & Mohammadi, M. (2025) · Humanities and Social Sciences Communications · doi:10.1057/s41599-025-05304-x · Cited by 87 · see citing works
“The existing review studies are either regional or limited (Surkalim et al. 2022), such as Chawla et al. ‘ s study, which estimates the prevalence of loneliness among older adults in high-income countries (Chawla et al. 2021).”
Screening for loneliness in representative population samples: Validation of a single-item measure
Reinwarth, A. C., Ernst, M., Krakau, L., Brähler, E., & Beutel, M. E. (2023) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0279701 · Cited by 73 · see citing works
Whear, R., Campbell, F., Rogers, M., Sutton, A., Robinson-Carter, E., Sharpe, R. A., Cohen, S., Fergy, R., Garside, R., Kneale, D., et al. (2023) · Campbell Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/cl2.1355 · Cited by 81 · see citing works
Social connection and mortality in UK Biobank: a prospective cohort analysis
Foster, H. M. E., Gill, J. M. R., Mair, F. S., Celis-Morales, C. A., Jani, B., Nicholl, B. I., Lee, D., & O’Donnell, C. A. (2023) · BMC Medicine · doi:10.1186/s12916-023-03055-7 · Cited by 65 · see citing works
“…of social connection (9.2–14.4% of the global population are estimated to feel lonely and 25% of adults world-wide may be socially isolated) [18, 19] and the associated mortality justify attempts to understand how each component impacts on mortality in order to develop targeted interventions…”
BackgroundInfluentialSusanty, S., Nadirawati, N., Setiawan, A., Haroen, H., Pebrianti, S., Harun, H., Azissah, D., Suyanto, J., Sarasmita, M. A., Chipojola, R., et al. (2024) · Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics · doi:10.1016/j.archger.2024.105627 · Cited by 65 · see citing works
Jefferson, R., Barreto, M., Jones, F., Conway, J., Chohan, A., Madsen, K. R., Verity, L., Petersen, K. J., & Qualter, P. (2023) · British Journal of Educational Psychology · doi:10.1111/bjep.12616 · Cited by 70 · see citing works
Chen, Z., Song, X., Lee, T. M. C., & Zhang, R. (2023) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2023.09.035 · Cited by 64 · see citing works
Liang, Y. Y., Zhou, M., He, Y., Zhang, W., Wu, Q., Luo, T., Zhang, J., Jia, F., Qi, L., Ai, S., et al. (2024) · Nature Human Behaviour · doi:10.1038/s41562-024-01970-0 · Cited by 60 · see citing works
Ge, M., Hu, F., Jia, Y., Tang, W. H., Zhang, W., Zhao, D., Shen, W., & Chen, H. (2023) · Psychological Reports · doi:10.1177/00332941231180119 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
“Data from 113 countries found that the overall prevalence of loneliness among adolescents ranges from 9.2% in Southeast Asia to 14.4% in the eastern Mediterranean region (Surkalim et al., 2022).”
InfluentialSachs, A. L., Kolster, A., Wrigley, J., Papon, V., Opačin, N., Hill, N., Howarth, M. L., Rochau, U., Hidalgo, L., Casajuana, C., et al. (2024) · Landscape and Urban Planning · doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2024.105071 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
Wang, Y., Qin, C., Chen, H., Liang, W., Liu, M., & Liu, J. (2025) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2025.01.086 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
Kent‐Marvick, J., Simonsen, S. E., Pentecost, R., Taylor, E., & McFarland, M. (2022) · Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1186/s13643-022-02065-5 · Cited by 52 · see citing works
Lin, S. (2022) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2022.08.131 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
Campbell, F., Whear, R., Rogers, M., Sutton, A., Robinson-Carter, E., Barlow, J., Sharpe, R. A., Cohen, S., Wolstenholme, L., & Coon, J. T. (2023) · Campbell Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/cl2.1306 · Cited by 48 · see citing works
“Data extraction was conducted using EPPI reviewer (Thomas et al., 2022).”
MethodInfluentialHartanto, A., Sim, L., Lee, D., Majeed, N. M., & Yong, J. C. (2024) · Communications Psychology · doi:10.1038/s44271-024-00156-8 · Cited by 53 · see citing works
“Consequently, one key challenge elderly people face is loneliness, stemming from a lack of social interactions 164,165 .”
Gosling, C., Colle, R., Cartigny, A., Jollant, F., Corruble, E., & Frajerman, A. (2024) · Psychological Medicine · doi:10.1017/s0033291724002083 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
“However, because other cut-offs have been used (Surkalim et al., 2022), we also conducted sensitivity analyses with other cut-off values to assess the robustness of our analyses dichotomizing the UCLA-LS-20.”
InfluentialTapia‐Muñoz, T., Staudinger, U. M., Allel, K., Steptoe, A., Miranda‐Castillo, C., Medina, J. T., & Calvo, E. (2022) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0274518 · Cited by 49 · see citing works
“In a pooled analysis of studies conducted between 2000 and 2019 measuring loneliness in people 60 years and older, the lowest prevalence of loneliness was 5.2% in Northern Europe (Finland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark), and the highest prevalence was 24.2% in Eastern Europe (Belarus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Moldova, Pola…”
BackgroundInfluentialRelationship between loneliness and internet addiction: a meta-analysis
Wang, Y., & Zeng, Y. (2024) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-024-18366-4 · Cited by 58 · see citing works
“Among adults, middle-aged individuals, and elderly individuals, the sense of loneliness is lowest in Northern countries and highest in Eastern European countries (Northern European countries = 2.9%, 1.8–4.5%, Eastern European countries = 7.5%, 5.9–9.4% ) [52].”
BackgroundInfluentialIgami, K., Hosozawa, M., Ikeda, A., Bann, D., Shimizu, T., & Iso, H. (2023) · Journal of Adolescent Health · doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2022.12.029 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
“In line with previous cross-country studies, we found considerable heterogeneity in the prevalence of loneliness across countries that ranged from 2.2% in Laos to 25.9% in Afghanistan [7].”
InfluentialMerrill, K., Mikkilineni, S. D., & Dehnert, M. (2025) · Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1111/nyas.15400 · Cited by 68 · see citing works
“17 The effects of anxiety and loneliness are well documented in the literature and striking.”
Hammer, L. B., Dimoff, J. K., Mohr, C. D., & Allen, S. J. (2024) · Occupational Health Science · doi:10.1007/s41542-023-00171-x · Cited by 52 · see citing works
“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).”
Stegen, H., Duppen, D., Savieri, P., Stas, L., Pan, H., Aartsen, M., Callewaert, H., Dierckx, E., & De Donder, L. (2024) · International Psychogeriatrics · doi:10.1017/s1041610224000425 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
“…106 countries in 24 studies suggests that older adults ( ≥ 60 years; not explicitly community dwelling) in general have a higher prevalence of loneliness compared with their younger counterparts (i.e., young adults [18 – 29 years] and middle-aged adults [30 – 59 years]) (Surkalim et al ., 2022).”
BackgroundGuan, Z., Poon, A. W. C., & Zwi, A. B. (2023) · American Journal of Community Psychology · doi:10.1002/ajcp.12698 · Cited by 46 · see citing works
Hajek, A., Volkmar, A., & König, H.-H. (2025) · Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology · doi:10.1007/s00127-023-02602-0 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
“Higher pooled prevalence rates for loneliness were also identified amongst older adults (compared to young adults) in eastern European countries [8].”
Loneliness and Functional Decline in Aging: A Systematic Review
Pollak, C., Verghese, J., & Blumen, H. M. (2023) · Research in Gerontological Nursing · doi:10.3928/19404921-20230503-02 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Grey, E., Baber, F., Corbett, E., Ellis, D. A., Gillison, F., & Barnett, J. C. (2024) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-023-17386-w · Cited by 46 · see citing works
“Although loneliness and social isolation can affect people of all ages [8, 9] and it is important to acknowledge that people can gain social connections in later life (e.g., through new commitments connected to caring for grandchil-dren) [10], several factors associated with older age can increase…”
BackgroundTimková, V., Mikula, P., & Nagyová, I. (2025) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1474844 · Cited by 42 · see citing works
Piko, B. F., Müller, V., Kiss, H., & Mellor, D. J. (2025) · Acta Psychologica · doi:10.1016/j.actpsy.2025.104771 · Cited by 54 · see citing works
Social anxiety and loneliness among older adults: a moderated mediation model
Sun, S., Wang, Y., Wang, L., Lu, J., Li, H., Zhu, J., Qian, S., Zhu, L., & Xu, H. (2024) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-024-17795-5 · Cited by 45 · see citing works
“Recently, it was reported that 11.9% of older adults worldwide suffer from loneliness [5].”
BackgroundInfluentialBernardi, E., & Visioli, F. (2024) · Nutrition Research · doi:10.1016/j.nutres.2024.03.007 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
Advancing loneliness and social isolation as global health challenges: taking three priority actions
Lim, M. H., Qualter, P., Ding, D., Holt‐Lunstad, J., Mikton, C. R., & Smith, B. J. (2023) · Public Health Research & Practice · doi:10.17061/phrp3332320 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
Self-citationAkhter‐Khan, S. C., van Es, W., Prina, M. A., Lawrence, V. C., Piri, İ., Rokach, A., Heu, L. C., & Mayston, R. (2023) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116438 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
AI as your ally: The effects of AI‐assisted venting on negative affect and perceived social support
Hu, M., Chua, X. C. W., Diong, S. F., Kasturiratna, K. T. A. S., Majeed, N. M., & Hartanto, A. (2024) · Applied Psychology Health and Well-Being · doi:10.1111/aphw.12621 · Cited by 54 · see citing works
We need a public health approach to loneliness
O’Sullivan, R., Leavey, G., & LAWLOR, B. A. (2022) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.o280 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
Liao, X., Wang, Z., Zeng, Q., & Zeng, Y. (2024) · International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry · doi:10.1002/gps.6101 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
“43 This difference may be attributed to variations in culture and socioeconomic status.”
BackgroundLife Events and Loneliness Transitions Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults Around the World
Sheftel, M. G., Margolis, R., & Verdery, A. M. (2023) · The Journals of Gerontology Series B · doi:10.1093/geronb/gbad149 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
Quantity and quality of social relationships and their associations with loneliness in older adults
Norlin, J., McKee, K., Lennartsson, C., & Dahlberg, L. (2025) · Aging & Mental Health · doi:10.1080/13607863.2025.2460068 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
“A meta-analysis found that the pooled prevalence of loneliness among people aged 60+ years was around 12%, with lower prevalence in Northern Europe compared to Southern and Eastern Europe (Surkalim et al., 2022).”
Luo, Q., & Shao, R. (2023) · Psychoradiology · doi:10.1093/psyrad/kkad029 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Why loneliness requires a multidimensional approach: a critical narrative review
Walsh, B. E., Rottenberg, J. A., & Schlauch, R. C. (2025) · Nature Mental Health · doi:10.1038/s44220-024-00382-3 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Digital Humans to Combat Loneliness and Social Isolation: Ethics Concerns and Policy Recommendations
Jecker, N. S., Sparrow, R., Lederman, Z., & Ho, A. (2024) · The Hastings Center Report · doi:10.1002/hast.1562 · Cited by 33 · see citing works
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 · see citing works
“…different studies, it is difficult to compare loneliness levels and prevalence between studies, in addition to interpreting whether the elevated loneliness levels experienced by young people with ADHD in this review are clinically relevant or not (Nicolaisen & Thorsen, 2014; Surkalim et al., 2022).”
ResultAssessment 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 · see citing works
Ip, H., Suen, Y. N., Hui, C. L. M., Cheung, C., Wong, S. M. Y., & Chen, E. Y. H. (2024) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-024-75739-w · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Schepers, W., Gryp, D., Häussermann, F., Heylen, L., Regenmortel, T. V., & Witte, J. D. (2025) · Health & Place · doi:10.1016/j.healthplace.2025.103491 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Zhang, Y.-J., Li, J., Zhang, M., Ai, B., & Jia, F. (2023) · Addictive Behaviours · doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2023.107916 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
Loneliness and mood disorders: consequence, cause and/or unholy alliance?
Giacco, D. (2022) · Current Opinion in Psychiatry · doi:10.1097/yco.0000000000000832 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
Prell, T., Schönenberg, A., & Heimrich, K. G. (2023) · Frontiers in Medicine · doi:10.3389/fmed.2023.1183289 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
Time trends in loneliness from 1984 to 2019 among 27,032 older adults in Norway: A HUNT study
Aunsmo, R. H., Langballe, E. M., Hansen, T. F., Selbæk, G., & Strand, B. H. (2023) · Preventive Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2023.107659 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Current Trends and Future Directions in Urban Social Prescribing
Litt, J., Coll‐Planas, L., Sachs, A. L., Aguado, M. M., & Howarth, M. L. (2023) · Current Environmental Health Reports · doi:10.1007/s40572-023-00419-2 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Surkalim, D. L., Clare, P. J., Eres, R., Gebel, K., Bauman, A. E., & Ding, D. (2024) · American Journal of Epidemiology · doi:10.1093/aje/kwae001 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
“3-5 With recent studies identifying the high global prevalence of sustained loneliness, 6 many health professionals advocate for finding solutions to tackle the epidemic of loneliness.”
BackgroundSelf-citationInterpersonal curiosity as a tool to foster safe relational spaces: a narrative literature review
Jauniaux, M. L., & Lawford, H. L. (2024) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1379330 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Garnow, T., Garmy, P., Edberg, A., & Einberg, E. (2022) · International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being · doi:10.1080/17482631.2022.2132653 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
“Loneliness is even described as a global public health issue (Nyqvist et al., 2016; Surkalim et al., 2022), and a form of social inequality (Junttila et al.”
BackgroundPitak, P., Tasai, S., Kumpat, N., Songkla, P. N., Fuangchan, A., Krass, I., & Dhippayom, T. (2023) · Public Health · doi:10.1016/j.puhe.2023.10.015 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
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 25 · see citing works
Santini, Z. I., Thygesen, L. C., Andersen, S., Tolstrup, J. S., Koyanagi, A., Nielsen, L., Meilstrup, C., Koushede, V., & Ekholm, O. (2024) · International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction · doi:10.1007/s11469-024-01283-3 · Cited by 39 · see citing works
“Moreover, social isolation is a pervasive societal problem, that can contribute to morbidity and mortality (Holt-Lunstad et al., 2015; Santini, Jose, et al., 2020), and is experienced by a substantial proportion of the population in many countries (Surkalim et al., 2022).”
Seifert, N. (2024) · Applied Research in Quality of Life · doi:10.1007/s11482-024-10302-3 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
“Loneliness is a major challenge for contemporary society, and it affects a significant proportion of the population (Surkalim et al., 2022).”
InfluentialAmendola, S., Cerutti, R., & von Wyl, A. (2023) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0291341 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
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 · see citing works
Self-citationSeewer, N., Skoko, A., Käll, A., Andersson, G., Luhmann, M., Berger, T., & Krieger, T. (2024) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-024-57254-0 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Prevalence and burden of loneliness in COPD: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Alqahtani, J. S., Arowosegbe, A., Aldhahir, A. M., Alghamdi, S. M., Alqarni, A. A., Siraj, R. A., AlDraiwiesh, I. A., Alwafi, H. H., & Oyelade, T. (2024) · Respiratory Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.rmed.2024.107768 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
Wang, X., Cao, X., Yu, J., Jin, S., Li, S., Chen, L., Liu, Z., Ge, X., & Lu, Y. (2024) · BMC Psychiatry · doi:10.1186/s12888-024-05609-2 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
“In a recent systematic review and meta-analysis, substantial geographical variation in loneliness prevalence has been reported [56].”
BackgroundNeurogenetics and Epigenetics of Loneliness
Bowirrat, A., Elman, I., Dennen, C. A., Gondré-Lewis, M. C., Cadet, J. L., Khalsa, J., Baron, D., Soni, D., Gold, M. S., McLaughlin, T., et al. (2023) · Psychology Research and Behavior Management · doi:10.2147/prbm.s423802 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
“42,43 While most of surveyed people across all ages consistently report alienation, the risk of loneliness seems to increase with age.”
BackgroundAnisman, H., Doubad, D., Asokumar, A., & Matheson, K. (2024) · Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105859 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Sundqvist, A. J. E., Nyman-Kurkiala, P., Ness, O., & Hemberg, J. A. V. (2024) · International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being · doi:10.1080/17482631.2024.2422142 · Cited by 30 · see citing works
“A substantial proportion of individuals in many countries worldwide experience loneliness (Surkalim et al., 2022).”
BackgroundHo, T. T. Q., & Nguyễn, H. T. (2022) · European Journal of Developmental Psychology · doi:10.1080/17405629.2022.2068523 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
“…ranges from 6.7% to 19.8% (e.g., Costa Rica: 6.7%; Peru: 10.5%; Bolivia: 10.9%; Jamaica: 19.5%; Morocco: 19.8%; Uruguay: 7.1%; Indonesia: 9.6%; Philippines: 14.2%; Thailand: 7.9%; Malaysia: 7.0%; Peltzer & Pengpid, 2017; Pengpid & Peltzer, 2021; Sauter et al., 2020; Surkalim et al., 2022).”
InfluentialWest, T. N., Prinzing, M., Garton, C., Berman, C. J., Zhou, J., Hale, J., Gratch, J. S., & Fredrickson, B. L. (2024) · The Journal of Positive Psychology · doi:10.1080/17439760.2024.2394451 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
“Loneliness is a worldwide health concern (Surkalim et al., 2022), now at epidemic levels in the U.S. and hitting young adults especially hard.”
Ezzatvar, Y., Caballero, Ó., Bastías, D. M. D., Sepulveda, R. A. Y., & García‐Hermoso, A. (2025) · Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice · doi:10.1016/j.diabres.2025.112124 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
High levels of loneliness in people with hoarding disorder
Yap, K., Timpano, K., Isemann, S. D., Svehla, J., & Grisham, J. (2023) · Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jocrd.2023.100806 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Carrasco, P. M., Crespo, D. P., García, A. I. R., Ibáñez, M. L., Rubio, B. M., & Montenegro-Peña, M. (2024) · BMC Psychology · doi:10.1186/s40359-024-01708-7 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
“Pooled prevalence data for Europe and USA is 13% [13].”
BackgroundIn-person interventions to reduce social isolation and loneliness: An evidence and gap map
Welch, V. A., Ghogomu, E. T., Dowling, S., Barbeau, V. I., Al‐Zubaidi, A. A. A., Beveridge, E., Bondok, M., Desai, P., Doyle, R., Huang, J. X., et al. (2024) · Campbell Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/cl2.1408 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Nascimento, M. D. M., Lampraki, C., Marques, A., Gouveia, É. R., Adsuar, J. C., & Ihle, A. (2024) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-024-19463-0 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
“Recent review studies with meta-analyses estimated the prevalence of loneliness in older adults in high-income countries at 27.6% [9], reaching rates of 18.7% to 24.2% in eastern European countries [10].”
BackgroundResultInfluentialRoberts, J. A., Young, P. D., & David, M. E. (2024) · Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin · doi:10.1177/01461672241295870 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Context of walking and loneliness among community-dwelling older adults: a cross-sectional study
Mizuta, S., Uchida, K., Sawa, R., Nakamura, J., Encho, H., Akisue, T., & Ono, R. (2023) · BMC Geriatrics · doi:10.1186/s12877-023-04043-5 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Prevalence of Loneliness in Older Adults: A Scoping Review
Schroyen, S., Janssen, N., Duffner, L. A., Veenstra, M. Y., Pyrovolaki, E., Salmon, É., & Adam, S. (2023) · Health & Social Care in the Community · doi:10.1155/2023/7726692 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Jafarlou, S., Azimi, I., Lai, J., Wang, Y., Labbaf, S., Nguyen, B., Qureshi, H., Marcotullio, C., Borelli, J. L., Dutt, N. D., et al. (2024) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0298949 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
“The U.S. has previously announced a loneliness epidemic [66] and several recent studies are focusing on loneliness across different populations [67].”
Loneliness in adolescence: prevalence, developmental contexts, and interventions
Verity, L., Burke, L., & Qualter, P. (2025) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1696981 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Naughton‐Doe, R., Barke, J., Manchester, H., Willis, P. B., & Wigfield, A. (2022) · Ageing and Society · doi:10.1017/s0144686x2200099x · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Hou, P. K., Xue, H., Zhang, Y., Ping, Y., Zheng, Y., Wang, Y., Yao, Z., Xie, X., Dai, H., & Liu, Y. (2022) · Brain Sciences · doi:10.3390/brainsci12101341 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
“As a public health problem, loneliness can increase the risk of cognitive impairment, dementia, and death [13,14].”
BackgroundLiang, Y. Y., Chen, Y., Feng, H., Xue, H., Nie, Y., Ai, Q. H., Ma, J., Yang, L., Zhang, J., & Ai, S. (2023) · General Psychiatry · doi:10.1136/gpsych-2023-101153 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Lee, H., Yong, S. Y., Choi, H., Yoon, G. Y., & Koh, S. B. (2024) · Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnagi.2024.1389476 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
Boonpattharatthiti, K., Songkla, P. N., Chantara, J., Koomsri, C., Krass, I., Chaiyakunapruk, N., & Dhippayom, T. (2024) · Journal of Diabetes Investigation · doi:10.1111/jdi.14285 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
“This approach of using a minimum sample size as a selection criterion has been employed in a previous meta-analysis investigating the prevalence of a speci fi c disease 13,14 .”
Method
- Authors
- Surkalim, D. L., Luo, M., Eres, R., Gebel, K., van Buskirk, J., Bauman, A., & Ding, D.
- Affiliations
- The University of Sydney (AU)
- Royal Children's Hospital (AU)
- University of Technology Sydney (AU)
- Sydney School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
- Corresponding author
- Ding, Ding
- ORCID
- Venue
- BMJ
- Publisher
- BMJ
- Published
- 2022-02-09
- Volume
- 376
- Pages
- e067068
- ISSN
- 1756-1833 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC8826180
- OpenAlex
- W4211106541
- Cited by
- 821
- References
- 87
- Citations by year
- 2026: 220 · 2025: 236 · 2024: 183 · 2023: 138 · 2022: 44
- FWCI
- 20.76
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- BMJ (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- RMIT Research Repository (RMIT University Library) (acceptedVersion, other-oa)
- Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- Minerva Access (University of Melbourne) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › COVID-19 and Mental Health
- Keywords
- loneliness, prevalence of loneliness, cross-national comparison, adolescents, young adults, middle-aged adults, older adults, temporal trends, WHO regions, loneliness and isolation
- MeSH terms
- Demography, Humans, Loneliness, Global Health, Prevalence
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.
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 ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
