Loneliness: Association with mental health in a population-based study

Loneliness is an emerging public health problem in developed countries. The objective was to establish the prevalence in a representative sample of a large city and its relationship with mental health indicators. Using stratified random sampling, a sample of 8,828 was obtained. The degree to which t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inPsicología conductual Vol. 31; no. 3; pp. 463 - 478
Main Authors Pedrero-Pérez, Eduardo, Haro-León, Agustín, Sevilla-Martínez, Josselyn, Díaz-Zubiaur, Elena
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Madrid Fundacion VECA, Asociacion Psicologia Iberoamericana de Clinica y Salud 01.09.2023
Fundacíon VECA
Subjects
Anxiety
Depression, Mental
Disease susceptibility
Drugs
Health surveys
Industrialized nations
Loneliness
Mental depression
Mental disorders
Mental health
Prescribing
Prescription drugs
Psychopathology
Psychotropic drugs
Public health
Surveys
Spain
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Summary:Loneliness is an emerging public health problem in developed countries. The objective was to establish the prevalence in a representative sample of a large city and its relationship with mental health indicators. Using stratified random sampling, a sample of 8,828 was obtained. The degree to which they had felt lonely during the last year and other questions and questionnaires related to their mental health were asked. A total of 10.2% reported feeling lonely during the last year. Those who felt lonely were four times more likely to develop more symptoms of poor mental health (63% vs. 16%), to receive a diagnosis of anxiety/depression, and to be prescribed psychotropic drugs. The structural model suggests that loneliness worsens mental health, leading to greater prescription of drugs, which increases feelings of loneliness. Loneliness tends to remain in anonymity and intimacy and is addressed mainly through the prescription of psychotropic drugs that aggravate the problem, plunging the subject into a vicious circle that is difficult to escape. The results make it necessary to offer more effective responses than a mere pharmacological approach.
ISSN:1132-9483
1132-9483
DOI:10.51668/bp.8323302n