Loneliness during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comparison between Older and Younger People

Mostafa Saidur Rahim Khan and Yoshihiko Kadoya
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Mostafa Saidur Rahim Khan: School of Economics, Hiroshima University, 1-2-1 Kagamiyama Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima 739-8525, Japan

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 15, 1-15

Abstract: The precautionary measures and uncertainties surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic have serious psychological impacts on peoples’ mental health. We used longitudinal data from Hiroshima University to investigate loneliness before and during the pandemic among older and younger people in Japan. We provide evidence that loneliness among both older and younger people increased considerably during the pandemic. Although loneliness among younger people is more pervasive, the magnitude of increase in loneliness during the pandemic is higher among older people. Our logit regression analysis shows that age, subjective health status, and feelings of depression are strongly associated with loneliness before and during the pandemic. Moreover, household income and financial satisfaction are associated with loneliness among older people during the pandemic while gender, marital status, living condition, and depression are associated with loneliness among younger people during the pandemic. The evidence of increasing loneliness during the pandemic is concerning for a traditionally well-connected and culturally collectivist society such as Japan. As loneliness has a proven connection with both physical and mental health, we suggest immediate policy interventions to provide mental health support for lonely people so they feel more cared for, secure, and socially connected.

Keywords: loneliness; COVID-19 pandemic; social isolation; older and younger people; socio-demographic and psychological factors; comparative analysis; logit regression; Japan (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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