Loneliness before and during the COVID-19 pandemic—are unpartnered and childless older adults at higher risk?

Bruno Arpino, Christine A. Mair, Nekehia T. Quashie and Radoslaw Antczak
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Christine A. Mair: University of Maryland
Nekehia T. Quashie: University of Rhode Island
Radoslaw Antczak: SGH Warsaw School of Economics

European Journal of Ageing, 2022, vol. 19, issue 4, No 38, 1327-1338

Abstract: Abstract COVID-19 mitigation efforts had the potential to exacerbate loneliness among older adults, particularly for the unpartnered or childless, yet specific studies on loneliness among these groups during the COVID-19 pandemic are lacking. Using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) collected before (October 2019–March 2020) and during the pandemic (June–August 2020), we examine two loneliness outcomes: (1) “have you felt lonely recently?” (both datasets) and (2) “have you felt lonelier than before the pandemic?” (2020), and examine differences by partnership and parenthood status. Before COVID-19, those who lacked one tie but had the other (unpartnered parents or partnered childless) were at highest loneliness risk. During COVID-19, unpartnered and childless—especially unpartnered—remain at higher risk for loneliness, entering loneliness, and not “exiting” loneliness. We discuss these findings in light of family norms and needs in pandemic and non-pandemic times and provide recommendations for future research.

Keywords: Loneliness; Partnership; Parenthood; Coronavirus; SHARE (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1007/s10433-022-00718-x

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