Loneliness Among US Adults: A Growing Concern?

TOPLINE:

Approximately 37% of US adults experienced moderate-to-severe loneliness in a survey, with disparities by age, income, and sexual orientation. Adults who identified as gay or lesbian, those with a short sleep duration, and those who experienced depression had higher odds of experiencing loneliness.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers conducted a secondary analysis of the 2021-2022 Health Information National Trends Survey-6 to assess the prevalence of loneliness in US adults and the sociodemographic, contextual, and health-related factors associated with it.
• The survey included data of 6252 participants, 93.6% of whom completed the loneliness module. The analytical sample comprised 5357 observations.
• Loneliness was measured using a four-item module that indirectly asked about the frequency of loneliness states without referencing a specific timeframe; higher scores indicated a greater frequency of self-perceived loneliness.
• A piecewise linear spline model and a common sense test were used to classify loneliness states, ranging from no loneliness to severe loneliness.

TAKEAWAY:

• In 2022, 23.5% of US adults experienced moderate loneliness, whereas 14.0% faced severe loneliness; 37.4% of adults experienced moderate-to-severe loneliness.
• Younger adults (age, 18-34 years), individuals with lower income, those who were single or never married, and those who identified as gay or lesbian had a point prevalence of severe loneliness that was at least five points higher than the overall average.
• Almost a quarter of respondents with three or more comorbid conditions reported experiencing severe loneliness. The most common chronic health conditions in this group included heart conditions, lung disease, and depression.
• Identifying as gay or lesbian, being divorced or single, having a short sleep duration, and experiencing depression were factors independently associated with higher odds of moderate-to-severe loneliness, in a fully adjusted model.

IN PRACTICE:

“While the findings presented are not intended to be definitive but somewhat exploratory, they should be considered to shed light on the content and direction for policymakers, healthcare professionals, and researchers when developing programs to address loneliness and its associated health risks. This study provides evidence to spark a discussion on the need to refine preventive health screening methods to better address loneliness and reassess the significance of moderate-to-severe loneliness as a public health threat among US adults,” the authors wrote.

SOURCE:

This study was led by Juan Rafael Albertorio-Diaz, MA, of Walden University in Minneapolis. It was published online on June 10, 2025, in American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

LIMITATIONS: 

This study used self-reported data, which might have introduced recall or social desirability bias. The COVID-19 pandemic could have affected loneliness levels, making it difficult to interpret the results. Using a short-form scale to measure loneliness might have caused measurement bias.

DISCLOSURES:

No financial disclosures were reported by the authors. The authors declared having no conflicts of interest.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.