Longitudinal analyses indicate bidirectional associations between loneliness and health.
Dianna M PhillipsDeborah FinkelAndrew John PetkusElizabeth MunozShandell PahlenWendy JohnsonChandra A ReynoldsNancy L PedersenPublished in: Aging & mental health (2022)
Our results indicate dynamic associations between loneliness and health with age in mid- to late-adulthood, with earlier impacts of loneliness on health and later impacts of health on loneliness that vary for objective and subjective measures of health. These findings suggest impacts of health on loneliness may arise later in life when worsening health or mobility interfere with social interaction.