Persistent loneliness due to COVID-19 over 18 months of the pandemic: a prospective cohort study.
Ashwin A KotwalStephanie BatioMichael S WolfKenneth E CovinskyJulia Yoshino BenaventeCarla M PerissinottoRachel M O'ConorPublished in: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (2022)
Although loneliness declined for a majority of older adults during the pandemic in our sample, persistent loneliness attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic was common (1 in 6 adults), particularly among individuals identifying as Hispanic/Latinx or living in poverty. Interventions addressing loneliness can ease pandemic-related suffering, and may mitigate long-term mental and physical health consequences.