A new study where our researcher Jordi Mundó participates, along with Joan Domènech-Abella, Aina Gabarrell-Pascuet, Josep Maria Haro (Sant Joan de Déu Research Institute); and Tibor V. Varga (University of Copenhagen) sheds light on the distinct risk factors behind chronic and transient loneliness—and their link to depression—across a large cohort of older adults in Western countries.
Drawing on data from over 45,000 participants in the SHARE survey (2013–2015), the researchers distinguish between transient loneliness (reported only at baseline) and chronic loneliness (persisting across two time points). They find that nearly half of those experiencing loneliness in 2013 continued to report it two years later.
The study reveals a consistent profile of vulnerability for chronic loneliness: being female, unmarried, lower educational attainment, poor physical and mental health, limited daily functioning, weak social networks, and living in highly individualistic societies. These patterns held across two different loneliness measures. In contrast, risk factors for transient loneliness were less consistent and varied depending on the measure used.
Importantly, the study finds that chronic loneliness is strongly associated with symptoms of depression—both at the time of assessment and two years later. This underscores the need to distinguish between different trajectories of loneliness when assessing mental health risks.
The findings highlight chronic loneliness not just as a social issue, but as a persistent mental health concern that requires targeted policy and clinical interventions. As loneliness continues to rise in aging populations, particularly in individualistic Western cultures, this study offers timely evidence to inform prevention strategies and mental health services.
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