A recent review of studies finds a relationship between living alone and the onset of depression
It’s a growing trend: more and more people live alone. There are several factors, the most recent being the COVID-19 pandemic, which are leading more and more people to social isolation. That isolation comes at a price: research found that living alone, compared to living with other people, increases the risk of depression by 42%.
A review of studies published in Frontiers in Psychiatry collected data from 239 studies, of which seven were finally included for meta-analysis. In total, the studies included 123,859 participants (no history of psychosis), of whom 65% were women.
Data analysis showed that living alone is associated with a 42% higher risk of depression than living with other people. Living alone increases the risk of developing depression more in men than in women, in older people than in young people, and in people living in rural areas than in urban areas.
Several previous meta-analyses have also concluded that living alone is a risk factor for depression; however, they used only cross-sectional studies. The present analysis, in contrast, used data from longitudinal studies. Despite the different methodologies, the results were similar.
The Loneliness Epidemic
Many experts warn that we are in the midst of an epidemic of loneliness, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly one in three people residing in Western countries lives alone. Loneliness in its psychological meaning refers to the discrepancy between desired and achieved relationships. That is, it does not count when people choose solitude, only when they are alone but want company. This includes both an inability to make friends and an inability to establish satisfying intimate relationships.
Loneliness is associated with a range of behaviors, including maladaptive (which are harmful) emotion regulation strategies, including increased use of social media, increased fear of missing out, overspending, and materialism.
Other investigations managed to verify that loneliness is associated with the deterioration of physical and mental health. It is a risk factor for depression, increases sensitivity to pain and has been linked to premature death.
Social isolation can also be a risk factor for many health-related conditions, including cardiovascular disease, stroke, diabetes and mental health, particularly depression.
In the case of depression, there are several possible explanations. On the one hand, people living alone may be in a worse economic situation, have less contact and social support, worse physical or mental health or worse health habits. All these factors contribute to the incidence of depression.
The good news is that there are new psychological interventions and pharmacological treatments that are more effective for depression than traditional antidepressants, including Botox injections, intravenous ketamine therapy and psilocybin.
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