Loneliness and Subjective Wellbeing During the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review

Abstract

To prevent the transmission of COVID-19, unprecedented measures were implemented, such as community lockdowns. With limited social interactions, the problem of loneliness might have worsened. As loneliness is thought to have a detrimental effect on subjective wellbeing (SWB), the present systematic review aims to better investigate and summarize the existing evidence about the association of loneliness and SWB during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 18 articles were included. In all studies, independently of the component of wellbeing assessed or of the instrument used, a negative association between loneliness and SWB was found. The results show an increase in loneliness during times of restrictions on social contacts, with a subsequent association with lower SWB, and underscore the need for developing specific interventions to tackle loneliness and for promoting alternative forms of social interaction if further physical distancing measures are needed. However, the literature had several limitations, since most of the studies followed cross-sectional and descriptive methodologies.

Keywords:

• Social interaction
• quality of life
• wellness

Informed Consent

Not applicable, no humans were involved (systematic review).

Data Availability Statement

Data sharing not applicable to this article as no datasets were generated or analyzed during the current study (systematic review).

Search strategy for each database

1) PubMed

#1: ((((((((((((((loneliness) OR (lonely)) OR ("social withdrawal")) OR ("social isolation")) OR ("feel isolated")) OR ("felt isolated")) OR ("feeling* of isolation")) OR (solitude)) OR (aloneness)) OR ("felt alone")) OR ("feel alone")) OR ("feeling alone")) OR ("feeling* of being alone")) OR (isolation)) OR (isolated)

#2: ((((((((((((((wellbeing) OR (“wellbeing”)) OR (“positive life orientation”)) OR (“optimis*”)) OR (“satisf*”)) OR (“self realization”)) OR (“personal growth”)) OR (“purpose in life”)) OR (“Resilience”)) (“positive affect”)) OR (“positive emotion”)) OR (“happi*”)) OR (“happy”)) OR (happ*)

3#: (((((((((((((((coronavirus) OR (corona-virus)) OR ("corona virus")) OR (2019-nCoV)) OR (nCoV)) OR (COVID-19)) OR (Covid19)) OR (SARSCov2)) OR (ncov)) OR ("COVID-19")) OR ("2019-nCoV")) OR ("SARS-CoV")) OR (SARSCOV2)) OR (covid19)) OR (pandemic)) OR (epidemic)

#4: ("2019/12/1"[Date – Publication]: "2021"[Date – Publication])

#5: #1 and #2 and #3 and #4

#6: Limited to Humans

2) PsycINFO

#1 loneliness OR lonely OR "social withdrawal" OR "social isolation" OR "feel isolated" OR "felt isolated" OR "feeling* of isolation" OR solitude OR aloneness OR "felt alone" OR "feel alone" OR "feeling alone" OR "feeling* of being alone" OR isolation OR isolated

#2 wellbeing OR “wellbeing” OR “positive life orientation” OR “optimis*” OR “satisf*” OR “self realization” OR “personal growth” OR “purpose in life” OR “Resilience” “positive affect” OR “positive emotion” OR “happi*” OR “happy” OR happ*

#3 coronavirus OR corona-virus OR "corona virus" OR 2019-nCoV OR nCoV OR COVID-19 OR Covid19 OR SARSCov2 OR ncov OR "COVID-19" OR "2019-nCoV" OR "SARS-CoV" OR SARSCOV2 OR covid19 OR pandemic OR epidemic

#4 #1 and #2 and #3

#5 Limited to date of publication: 20191201-20210531

#6 Limited to humans

3) CINAHL

#1 loneliness OR lonely OR "social withdrawal" OR "social isolation" OR "feel isolated" OR "felt isolated" OR "feeling* of isolation" OR solitude OR aloneness OR "felt alone" OR "feel alone" OR "feeling alone" OR "feeling* of being alone" OR isolation OR isolated

#2 wellbeing OR “wellbeing” OR “positive life orientation” OR “optimis*” OR “satisf*” OR “self realization” OR “personal growth” OR “purpose in life” OR “Resilience” “positive affect” OR “positive emotion” OR “happi*” OR “happy” OR happ*

#3 coronavirus OR corona-virus OR "corona virus" OR 2019-nCoV OR nCoV OR COVID-19 OR Covid19 OR SARSCov2 OR ncov OR "COVID-19" OR "2019-nCoV" OR "SARS-CoV" OR SARSCOV2 OR covid19 OR pandemic OR epidemic

#4 #1 and #2 and #3

#5 Limited to date of publication: 20191201-20210531

#6 Limited to humans

4) Cochrane Library

#1 loneliness OR lonely OR "social withdrawal" OR "social isolation" OR "feel isolated" OR "felt isolated" OR "feeling* of isolation" OR solitude OR aloneness OR "felt alone" OR "feel alone" OR "feeling alone" OR "feeling* of being alone" OR isolation OR isolated

#2 wellbeing OR “wellbeing” OR “positive life orientation” OR “optimis*” OR “satisf*” OR “self realization” OR “personal growth” OR “purpose in life” OR “Resilience” “positive affect” OR “positive emotion” OR “happi*” OR “happy” OR happ*

#3 coronavirus OR "corona virus" OR 2019nCoV OR nCoV OR COVID19 OR Covid19 OR SARSCov2 OR ncov OR "COVID 19" OR "2019 nCoV" OR "SARS CoV" OR SARSCOV2 OR covid19 OR pandemic OR epidemic

#4 #1 and #2 and #3

#5 Limited to date of publication: Dec 2019 to May 2021

5) Scopus

#1 loneliness OR lonely OR {social withdrawal} OR {social isolation} OR {feel isolated} OR {felt isolated} OR {feeling* of isolation} OR solitude OR aloneness OR {felt alone} OR {feel alone} OR {feeling alone} OR {feeling* of being alone} OR isolation OR isolated

#2 wellbeing OR {wellbeing} OR {positive life orientation} OR {optimis*} OR {satisf*} OR {self realization} OR {personal growth} OR {purpose in life} OR {Resilience} {positive affect} OR {positive emotion} OR happi* OR {happy} OR happ*

#3 coronavirus OR corona-virus OR {corona virus} OR 2019-ncov OR ncov OR covid-19 OR covid19 OR sarscov2 OR ncov OR {COVID-19} OR {2019-nCoV} OR {SARS-CoV} OR sarscov2 OR covid19 OR pandemic OR epidemic

#4 Limited to Publication year: 2019, 2020, 2021

6) Web of Science

#1 TS=(loneliness OR lonely OR “social withdrawal” OR “social isolation” OR “feel isolated” OR “felt isolated” OR “feeling* of isolation” OR solitude OR aloneness OR “felt alone” OR “feel alone” OR “feeling alone” OR “feeling* of being alone” OR isolation OR isolated)

#2 TS=(wellbeing OR “wellbeing” OR “positive life orientation” OR “optimis*” OR “satisf*” OR “self realization” OR “personal growth” OR “purpose in life” OR “Resilience” “positive affect” OR “positive emotion” OR “happi*” OR “happy” OR happ*)

#3 TS=(coronavirus OR corona-virus OR "corona virus" OR 2019-nCoV OR nCoV OR COVID-19 OR Covid19 OR SARSCov2 OR ncov OR "COVID-19" OR "2019-nCoV" OR "SARS-CoV" OR SARSCOV2 OR covid19 OR pandemic OR epidemic)

#4 #1 and #2 and #3

#5 Limited to publications years: 2019, 2020 and 2021

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Chiara Castelletti

Chiara Castelletti has a master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from the Università di Pavia, Italy. She currently works as a predoctoral researcher, with a grant, in the Department of Psychiatry of the UAM Faculty of Medicine and is developing her doctoral thesis.

Blanca Dolz del Castellar

Blanca Dolz del Castellar has a master’s degree in General Health Psychology from the Universidad Pontificia Comillas. She currently works as a predoctoral researcher, with a grant, in the Department of Psychiatry of the UAM Faculty of Medicine and is developing her doctoral thesis.

Marta Miret

Marta Miret has a degree in Psychology, a degree in Social and Cultural Anthropology and a doctorate in Clinical and Health Psychology. Since 2015 she is a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Likewise, she is the principal investigator of various national and European projects.

Hannah Mercier

Hannah Mercier has a master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of New England and a doctorate in Rehabilitation Sciences from the Institute of Health Professions in Charlestown. She is assistant professor in the Occupational Therapy Program at Stony Brook University.

Elvira Lara

Elvira Lara has a degree in Psychology and a PhD in Psychology from the University of Barcelona. She is a professor in the Department of Personality, Evaluation and Clinical Psychology, Universidad Complutense de Madrid.