Loneliness during the Covid-19 pandemic in Germany: Impact of social factors and polygenic risk scores on interpersonal differences in loneliness and mental health

Abstract

Objectives

The outbreak of Covid-19 negatively affected mental health and increased loneliness. The subjective feeling of loneliness is influenced by genetic and social factors and has a negative impact on mental health.

Methods

From March 2020 to June 2021 loneliness was investigated in N = 517 individuals using monthly acquired questionnaire data and Latent Growth Curve Analysis. Associations of social factors and polygenic risk scores (PRSs, n = 361) with class membership were investigated.

Results

Three classes (“average”, 40%; “not lonely”, 38%; “elevated loneliness”, 22%) were identified, that differ significantly regarding loneliness, mental dysfunction, and response to the lockdown phases. Individuals with a high PRS for neuroticism are more likely to belong to the “elevated loneliness” class, living with another person is a protective factor.

Conclusion

As the “elevated loneliness” class was at the highest risk of mental dysfunction, our findings underscore the importance of identifying those individuals to implement counteractive measures.

Keywords:

• Loneliness
• mental dysfunction
• Covid-19
• polygenic risk scores
• lockdown

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank all participants for their participation in this extension of the LORA study and appreciate the support of the LORA study team.

Ethics statement

The ethical approval due to the additional questionnaires related to the SARS-CoV-2 was acquired from the Ethical Review Boards of Frankfurt (registration number: 244/16; Amendment: 20-611) and Mainz (registration number: 837.105.16(10424).

Statement of interest

No conflict of interest is reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was funded by the German Research Foundation (Project #519365575 & DFG CRC 1193, subprojects B01, C01, C04, C05, C07, Z03). KFA was supported by the Leistungszentrum Innovative Therapeutics (TheraNova) funded by the Fraunhofer Society and the Hessian Ministry of Science and Art.