Brazilian journal of medical and biological research = Revista brasileira de pesquisas medicas e biologicasJul 3, 2024

Loneliness linked to mental health in nurses in China

Longevity & Aging Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Updated Mar 27, 2026

Abstract

Among 2,811 nurses surveyed, 12.0% experienced loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The prevalence of depression and anxiety among participants was 7.8% and 6.7%, respectively.
Loneliness scores were divided into three levels, with higher levels associated with increased odds of depression and anxiety.
Adjusted odds ratios indicated that higher loneliness was associated with greater likelihoods of depression, with odds ratios of 1.31 and 2.53 for the second and third tertiles, respectively.
For anxiety, the adjusted odds ratios were 1.84 and 2.52 for the second and third tertiles, respectively.
Statistical trends showed significant associations between loneliness and both depression and anxiety among the nurses.

Simplified

This study explored the association between loneliness and mental health among nurses in China during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional study was conducted from March to April 2022. We enrolled 2,811 nurses from a tertiary hospital in China. Demographic characteristics, lifestyle factors, work-related factors, and psychological characteristics were collected from participants via a self-reported questionnaire. Loneliness was measured with the three-item short form of the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale, and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the General Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale were used to measure mental health. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were determined using binary logistic regression. Among participants in this study, 12.0% (337) experienced loneliness, and 7.8% (219) and 6.7% (189) reported depression and anxiety, respectively. The loneliness scores were categorized into three levels (3, 4-6, and 7-9). For depression, compared with the lowest reference, the ORs and 95% CI across the tertile were 1.31 (0.69-1.84) and 2.53 (1.11-5.76) after adjustment, respectively, and the P-value for trend was 0.045. For anxiety, compared with the lowest reference, the ORs and 95%CI across the tertile were 1.84 (1.28-2.63) and 2.52 (1.57-4.10) after adjustment, respectively; the P-value for trend was 0.004. This study showed that loneliness was significantly associated with poor mental health among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings suggested that medical establishments should offer interventions for nurses to prevent mental health problems by targeting this modifiable risk factor.

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Loneliness linked to mental health in nurses in China

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