Social isolation, loneliness and positive mental health among older adults in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic

Apr 12, 2023Health promotion and chronic disease prevention in Canada : research, policy and practice

Social isolation, loneliness, and mental well-being in older adults in Canada during COVID-19

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Abstract

Nearly 30% of older adults reported living alone during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over a third of older adults experienced feelings of loneliness due to the pandemic.
Living alone and loneliness were each linked to lower positive mental health (PMH).
Loneliness was a significant independent factor associated with high self-rated mental health, high community belonging, and mean life satisfaction across all sociodemographic groups.
Living alone was only significantly associated with high community belonging in the overall population and among males and individuals aged 65 to 74 years.
Social isolation and loneliness were both related to poorer wellbeing among older adults in Canada during the pandemic.

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INTRODUCTION: Social isolation and loneliness are associated with poorer mental health among older adults. However, less is known about how these experiences are independently associated with positive mental health (PMH) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS: We analyzed data from the 2020 and 2021 cycles of the Survey on COVID-19 and Mental Health to provide estimates of social isolation (i.e. living alone), loneliness and PMH outcomes (i.e. high self-rated mental health, high community belonging, mean life satisfaction) in the overall older adult population (i.e. 65+ years) and across sociodemographic groups. We also conducted logistic and linear regressions to separately and simultaneously examine how social isolation and loneliness are associated with PMH.

RESULTS: Nearly 3 in 10 older adults reported living alone, and over a third reported feelings of loneliness due to the pandemic. When examined separately, living alone and loneliness were each associated with lower PMH. When assessed simultaneously, loneliness remained a significant independent factor associated with all three PMH outcomes (overall and across all sociodemographic groups), but living alone was only a significant factor for high community belonging in the overall population, for males and for those aged 65 to 74 years.

CONCLUSION: Overall, social isolation and loneliness were associated with poorer wellbeing among older adults in Canada during the pandemic. Loneliness remained a significant factor related to all PMH outcomes after adjusting for social isolation, but not vice versa. The findings highlight the need to appropriately identify and support lonely older adults during (and beyond) the pandemic.

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Social isolation, loneliness and positive mental health among older adults in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic

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