Loneliness at age 18 May Contribute to Depression and Anxiety in Young Adults

Photo: Aleksandr Davydov/Mostphotos

“The transition to adulthood is a period marked by major social changes. Our study shows that loneliness during this period is associated with depression and anxiety in the following years,” says Karina Grigorian, researcher at the Department of Public Health Sciences at Stockholm University.

Although loneliness has increasingly been recognized as a public health issue, particularly among young people, there is still a lack of knowledge about so-called emerging adulthood – a life stage characterized by multiple social transitions. The new study from Stockholm University, published in the scientific journal Scandinavian Journal of Public Health, examines the link between loneliness and subsequent mental health problems among young adults in Sweden.

“This period is also associated with elevated levels of mental health problems, especially anxiety and depression. Although the link between loneliness and mental health has gained increasing attention, there are few longitudinal studies examining how loneliness during emerging adulthood is connected to later depression and anxiety,” Grigorian says.

To fill the knowledge gap regarding young adults, the researchers used data from Futura01, a Swedish national cohort study following individuals born in 2001. By combining survey data with register data, the researchers were able to analyze both self-reported symptoms and clinically diagnosed depression and anxiety.

Around 14 Percent of 18-Year-Olds Experienced Loneliness

The results show that approximately 14 percent of participants experienced loneliness at age 18. These individuals were more likely to be diagnosed with depression and anxiety at ages 19–20 and to report symptoms at age 21. The associations remained even after adjusting for socioeconomic background and previous mental health problems.

Loneliness at age 18 was somewhat more common among women. Diagnoses of depression and anxiety were identified in 4.5 percent of participants at ages 16–17 and in 6.0 percent at ages 19–20, again with a higher prevalence among women. At age 21, more than one in five participants (22.3 percent) reported symptoms of depression and anxiety, with women reporting symptoms more frequently than men.

“Although loneliness can be a common experience linked to life events or social transitions and is not necessarily pathological, it can contribute to mental health problems. In this study, loneliness among 18-year-olds was associated with depression and anxiety,” Grigorian says. “Understanding these associations is important, since loneliness is potentially modifiable and can be considered in strategies aimed at preventing depression and anxiety, which are very common globally, particularly among young people.”

Gender Differences and Social Background

Because depression and anxiety are known to be gender-specific in young adulthood, the researchers stratified their analyses by gender. They also examined how loneliness varied depending on sociodemographic factors and previous mental health diagnoses.

At age 18, the vast majority of participants were still in upper secondary school (98.2 percent). Around two-thirds lived with both parents (63.4 percent), and nearly half had at least one parent with three or more years of post-secondary education (45.8 percent). Most participants (84.3 percent) had at least one parent born in Sweden.

The analyses showed that loneliness at age 18 varied between different social and demographic groups and was more common among those with prior depression or anxiety, highlighting the complex interplay between social circumstances and mental health.

Implications for Prevention

The researchers conclude that loneliness during emerging adulthood may be an important contributing factor to subsequent depression and anxiety.
“Emerging adulthood is a sensitive developmental period marked by multiple life transitions, including educational, social, and psychological ones. Paying attention to loneliness during this phase may be relevant for strategies aimed at preventing later mental health difficulties,” Grigorian says.

Håkan Soold