Loneliness among people with severe mental illness during the COVID-19 pandemic: Results from a linked UK population cohort study

TY - JOUR

T1 - Loneliness among people with severe mental illness during the COVID-19 pandemic

T2 - Results from a linked UK population cohort study

AU - Heron, Paul

AU - Spanakis, Panagiotis

AU - Crosland, Suzanne

AU - Johnston, Gordon

AU - Newbronner, Elizabeth

AU - Wadman, Ruth

AU - Walker, Lauren

AU - Gilbody, Simon

AU - Peckham, Emily

PY - 2022/1/13

Y1 - 2022/1/13

N2 - AIM/GOAL/PURPOSE: Population surveys underrepresent people with severe mental ill health. This paper aims to use multiple regression analyses to explore perceived social support, loneliness and factor associations from self-report survey data collected during the Covid-19 pandemic in a sample of individuals with severe mental ill health.DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: We sampled an already existing cohort of people with severe mental ill health. Researchers contacted participants by phone or by post to invite them to take part in a survey about how the pandemic restrictions had impacted health, Covid-19 experiences, perceived social support, employment and loneliness. Loneliness was measured by the three item UCLA loneliness scale.FINDINGS: In the pandemic sub-cohort, 367 adults with a severe mental ill health diagnosis completed a remote survey. 29-34% of participants reported being lonely. Loneliness was associated with being younger in age (adjusted OR = -.98, p = .02), living alone (adjusted OR = 2.04, p = .01), high levels of social and economic deprivation (adjusted OR = 2.49, p = .04), and lower perceived social support (B = -5.86, p < .001). Living alone was associated with lower perceived social support. Being lonely was associated with a self-reported deterioration in mental health during the pandemic (adjusted OR = 3.46, 95%CI 2.03-5.91).PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Intervention strategies to tackle loneliness in the severe mental ill health population are needed. Further research is needed to follow-up the severe mental ill health population after pandemic restrictions are lifted to understand perceived social support and loneliness trends.ORIGINALITY: Loneliness was a substantial problem for the severe mental ill health population before the Covid-19 pandemic but there is limited evidence to understand perceived social support and loneliness trends during the pandemic.

AB - AIM/GOAL/PURPOSE: Population surveys underrepresent people with severe mental ill health. This paper aims to use multiple regression analyses to explore perceived social support, loneliness and factor associations from self-report survey data collected during the Covid-19 pandemic in a sample of individuals with severe mental ill health.DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: We sampled an already existing cohort of people with severe mental ill health. Researchers contacted participants by phone or by post to invite them to take part in a survey about how the pandemic restrictions had impacted health, Covid-19 experiences, perceived social support, employment and loneliness. Loneliness was measured by the three item UCLA loneliness scale.FINDINGS: In the pandemic sub-cohort, 367 adults with a severe mental ill health diagnosis completed a remote survey. 29-34% of participants reported being lonely. Loneliness was associated with being younger in age (adjusted OR = -.98, p = .02), living alone (adjusted OR = 2.04, p = .01), high levels of social and economic deprivation (adjusted OR = 2.49, p = .04), and lower perceived social support (B = -5.86, p < .001). Living alone was associated with lower perceived social support. Being lonely was associated with a self-reported deterioration in mental health during the pandemic (adjusted OR = 3.46, 95%CI 2.03-5.91).PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Intervention strategies to tackle loneliness in the severe mental ill health population are needed. Further research is needed to follow-up the severe mental ill health population after pandemic restrictions are lifted to understand perceived social support and loneliness trends.ORIGINALITY: Loneliness was a substantial problem for the severe mental ill health population before the Covid-19 pandemic but there is limited evidence to understand perceived social support and loneliness trends during the pandemic.

KW - Adult

KW - Aged

KW - Aged, 80 and over

KW - COVID-19/psychology

KW - Cohort Studies

KW - Depression/psychology

KW - Female

KW - Home Environment

KW - Humans

KW - Loneliness/psychology

KW - Male

KW - Mental Disorders/psychology

KW - Mental Health

KW - Middle Aged

KW - Pandemics/statistics & numerical data

KW - SARS-CoV-2/pathogenicity

KW - Social Isolation/psychology

KW - Surveys and Questionnaires

KW - United Kingdom

KW - Young Adult

U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0262363

DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0262363

M3 - Article

C2 - 35025915

SN - 1932-6203

VL - 17

JO - PLOS one

JF - PLOS one

IS - 1

M1 - e0262363

ER -