Title: WWCW_Loneliness and Wellbeing Among Adolescents and Young Adults
Funder: Economic and Social Research Council

Abstract: The proposed project will use data from three large extant resources to identify individual and community-level factors associated with loneliness during adolescence and young adulthood, differentiate loneliness from social wellbeing, and model the effects of loneliness on personal wellbeing and mental health. The primary objectives of the research are as follows: (1) To identify risk and protective factors associated with loneliness in adolescence and young adulthood among a variety of sociocontextual dimensions, such as demographics, family and social relationships, and school or community environment. (2) To produce multilevel estimates of community factors associated with loneliness, including the extent to which loneliness varies, and individual-level risk or protective factors differ, across areas of residence. (3) To independently and concurrently measure the impact of loneliness and related aspects of social wellbeing, such as social isolation and social support, on personal wellbeing. (4) To provide a comprehensive profile of the relationship between loneliness and mental health, particularly the extent to which sociocontextual factors, such as gender, social relationships, or community environment, increase or attenuate this relationship. (5) To develop and disseminate resources that discuss the individual, social, and environmental factors implicated in the relationship between loneliness, personal wellbeing, and mental health, to be used by policy-makers, academic scholars, community organisations, and young people.

Lay abstract: Loneliness is increasingly recognized as a serious public health concern, with research demonstrating links to poor physical health, increased use of health care services, and even early mortality. Although loneliness has historically been viewed as an issue amongst older people, recent research has shown that loneliness can affect individuals across all age groups, and that the effects accumulate across the lifespan. Within the last year, the UK Government released its first Strategy for Tackling Loneliness, which highlights the need for a better understanding of how loneliness develops, particularly for different groups of people. As a result, research on loneliness within adolescent and young adult populations would allow for early identification of risk and protective factors for loneliness, which subsequently informs the design of public policy aimed at alleviating loneliness. In the proposed study, we aim to examine individual, social, and environmental influences on loneliness within both adolescent (age 11-15) and young adult (16-24) populations. We will use data from three large datasets that cover the entirety of the UK, therefore providing a comprehensive profile of loneliness in young people in Britain. The study will identify factors associated with loneliness, and examine how those factors unfold in different contexts. For example, the research will determine if the strength of risk or protective factors differs across different areas of residence. This contextualized approach will provide a more nuanced understanding of the mechanisms through which individual-level and community-level factors affect loneliness. In addition to analysing loneliness as an outcome, the proposed project will also explore the impact of loneliness on personal wellbeing and mental health. The study will pay particular attention to the relationship between loneliness and related aspects of social wellbeing, such as social isolation and social support, in predicting wellbeing among young people. In addition, the project will identify sociocontextual factors, such as gender or family relationships, that modify the relationship between loneliness and mental health. The proposed project offers a substantial contribution to UK research on loneliness and wellbeing, and offers clear strategies for public policy efforts. Importantly, the identification of malleable targets for intervention in an adolescent and young adult population allow policy efforts to start much earlier, having the potential to reduce prevalence of loneliness, and improve personal wellbeing and mental health at the population level.

Research activity codes: 1.2 PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIOECONOMIC PROCESSES;2.3 PSYCHOLOGICAL, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC FACTORS
Health categories: GENERIC HEALTH RELEVANCE;MENTAL HEALTH