Heron, Paul orcid.org/0000-0003-3529-5737, Spanakis, Panagiotis orcid.org/0000-0002-2732-8300, Crosland, Suzanne orcid.org/0000-0001-6658-6815 et al. (6 more authors) (2022) Loneliness among people with severe mental illness during the COVID-19 pandemic:Results from a linked UK population cohort study. PLOS one. e0262363. ISSN 1932-6203
Abstract
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.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Keywords: | Adult,Aged,Aged, 80 and over,COVID-19/psychology,Cohort Studies,Depression/psychology,Female,Home Environment,Humans,Loneliness/psychology,Male,Mental Disorders/psychology,Mental Health,Middle Aged,Pandemics/statistics & numerical data,SARS-CoV-2/pathogenicity,Social Isolation/psychology,Surveys and Questionnaires,United Kingdom,Young Adult |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of York |
Academic Units: | The University of York > Faculty of Sciences (York) > Health Sciences (York) The University of York > Faculty of Sciences (York) > Hull York Medical School (York) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL (MRC) MR/V028529/1 |
Depositing User: | Pure (York) |
Date Deposited: | 16 Feb 2022 13:00 |
Last Modified: | 25 Nov 2024 00:38 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0262363 |
Status: | Published |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1371/journal.pone.0262363 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:183699 |
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Filename: journal.pone.0262363.pdf
Description: Loneliness among people with severe mental illness during the COVID-19 pandemic: Results from a linked UK population cohort study
Licence: CC-BY 2.5