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The Association of Social Support and Loneliness with Symptoms of Depression, Anxiety, and Posttraumatic Stress during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Meta-Analysis

Author

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  • Aina Gabarrell-Pascuet

    (Epidemiology of Mental Health Disorders and Ageing Research Group, Sant Joan de Déu Research Institute, 08950 Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
    Research, Teaching, and Innovation Unit, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, 08830 Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain
    Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
    Department of Medicine, Universitat de Barcelona, 08007 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Helena García-Mieres

    (Health Services Research Unit, Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), 08003 Barcelona, Spain
    Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain)

  • Iago Giné-Vázquez

    (Epidemiology of Mental Health Disorders and Ageing Research Group, Sant Joan de Déu Research Institute, 08950 Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
    Research, Teaching, and Innovation Unit, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, 08830 Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain
    Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain)

  • Maria Victoria Moneta

    (Epidemiology of Mental Health Disorders and Ageing Research Group, Sant Joan de Déu Research Institute, 08950 Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
    Research, Teaching, and Innovation Unit, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, 08830 Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain
    Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain)

  • Ai Koyanagi

    (Epidemiology of Mental Health Disorders and Ageing Research Group, Sant Joan de Déu Research Institute, 08950 Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
    Research, Teaching, and Innovation Unit, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, 08830 Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain
    Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
    Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), 08010 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Josep Maria Haro

    (Epidemiology of Mental Health Disorders and Ageing Research Group, Sant Joan de Déu Research Institute, 08950 Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
    Research, Teaching, and Innovation Unit, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, 08830 Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain
    Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
    Department of Medicine, Universitat de Barcelona, 08007 Barcelona, Spain)

  • Joan Domènech-Abella

    (Epidemiology of Mental Health Disorders and Ageing Research Group, Sant Joan de Déu Research Institute, 08950 Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
    Research, Teaching, and Innovation Unit, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, 08830 Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain
    Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain)

Abstract

Background: Research suggests that changes in social support and loneliness have affected mental disorder symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there are a lack of studies comparing the robustness of these associations. Aims: The aims were to estimate the strength of the associations of loneliness and social support with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2022) in the general population. Method: The method entailed a systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis of quantitative studies. Results: Seventy-three studies were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled correlations of the effect size of the association of loneliness with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress were 0.49, 0.40, and 0.38, respectively. The corresponding figures for social support were 0.29, 0.19, and 0.18, respectively. Subgroup analyses revealed that the strength of some associations could be influenced by the sociodemographic characteristics of the study samples, such as age, gender, region, and COVID-19 stringency index, and by methodological moderators, such as sample size, collection date, methodological quality, and the measurement scales. Conclusions: Social support had a weak association with mental disorder symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic while the association with loneliness was moderate. Strategies to address loneliness could be highly effective in reducing the impact of the pandemic on social relationships and mental health.

Suggested Citation

  • Aina Gabarrell-Pascuet & Helena García-Mieres & Iago Giné-Vázquez & Maria Victoria Moneta & Ai Koyanagi & Josep Maria Haro & Joan Domènech-Abella, 2023. "The Association of Social Support and Loneliness with Symptoms of Depression, Anxiety, and Posttraumatic Stress during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Meta-Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-25, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2023:i:4:p:2765-:d:1057629
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    References listed on IDEAS

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