Are recessions bad for loneliness?

Loneliness is a pressing public health concern with significant economic, health and social consequences. This paper examines the impact of economic downturns, particularly unemployment and job loss perception, on loneliness in Australia. Using a fixed-effects panel regression applied to 19 waves of data, we find that unemployment is significantly linked to an increased likelihood of experiencing loneliness and other dimensions of social health, with the effects of unemployment on loneliness persisting for several years. Perceived job insecurity also contributes to social health deterioration, further emphasising the psychological impact of economic instability. Our estimates point towards the effects being especially strong among individuals with chronic health conditions or mental disorders, who may face added health-related costs and other stressors that exacerbate loneliness. These findings highlight the need to consider policies and programs that support social well-being during economic downturns, particularly for those at heightened risk.

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Publication Details

Journal
Social Science & Medicine
Published
2025-08-25
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.118500
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Employment and Welfare Studies
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
2.82

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article

Are recessions bad for loneliness?

Trong‐Anh Trinh, Cathrine Mihalopoulos, Laura Hayes, Long Khanh‐Dao Le et al.
1 citations
Social Science & Medicine
Employment and Welfare Studies
2.82
article

Are recessions bad for loneliness?

Trong‐Anh Trinh, Cathrine Mihalopoulos, Laura Hayes, Long Khanh‐Dao Le, Arul Earnest, Michael A. Shields, Lidia Engel, Michelle H. Lim, Matthew Hamilton, Helen Skouteris, Michael Berk, Johannes Kunz, Fikru Rizal
article en
1 citations

Abstract

Loneliness is a pressing public health concern with significant economic, health and social consequences. This paper examines the impact of economic downturns, particularly unemployment and job loss perception, on loneliness in Australia. Using a fixed-effects panel regression applied to 19 waves of data, we find that unemployment is significantly linked to an increased likelihood of experiencing loneliness and other dimensions of social health, with the effects of unemployment on loneliness persisting for several years. Perceived job insecurity also contributes to social health deterioration, further emphasising the psychological impact of economic instability. Our estimates point towards the effects being especially strong among individuals with chronic health conditions or mental disorders, who may face added health-related costs and other stressors that exacerbate loneliness. These findings highlight the need to consider policies and programs that support social well-being during economic downturns, particularly for those at heightened risk.

Social Science & MedicineVol. 384
The University of Sydney (AU), Deakin University (AU), Monash Health (AU), Mind Australia (AU), Monash University (AU)
Australian Government, Department of Social Services, Australian Government, Medical Research Council, National Health and Medical Research Council
Openalex Percentile: Top 9%
Employment and Welfare Studies
2.82
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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