Defining loneliness across the lifespan: public health implications

Abstract Loneliness is typically characterised as an issue in later life, but epidemiological evidence suggests that it peaks in early adulthood also. However, little has been done to explore how definitions of loneliness change across the lifespan. Such a question is critical for public health responses to loneliness, since it determines the approaches which are likely to be effective in responding to loneliness at different life stages. We present a synthesis of data across four qualitative studies to consider implications for how loneliness is defined across age groups, comparing data from three studies of younger adults with data from one study of older adults. In all studies, participants were asked to define loneliness. Results suggest that while there was consensus for some aspects of loneliness definitions across age, there were also points of departure. For instance, social exclusion was cited in defining loneliness in earlier, but not in later, life. Ultimately, we consider the public health implications of differences in such definitions; for instance, focusing on inclusiveness to prevent loneliness may only be effective in younger age groups.