SynthesisSubstance use & misuse2015
A Systematic Review of Loneliness and Smoking: Small Effects, Big Implications.
Synthesis in Substance use & misuse, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 87 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
87 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 175 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effects of Objective and Perceived Social Isolation on Cardiovascular and Brain Health: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association.Journal of the American Heart Association · 2022Pooled it
- Exploring the association between school-based peer networks and smoking according to socioeconomic status and tobacco control context: a systematic review.BMC public health · 2022Pooled it
- Association between loneliness and dementia risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies.Frontiers in human neuroscience · 2022Pooled it
- Does unemployment lead to greater levels of loneliness? A systematic review.Social science & medicine (1982) · 2021Pooled it
- Peer stress and adolescent deviant behaviors: Unraveling the roles of loneliness and stress mindset.Applied psychology. Health and well-being · 2026Article
- Estimating the effects of hypothetical loneliness interventions on memory function among middle-aged and older adults in the United States.American journal of epidemiology · 2026Article
- Article
- Sex Differences in Cigarette Smoking Among Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Black All of Us Participants: The Relative Importance of Sociodemographic Characteristics and Social Determinants of Health.Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities · 2026Article
- The Role of Loneliness and Ostracism in Adolescents' Psychological Well-Being and Substance Use: Family and Teacher Support as Moderators.Journal of adolescence · 2026Article
- A Preliminary Examination of Reward Processing and Loneliness in Cigarette Smokers.Substance use & misuse · 2026Article
- Longitudinal Examination of Loneliness and Smoking in Adolescents and Young Adults: A Multiple Dataset Study.International journal of mental health and addiction · 2026Article
- Loneliness and smoking status: a pilot study of extended-stay hotel residents in Atlanta, Georgia.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Article
- Pandemic Associated Changes in Personal Substance Use and Perceptions of Changes to Peer Substance Use among College Students: A Retrospective Assessment.Journal of drug education · 2025Article
- Prospective Associations Among Loneliness and Health for Servicemembers: Perceived Helplessness and Negative Coping Appraisal as Explanatory Mechanisms.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- In pain and lonely? A longitudinal study examining the associations between menstrual pain, physical functioning and loneliness.British journal of health psychology · 2025Article
- Long-term elevated levels of loneliness are linked to lower health-related quality of life in middle-aged Australian women.Communications psychology · 2025Article
- Correlates of Loneliness and Social Isolation Among Korean Adults.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Chronic loneliness and longitudinal changes in cognitive functioning.BMC public health · 2025Article
- How are socioeconomic status, social support, and health history associated with unhealthy lifestyle behaviours in middle-aged adults? Results of the Swedish CArdioPulmonary bioImage Study (SCAPIS) COHORT.Archives of public health = Archives belges de sante publique · 2025Article
27 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundResearch supports an association between smoking and negative affect. Loneliness is a negative affective state experienced when a person perceives themselves as socially isolated and is associated with poor health behaviors and increased morbidity and early mortality.
objectivesIn this article, we systematically review the literature on loneliness and smoking and suggest potential theoretical and methodological implications.
methodsPubMed and PsycINFO were systematically searched for articles that assessed the statistical association between loneliness and smoking. Articles that met study inclusion criteria were reviewed.
resultsTwenty-five studies met inclusion criteria. Ten studies were conducted with nationally representative samples. Twelve studies assessed loneliness using a version of the UCLA Loneliness Scale and nine used a one-item measure of loneliness. Seventeen studies assessed smoking with a binary smoking status variable. Fourteen of the studies were conducted with adults and 11 with adolescents. Half of the reviewed studies reported a statistically significant association between loneliness and smoking. Of the studies with significant results, all but one study found that higher loneliness scores were associated with being a smoker. CONCLUSIONS/IMPORTANCE: Loneliness and smoking are likely associated, however, half of the studies reviewed did not report significant associations. Studies conducted with larger sample sizes, such as those that used nationally representative samples, were more likely to have statistically significant findings. Future studies should focus on using large, longitudinal cohorts, using measures that capture different aspects of loneliness and smoking, and exploring mediators and moderators of the association between loneliness and smoking.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.