ArticleScientific reports2024
Comparison of networks of loneliness, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms in at-risk community-dwelling older adults before and during COVID-19.
Article in Scientific reports, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
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Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- Loneliness and nervousness mediate the association between alcohol use and cyberbullying victimization among school-aged adolescents: a two-year longitudinal study.BMC psychology · 2026Article
- Correlates of Loneliness in Parkinson Disease During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Longitudinal Study.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Loneliness mediates the association between sleep deficiency and fighting in school-aged adolescents: a 2-year longitudinal study.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Loneliness and nervousness mediated the longitudinal association between sleep disorders and cyberbullying victimization in school-aged adolescents.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Article
- Loneliness Among Older Adults Receiving Long-Term Home Care Services: A Quantitative Study.SAGE open nursingArticle
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
Abstract
Network analysis provides an innovative approach to examining symptom-to-symptom interactions in mental health, and adverse external conditions may change the network structures. This study compared the networks of common risk factors and mental health problems (loneliness, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms) in community-dwelling older people before and during COVID-19. Older adults (aged ≥ 60) at risk for depression were recruited through non-governmental organizations. Loneliness, depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms were measured using the three-item Loneliness Scale (UCLA-3), nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7), respectively. Data from 2549 (before) and 3506 (during COVID-19) respondents were included using propensity score matching. Being restless (GAD-7-item5) was most central, indicated by Expected Influence, in both pre and during COVID-19 networks despite low severity (mean score). The network during COVID-19 had higher global strength and edge variability than the pre-pandemic network, suggesting easier symptom spread and potentially more complex symptom presentation. In addition, feeling isolated from others (UCLA-3-item3) had stronger connections with feeling worthless/guilty (PHQ-9-item6) and anticipatory anxiety (GAD-7-item7) during COVID-19 than before. These findings may enhance our knowledge of the symptom structure of common mental health problems and the impacts of the pandemic. Targeting central symptoms may offer novel preventive strategies for older people.
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