Feeling lonelier during the early COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional analysis of adults living in the United States

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had many negative consequences, one of which was the increase of loneliness. We aimed to explore associations between sociodemographic, work-related, home-related, and COVID-19-related characteristics and increased feelings of loneliness among adults living in the United States (US). We analyzed cross-sectional baseline data from The Quickly Understanding Impacts of COVID-19 Study (The QUICk Study) collected from May to October 2020 using online surveys completed by a sample of adults living in the US. We used chi-square tests, Fisher exact tests, and logistic regression to identify characteristics associated with increased loneliness. The study sample included 577 adults living in the US. Approximately 37% of the sample reported feeling lonelier than usual over the past month. Younger age, sexual minority status, lower education level, depression, living alone, part-time employment status, and student employment status were significantly associated with increased feelings of loneliness. Depression, younger age, and living alone remained significantly associated with increased feelings of loneliness in the multivariable logistic regression analysis. In the US, young adults, adults with depression, and adults who live alone may have been more likely to experience increased feelings of loneliness during the early COVID-19 pandemic.