Understanding the Association Between Substance Use and Loneliness in Midlife and Older Adults
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15466832 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Hermine V Poghosyan (Yale University, corresponding author), Jennifer T McIntosh (0000-0002-8487-3890, Yale University), Sayantani Sarkar (0000-0002-3003-7096, Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society), S Raquel Ramos (0000-0003-2403-7222, Yale University), Ophelia Empleo-Frazier (Yale University), Nicole Colline (Yale University), Shelli L Feder (0000-0002-8059-9281, Yale University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 23 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 151-151 |
| Publication date | 2026-01-26 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1661-7827 • E-ISSN: 1660-4601 |
| Publisher | Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3390/ijerph23020151 |
| PMID | 41752234 |
| OpenAlex | W7125707147 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 15 |
Substance use, a significant public health concern, may be associated with worsening social connections and feelings of loneliness among adult populations. This study examined the associations between substance use (i.e., binge alcohol, e-cigarette, and traditional cigarette use) and loneliness among adults aged ≥50 years residing in the US. We conducted a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from the 2023 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Social Determinant of Health Equity module. The sample included 138,614 adults aged ≥50 years, representing approximately 55.4 million individuals in this age group. Substance use was the key independent variable and categorized into two groups: no substance use and substance use-participants who reported current use of ≥1 of three substances (i.e., binge alcohol, e-cigarette, and traditional cigarette use). Overall, 19.0% of participants reported using ≥1 substance use, 21.0% reported feeling lonely sometimes, and 5.1% feeling lonely always/usually. Participants who reported using ≥1 substance had a 17.0% higher relative risk of feeling lonely always/usually (compared to feeling never/rarely lonely) than adults who did not report substance use, after adjusting for all covariates (RRR 1.17; 95% CI 1.10-1.35; p = 0.029). These findings underscore the strong link between substance use and loneliness among midlife and older adults
Association (psychology · Binge drinking · Feeling · Loneliness · Public health · Social isolation · Substance abuse · Substance use · Young adult · Employment and Welfare Studies · Health disparities and outcomes · Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
Social Relationships and Mortality Risk
Loneliness and the onset of new mental health problems in the general population
Loneliness around the world
Loneliness Across the Life Span
Gender Differences in Loneliness across the Lifespan
Loneliness and Social Isolation as Risk Factors for Mortality
Understanding and Addressing Older Adults’ Loneliness
Gender Differences in Loneliness Over Time
Depression Symptoms, Perceived Stress, and Loneliness During the Covid-19 Pandemic Among Diverse US Racial-Ethnic Groups
Illicit and Nonmedical Drug Use Among Older Adults
Trends in US Adult Smoking Prevalence, 2011 to 2022
How Cannabis Use is Associated with the Physical and Mental Health of Older Adults
Longitudinal within- and between-person associations of substance use, social influences, and loneliness among adolescents and emerging adults who use drugs
The Public Health Case for Addressing Transportation-Related Barriers to Care
The bucket list effect
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |