How do social networks, perception of social isolation, and loneliness affect depressive symptoms among Japanese adults?

Natsuho Kushibiki; Miyuki Aiba; Haruhiko Midorikawa; Kentaro Komura; Daichi Sugawara; Yuki Shiratori; Naoaki Kawakami; Takafumi Ogawa; Chie Yaguchi; Hirokazu Tachikawa

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0300401

How do social networks, perception of social isolation, and loneliness affect depressive symptoms among Japanese adults?

PLoS One. 2024 Apr 24;19(4):e0300401. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300401. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Disaster and Community Psychiatry, Institute of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
² Faculty of Human Sciences, Toyo Gakuen University, Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan.
³ Department of Psychiatry, University of Tsukuba Hospital, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
⁴ Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Hirosaki University, Bunkyo, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan.
⁵ Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
⁶ Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
⁷ Ibaraki Prefectural Medical Center of Psychiatry, Asahimachi, Kasama, Ibaraki, Japan.

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to elucidate the complex relationship among social isolation, loneliness, and perception of social isolation and its influence on depressive symptoms by evaluating a hypothetical model. This understanding is essential for the formulation of effective intervention strategies.

Methods: We conducted an online survey on Japanese adults (N = 3,315) and used the six-item Lubben Social Network Scale to assess the size of their social networks. We employed a single question to gauge their perception of social isolation. Loneliness was assessed using the three-item UCLA Loneliness Scale, and depressive symptoms were examined using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Structural equation modeling was employed to test the hypothesized model.

Results: The final model demonstrated satisfactory fit with data (χ2 (1) = 3.73; not significant; RMSEA = 0.03; CFI = 1.00; TLI = 1.00). The size of social network demonstrated a weak negative path to loneliness and depressive symptoms (β = -.13 to -.04). Notably, a strong positive association existed between perception of social isolation and loneliness (β = .66) and depressive symptoms (β = .27). Additionally, a significant positive relationship was found between loneliness and depressive symptoms (β = .40). Mediation analysis indicated that perception of social isolation and loneliness significantly intensified the relationships between social networks and depressive symptoms.

Conclusions: Results indicate that interventions of psychological approaches, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy, are effective in reducing the perception of social isolation and loneliness, which may lead to the prevention of depressive symptoms. Future longitudinal studies are expected to refine and strengthen the proposed model.

Copyright: © 2024 Kushibiki et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Aged
Depression* / psychology
East Asian People
Female
Humans
Japan
Loneliness* / psychology
Male
Middle Aged
Perception
Social Isolation* / psychology
Social Networking
Social Support
Surveys and Questionnaires
Young Adult

Grants and funding

This work was supported by JST RISTEX “SOLVE for SDGs: Preventing Social Isolation & Loneliness and Creating Diversified Social Networks” Grant Number JPMJRX21K2, Japan. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.