The association between mental status, personality traits, and discrepancy in social isolation and perceived loneliness among community dwellers

ObjectivesTo examine the factors associated with social asymmetry, which refers to the discrepancy between actual social isolation and perceived loneliness, focusing on an individuals mental status and personality traits. MethodsThis study introduced a cross-sectional study design that was utilizing the data from the University of Michigan Health and Retirement Study (HRS) from waves during 2014 and 2016. The participants were community dwellers aged 50 years and older. The outcome measurement, social asymmetry, was defined as the discrepancy between social isolation according to six criteria and loneliness as assessed by the three-item version of the Revised UCLA Loneliness Scale. Multinomial logistic regression models were conducted to examine the factors associated with social asymmetry. ResultsFewer depressive symptoms and higher extraversion were consistently associated with social asymmetry, compared with both isolation and loneliness. Participants with higher neuroticism were likely to be lonely even in the absence of isolation, whereas those with lower neuroticism were likely to not be lonely even with social isolation. In addition, participants with fewer depressive symptoms, lower neuroticism, and higher extraversion were more likely to be not lonely even with social isolation, compared with lonely even in the absence of isolation. ConclusionsMental status and personality traits may closely relate to social asymmetry. This study suggests that incorporating social, mental, and psychological factors may be essential for interventions in social isolation and loneliness. HighlightsSocial asymmetry is a phenomenon reflecting the discrepancy between actual social isolation and perceived loneliness. This gap between situation and emotion may be associated with health risks. However, little information is available on social asymmetry, and its related factors remain poorly understood. Thus, we examined the factors associated with social asymmetry using data from the University of Michigan Health and Retirement Study (HRS). We hypothesized that both mental status and personality traits play a role in social asymmetry due to their effect on individuals perceptions. As a result, depressive symptoms, neuroticism, and extraversion, as well as demographic and socioeconomic status were consistently associated with both social asymmetry outcomes: 1) only social isolation (without loneliness) and 2) only loneliness (without social isolation). This result implies that mental and psychological factors were associated with social asymmetry in a complex manner and that incorporating social, mental, and psychotherapeutic aspects in social interventions may be essential for future intervention strategies for social isolation and loneliness.