Not All Loneliness Is Equal: Differential Associations of Romantic, Familial, and Social Loneliness with Mental Health in Later Life

Loneliness is a well-established risk factor for poor mental health in later life. However, less is known about whether different forms of loneliness have distinct implications for psychological well-being, particularly in non-Western cultural contexts. Drawing on multidimensional models of loneliness and attachment-based perspectives, the present study examined the unique associations of romantic, familial, and social loneliness with depression, anxiety, and stress among married Turkish middle-aged and older adults (N = 484; aged 50 years and older). Participants were recruited from Istanbul using a stratified sampling strategy. Bivariate analyses showed that all loneliness dimensions were positively associated with depression, anxiety, and stress. However, when their unique contributions were examined simultaneously, the findings diverged from expectations. Social loneliness emerged as the most consistent predictor, showing significant positive associations with depression, anxiety, and stress. Familial loneliness was independently associated with depression and anxiety, whereas romantic loneliness was not uniquely associated with any mental health outcome after controlling for overlap among loneliness dimensions. These findings challenge the assumption that deficits in close attachment relationships are necessarily the most consequential form of loneliness for psychological well-being in later life. In this sample, broader social disconnection appeared more strongly linked to mental health than either familial or romantic loneliness. The results underscore the importance of conceptualizing loneliness as a multidimensional construct and suggest that social integration may play a particularly important role in the mental health of older adults, even in cultural contexts where close family relationships are highly valued.