Loneliness higher in UK lesbian, gay and bisexual adults aged 40+
Among UK adults aged 40 and older, baseline loneliness affected 32.0% of sexual minority participants versus 20.8% of heterosexual participants.
Paper by Christina Victor, Isla Rippon
Limit: Chronic and fluctuating loneliness differences were no longer statistically clear after adjusting for mental wellbeing
Edited by Boris Djordjevic · AgingResearch.News
In a longitudinal observational study, researchers analyzed four survey waves from 14,174 UK adults aged 40 and older, including 341 lesbian, gay or bisexual participants. A three-question scale measured loneliness. Chronic loneliness meant reporting loneliness at every wave; fluctuating loneliness meant reporting it at multiple, nonconsecutive waves.
Sexual minority participants were more likely than heterosexual participants to report chronic or fluctuating loneliness before researchers accounted for other factors. There was no clear statistical difference in loneliness reported at just one wave. The links persisted after accounting for participants’ backgrounds, living arrangements and socioeconomic circumstances. After researchers also accounted for mental wellbeing, the links weakened substantially and were no longer statistically significant.
Why it matters
For loneliness prevention in midlife and older age, the authors highlighted the importance of addressing psychological distress and living circumstances.
Caveats
The observational design cannot establish cause and effect, and loneliness was measured by questionnaire. The findings concern UK adults aged 40 and older, with 341 sexual minority participants.
The paper
Christina Victor, Isla Rippon
Frontiers in Public Health, Oct 31, 2026, CC BY, Accepted, not yet published
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