Age-Specific Changes in the Effects of Social Connectedness and Loneliness on Depressive Symptoms: Evidence From the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objective : This study investigates the longitudinal effects of changes in the associations between two distinct aspects of social connec-tions—i.e., social connectedness and loneliness—on depressive symptoms among community-dwelling Korean adults. This study also examines whether these associations vary across three age groups (45–64, 65–74, and 75 or above). Methods : Using data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing collected between 2014 and 2020 (n=3,642 individuals), fixed effects models were used to examine the age-specific associations between the two distinct aspects of social connections and depressive symp-toms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale) while, accounting for time-invariant individual heterogeneity. Social con-nectedness is measured by asking the frequency of interactions with friends, relatives, or neighbors. Results : The findings indicate that the impact of loneliness on depressive symptoms outweighs that of social disconnectedness. Notably, this study unveils age-specific patterns concerning the impact of the coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic on depressive symptoms and changes in the association between loneliness and depressive symptoms. Specifically, middle-aged individuals reported higher levels of depressive symptoms and loneliness along with a heightened impact of loneliness on depressive symptoms, despite maintaining stable so-cial connections. Conversely, the oldest adults experienced reductions in both depressive symptoms and loneliness, despite a significant decrease in socializing. Conclusion : These findings shed light on the differential effects of loneliness on depressive symptoms within distinct age groups before and during the pandemic. The implications of these findings are discussed with a focus on informing the development of targeted policy interventions tailored to the specific needs of different age groups.