Loneliness in Malta during the Covid-19 pandemic

Abstract

The reduced social contact which became necessary during the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) occurred against a backdrop of elevated levels of loneliness, both in Malta and abroad. The present study used a quantitative online survey to assess levels of loneliness vis-脿-vis intensity and frequency amongst a sample of Maltese adults (N = 906), as well as exploring any relationships between loneliness and sociodemographic variables. Results showed that frequency of self-reported loneliness was associated with age group, nationality, and occupational group. Younger participants and non-Maltese persons residing in Malta reported more frequent loneliness compared to older age groups and Maltese persons, respectively. Occupation type was significantly associated with both loneliness frequency and loneliness intensity, with participants working in entry-level positions or not in employment reporting more frequent loneliness and being more likely to be severely or very severely lonely. Rates of loneliness intensity were markedly higher across the sample, when compared to findings from the previous year, before the pandemic. These findings highlight the need for loneliness interventions which target specific sociodemographic groups in order to alleviate loneliness during the enforced social distancing measures of a pandemic.