Livin' La Vida Sola: Network Diversity and Well-Being in Middle-Aged Adults Living Alone

For individuals living alone, having a diverse personal network is considered crucial for mitigating the risk of social isolation and enhancing well-being. Although a reciprocal dynamic between network diversity and well-being is likely, longitudinal evidence supporting reciprocal effects is limited. This study investigates dynamic transactions between network diversity and well-being (life satisfaction, loneliness, and depressiveness) in a community-based sample of middle-aged adults from Germany. It also explores moderations by the duration of living alone.

Data were drawn from the three-wave RIKSCHA (Risks and Chances of Living Alone) project, which includes N = 389 middle-aged adults living alone.

Cross-lagged panel models revealed high rank-order stabilities and correlated changes in network diversity and well-being. Random-intercept cross-lagged panel models and dynamic panel models indicated that unobserved traits accounted for these high stabilities. Correlated changes disappeared when accounting for the trait-like stability of variables. Across all models, no evidence of reciprocal associations between network diversity and well-being was found. All results remained consistent regardless of the duration of living alone.

The study discusses trait factors accounting for the high stabilities observed in network diversity and well-being among middle-aged adults living alone. Future research should further explore the traits impacting successful adaptation to living alone within the context of personal networks.