Temporal dynamics of loneliness and perceived stress in older adults

Loneliness and stress are determinants of late-life health, yet their within-person dynamics are insufficiently characterized.

We extracted loneliness, stress, depressive symptoms, social contacts, self-rated health (SRH) and sociodemographics constituted covariates from three waves (2017, 2021, 2023) of the German Ageing Survey (DEAS). Linear mixed-effects models regressed stress on loneliness adjusted for covariates. To disentangle within- and between-person effects, predictors were decomposed into person-mean and person-mean-centered components. Interaction effects tested moderation by gender, depressiveness and SRH.

Loneliness predicted stress within (ß =0.30, p < 0.001) and between persons (ß =0.39, p < 0.001). Random-slope variance indicated inter-individual heterogeneity (SD = 0.247); intercept-slope correlation (r = -0.815) suggested flatter slopes among high-stress individuals: individuals with lower baseline stress showed greater stress upon loneliness while high stress leads to a blunted stress response. This effect was moderated by depressiveness but not by gender or SRH: at high loneliness levels, the contribution of depressiveness to stress is diminished.

Increases in loneliness induce stress beyond depression and SRH on both intraindividual and interindividual levels: when individuals feel lonelier, they experience stress, and those who are chronically lonelier report overall higher stress levels. Targeting loneliness alongside stress-management strategies may reduce stress burden and improve well-being in aging populations.