GLOMoL · Global study of the macro- and individual-level causes and consequences of loneliness

Loneliness is a universal social phenomenon experienced across the life-course that has implications for the health and well-being of both individuals and societies. Distinct from simply ‘being alone’, loneliness refers to individuals’ assessment of the quantity and quality of their social relationships and this assessment is shaped by social and cultural norms and expectations. Despite the negative assessments that ferment loneliness being shaped by the contexts in which they are made, most research focuses on individual-level characteristics while ignoring the potential role of macro(national)-level factors. GLOMoL will be the first truly global country-comparative study of the interaction between individual- and macro(national)-level causes and consequences of loneliness.Informed by an initial framework that will be refined throughout the study, GLOMoL will (1) create a unique longitudinal country-comparative data infrastructure spanning 34 countries that combines individual- and macro-level indicators, and (2) advance our understanding of the causes and consequences of loneliness in different societies (including lower - and upper-middle income), and the way in which individual- and macro-level factors interact in different contexts.Using data from The European Loneliness Survey, Health and Retirement Study ageing cohorts, and numerous sources of country-level indicators, multilevel modelling and quasi-experimental techniques will be used to explore the incidence and trajectories of loneliness over time in different societies and to make robust causal inferences on the role of both individual and macro-level factors, and their interaction, in explaining between-country differences. By widening the interrogation of loneliness and developing a novel theoretical framework that furthers our understanding of loneliness as a global health concern, GLOMoL will develop new scholarly and scientific perspectives applicable to many social aspects of health and ageing.