Social disconnectedness and depressive symptoms across age groups: findings from a non-probability sample of employed U.S. adults

Background Rates of social disconnectedness and depression have intensified in recent years. Yet, little is known about how they relate to one another across different age groups. This study assessed the relationship between social disconnectedness and depressive symptoms among U. S. adults of varying ages using an internet-delivered survey data collected between November 2021 and January 2022 from a non-probabilistic national sample of 2,496 employed adults aged 18–89 years. Methods Participants completed Upstream Social Interaction Risk Scale (U-SIRS-13) and the Patient Health Questionnaire short version (PHQ-2). Within each of five age groups (18–29, 30–39, 40–49, 50–59, 60+), descriptive statistics and Pearson’s r correlations were calculated for U-SIRS-13 and PHQ-2. Subsequently, logistic regression models were fitted to assess the relationship between the U-SIRS-13 and PHQ-2 (a score of 3 or greater indicated possible depression), controlling for sociodemographic covariates. Results The prevalence of possible depression among participants was 31.6%, which ranged from 46.8% (ages 18–29) to 10.5% (ages 60+). U-SIRS-13 and PHQ-2 had significant associations in all age groups (Pearson’s r range: 0.283–0.275, p < 0.001). Holding sociodemographic covariates constant, higher U-SIRS-13 scores were consistently associated with increased odds of possible depression across age groups (Odds Ratio range: 1.24–1.50, p < 0.001). While possible depression was more prevalent among younger age groups (18-29 and 30-39), the relationship between social disconnectedness and possible depression was stronger among older age groups (40–49, 50–59, and 60+). Conclusion This finding supports that regardless of age, individuals who experience higher levels of social disconnectedness are more likely to have possible depression Coordinated efforts are needed to address depressive symptomology and facilitate meaningful interactions with others in all age groups.