Katherine Musacchio Schafer; Jacob Franklin; Peter J. Emb铆; Colin G. Walsh (2026).听.听JAMA Network Open, 9(3), e260596.听
This study examined how feelings of loneliness may help explain the link between anxiety, depression, and听suicidal ideation听(thinking about suicide). Using survey data from over 62,000 adults in the U.S., researchers measured anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, loneliness, and suicidal thoughts using standard mental health questionnaires. They found that all three鈥攁nxiety, depression, and loneliness鈥攚ere positively related to suicidal ideation, meaning higher levels of each were associated with more frequent suicidal thoughts.
Importantly, the study showed that听loneliness acts as a mediator, meaning it partly explains听how听anxiety and depression are connected to suicidal ideation. In other words, people with anxiety or depression may be more likely to feel lonely, and that loneliness, in turn, increases the likelihood of suicidal thoughts. While anxiety and depression still had direct effects on suicidal ideation, loneliness accounted for a meaningful portion of this relationship.
Overall, the findings suggest that addressing loneliness could be a key strategy for reducing suicide risk, alongside treating anxiety and depression. By targeting loneliness鈥攖hrough social support, community engagement, or other interventions鈥攊t may be possible to interrupt the pathway from mental health symptoms to suicidal thinking.
Figure 1. 听Participant Flowchart From the All of Us Research Program
听
听