JAMA Netw Open

Loneliness emerges as a key factor in suicidal ideation among U.S. adults

March 5, 2026

A cross-sectional analysis of 62,685 participants in the NIH All of Us program found that loneliness partly mediated the associations between both anxiety and depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation. In adjusted models, all three factors—anxiety, depression, and loneliness—were independently associated with suicidal thoughts, with loneliness accounting for 25% of the association between anxiety and suicidal ideation and 10% of the association between depression and suicidal ideation. Authors suggest addressing loneliness may help interrupt progression from mood symptoms to suicidal ideation.

Clinical takeaway: Screening for and addressing loneliness may offer an additional pathway to reduce suicidal ideation in patients with anxiety or depressive symptoms.

Source:

Schafer KM, et al. (2026, March 4). JAMA Netw Open. Loneliness, Anxiety Symptoms, Depressive Symptoms, and Suicidal Ideation in the All of Us Dataset. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2845872