Supplementary file 1_Loneliness without an epidemic: gendered pathways, health consequence

30 core studies from a systematic review of 485 potential references examine loneliness among men in the United States. The review, authored by Dalia Chowdhury and last updated in June 2026, found no widespread epidemic but identified higher risks for younger men and specific groups. It synthesizes evidence on prevalence trends, gendered risk factors like masculine norms, and serious health consequences including depression and cardiovascular disease.

Use Cases

• Analyzing gendered risk factors for loneliness based on identified contributors like traditional masculine norms and veteran status.
• Evaluating the effectiveness of community-based intervention programs for men, which the review notes are under-evaluated.
• Studying life-course patterns of loneliness based on evidence showing different trends for younger (18–29) and older (60+) males.
• Investigating health outcomes associated with male loneliness, such as depression, suicide risk, and cognitive decline.

Strengths

• The review is based on 30 core studies identified through a systematic PRISMA-guided search of 5 major databases.
• Study quality was assessed using standardized tools like the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool.
• The review protocol was registered a priori on the Open Science Framework (OSF), enhancing transparency and reproducibility.

Limitations

• The dataset is a 141.0 KB PDF document; the underlying systematic review data (e.g., coded study details) is not provided in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Row count and column-level documentation are absent, limiting direct computational analysis.
• The evidence base has a noted imbalance, with younger men being underrepresented relative to older populations.

Provenance

Source

Dalia Chowdhury via figshare

Collection Method

Systematic literature review following PRISMA recommendations, searching PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, SCOPUS, and Google Scholar.

Time Range

Covers literature up to the date of the review; specific publication years of included studies are not listed.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-02 13:26:28

Geography

Focuses on men in the United States.