The "central" importance of loneliness in mental health: A network psychometric study.

Loneliness is linked to negative mental health outcomes like depression and social anxiety. However, it is unclear how loneliness and these conditions are connected. This study aims to address two questions: (a) Are there pathways connecting loneliness to these conditions? (b) What symptoms play a role in these pathways? Using network analyses, the study examined a representative sample of 962 adults from the UK (mean age = 46, females = 492).