Social isolation, depression, and anxiety among young adult cancer survivors: The mediating role of social connectedness

Background: Social isolation and social connectedness are health determinants and aspects of social well-being with strong associations with psychological distress. This study evaluated relationships among social isolation, social connectedness, and psychological distress (i.e., depression, anxiety) over 1 year in young adult (YA) cancer survivors 18–39 years old. Methods: Participants were YAs in a large cohort study that completed questionnaires every 2 months for 1 year. Social isolation, aspects of social connectedness (i.e., companionship, emotional support, instrumental support, and informational support), depression, and anxiety were assessed with Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System short form measures. Mixed-effect models were used to evaluate changes over time. Confirmatory factor analysis and multilevel structural equation modeling were used to define social connectedness as a latent construct and determine whether relationships between social isolation and psychological distress were mediated by social connectedness. Results: Participants (N = 304) were mean (M) = 33.5 years old (SD = 4.7) and M = 4.5 years (SD = 3.5) post-initial cancer diagnosis. Most participants were female (67.4%) and non-Hispanic White (68.4%). Average scores for social well-being and psychological distress were within normative ranges and did not change (p values >.05). However, large proportions of participants reported at least mild social isolation (27%–30%), depressive symptoms (36%–37%), and symptoms of anxiety (49%–51%) at each time point. Across participants, more social isolation was related to less social connectedness (p values <.001), more depressive symptoms (p <.001), and more symptoms of anxiety (p <.001). Social connectedness mediated the relationship between social isolation and depression (p =.004), but not anxiety (p >.05). Conclusions: Social isolation and connectedness could be intervention targets for reducing depression among YA cancer survivors.