Two-thirds of Americans report experiencing social isolation since start of COVID-19 pandemic
Washington, DC, October 7, 2020 – According to a new Ipsos poll, conducted on behalf of Golin, most Americans report experiencing social isolation and other negative emotions in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Younger Americans under 50 years old are more likely to report experiencing negative emotions and social isolation since the start of the pandemic. Additionally, most Americans say the pandemic has caused difficulties connecting with friends and agree that it take a lot of energy to keep in touch with people. Around half say they have lost touch with many people.
Many Americans report increased stress levels and feeling negative emotions since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
- Two in three report increased stress or anxiety levels due to COVID-19 (66%). Americans under 50 years old are more likely to report this (74% ages 18-34, 75% ages 35-49 and 56% ages 50 and older), along with parents of a child under 18 years old (78%).
- Those under 50 years old are more likely to say they have felt negative sentiments since the COVID-19 pandemic began, including feeling stressed, anxious, sad, overwhelmed, and exhausted.
- More women than men report feeling all listed negative emotions: frustrated, stressed, anxious, isolated, tired, sad, overwhelmed, exhausted, and lonely.
Many Americans say the pandemic has hurt their ability to connect and keep in touch with people.
- Seventy-four percent of Americans say that the pandemic has made it more difficult to connect with friends.
- More than half agree that it takes a lot of energy to connect with friends during the pandemic (58%), and around the same number admit that they put more effort into trying to keep in touch with people at the beginning (51%).
- Moreover, forty-eight percent say they have lost touch with many people.
- Those 50 years and older are least likely to report a decrease in effort (58% ages 18-34, 54% ages 35-49 and 46% ages 50 and older) or losing touch with many people (57% ages 18-34, 54% ages 35-49 and 41% ages 50 and older).
Two-thirds of Americans say they have personally experienced social isolation, defined as “having few social relationships or infrequent social contact with others”.
- Sixty-six percent of Americans have personally experienced social isolation since the start of the pandemic, and 67% report a loved one experiencing this.
- Americans under 50 years old are most likely to report personally experiencing (76% ages 18-34, 67% ages 35-49 and 60% ages 50 and older) or seeing a loved one experience social isolation (72% ages 18-34, 69% ages 35-49 and 62% ages 50 and older).
- The most common changes seen in those experiencing social isolation are lack of motivation (50% personal change, 32% change in loved one), feeling more anxious than usual (41% personal change, 31% change in loved one), and feeling depressed (37% personal change, 30% change in loved one).
- Nearly all Americans agree that social isolation can have a significant impact on someone’s mental health (89%) or physical health (86%), and 64% think that social isolation can increase chance of heart disease, high blood pressure or sleep disorders.
About the Study
These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted between August 21-25, 2020, on behalf of Golin. For this survey, a sample of 2,010 adults age 18+ from the continental U.S., Alaska, and Hawaii was interviewed online in English.
The sample for this study was randomly drawn from Ipsos’ online panel (see link below for more info on “Access Panels and Recruitment”), partner online panel sources, and “river” sampling (see link below for more info on the Ipsos “Ampario Overview” sample method) and does not rely on a population frame in the traditional sense. Ipsos uses fixed sample targets, unique to each study, in drawing a sample. After a sample has been obtained from the Ipsos panel, Ipsos calibrates respondent characteristics to be representative of the U.S. Population using standard procedures such as raking-ratio adjustments. The source of these population targets is U.S. Census 2016 American Community Survey data. The sample drawn for this study reflects fixed sample targets on demographics. Posthoc weights were made to the population characteristics on gender, age, race/ethnicity, region, and education.
Statistical margins of error are not applicable to online non-probability polls. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error and measurement error. Where figures do not sum to 100, this is due to the effects of rounding. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll has a credibility interval of plus or minus 2.5 percentage points for all respondents. Ipsos calculates a design effect (DEFF) for each study based on the variation of the weights, following the formula of Kish (1965). This study had a credibility interval adjusted for design effect of the following (n=2,010, DEFF=1.5, adjusted Confidence Interval=+/-4.0 percentage points).
For more information on this news release, please contact:
Mallory Newall
Director, US
Public Affairs
+1 202 420-2014
[email protected]
Kate Silverstein
Media Relations Specialist, US
Public Affairs
+1 718 755-8829
[email protected]
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