{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,21]],"date-time":"2026-09-21T14:00:48Z","timestamp":1789999248902,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"Oxford University Press (OUP)","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,12]],"date-time":"2026-08-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1786492800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/pages\/standard-publication-reuse-rights"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Loneliness is a well-established social stressor associated with poorer mental health and lower life satisfaction. However, limited research has examined psychosocial resources that may buffer these associations. This study investigates whether neighborhood cohesion moderates the relationships between loneliness and these outcomes, and whether this moderating role varies by gender over time. Data were drawn from two waves (2017\u20132019 and 2020\u20132022) of the United Kingdom Household Longitudinal Study (N = 14,787 individuals; 29,574 person-years)\u2014the only waves capturing data on both neighborhood cohesion and loneliness. Fixed-effects regression models were employed to account for time-invariant individual characteristics. Results indicated that loneliness was associated with poorer mental health and lower life satisfaction, while neighborhood cohesion was associated with better mental health and higher life satisfaction. Importantly, neighborhood cohesion moderated the associations between loneliness and both outcomes, supporting its role as a potential stress-buffering resource; however, no significant gender differences emerged in this moderating role. These findings underscore the potential importance of neighborhood cohesion as a protective factor in the context of loneliness. Social workers, particularly those engaged in community practice, can play a critical role in fostering neighborhood connections and advocating for supportive local environments. Initiatives that strengthen community ties may offer promising avenues for promoting well-being among individuals experiencing loneliness.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1093\/sw\/swag038","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,14]],"date-time":"2026-07-14T11:39:32Z","timestamp":1784029172000},"page":"328-337","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Loneliness and Well-Being: Exploring the Stress-Buffering Role of Neighborhood Cohesion"],"prefix":"10.1093","volume":"71","author":[{"given":"Lei","family":"Chai","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"286","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,12]]},"reference":[{"key":"2026092109071140300_swag038-B1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.4135\/9781412993869","volume-title":"Fixed effects regression models","author":"Allison","year":"2009"},{"key":"2026092109071140300_swag038-B2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"639","DOI":"10.1016\/j.healthplace.2006.09.001","article-title":"Neighborhood social capital and adult health: An empirical test of a Bourdieu-based model.\u00a0","volume":"13","author":"Carpiano","year":"2007","journal-title":"Health & Place"},{"key":"2026092109071140300_swag038-B4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2049","DOI":"10.1007\/s11482-025-10502-5","article-title":"Racial\/ethnic variations in the association between financial strain and well-being: Evidence from the United Kingdom Household Longitudinal Survey.\u00a0","volume":"20","author":"Chai","year":"2025","journal-title":"Applied Research in Quality of Life"},{"key":"2026092109071140300_swag038-B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"245","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jad.2025.02.060","article-title":"The association between financial strain and mental health: The mediating and moderating roles of sleep problems in the UK household longitudinal study (UKHLS).\u00a0","volume":"377","author":"Chai","year":"2025","journal-title":"Journal of Affective Disorders"},{"key":"2026092109071140300_swag038-B5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"299","DOI":"10.1016\/j.puhe.2025.03.008","article-title":"The role of loneliness in mediating the relationship between financial strain and mental health: Exploring gender differences in a UK longitudinal study.\u00a0","volume":"242","author":"Chai","year":"2025","journal-title":"Public Health"},{"key":"2026092109071140300_swag038-B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"119","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jad.2023.09.035","article-title":"The robust reciprocal relationship between loneliness and depressive symptoms among the general population: Evidence from a quantitative analysis of 37 studies.","volume":"343","author":"Chen","year":"2023","journal-title":"Journal of Affective Disorders"},{"key":"2026092109071140300_swag038-B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"235","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jad.2024.11.006","article-title":"Pathways linking loneliness and depressive symptoms among Chinese adolescents: The mediating role of sleep disturbance.\u00a0","volume":"370","author":"Cheng","year":"2025","journal-title":"Journal of Affective Disorders"},{"key":"2026092109071140300_swag038-B8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1783","DOI":"10.1177\/07334648251316632","article-title":"Social participation and life satisfaction among rural older adults in China: The mediating roles of social networks and loneliness.","author":"Cheng","year":"2025","journal-title":"Journal of Applied Gerontology"},{"key":"2026092109071140300_swag038-B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"859","DOI":"10.1007\/s00127-021-02125-6","article-title":"Does the longitudinal association between neighbourhood cohesion and mental health differ by ethnicity? Results from the UK Household Longitudinal Survey.\u00a0","volume":"57","author":"Chum","year":"2021","journal-title":"Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology"},{"key":"2026092109071140300_swag038-B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"954","DOI":"10.1016\/j.paid.2009.07.022","article-title":"Self-esteem as mediator and moderator of the relationship between loneliness and life satisfaction in adolescents","volume":"47","author":"\u00c7ivitci","year":"2009","journal-title":"Personality and Individual Differences"},{"key":"2026092109071140300_swag038-B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"829","DOI":"10.1177\/0891243205278639","article-title":"Hegemonic masculinity: Rethinking the concept","volume":"19","author":"Connell","year":"2005","journal-title":"Gender & Society"},{"key":"2026092109071140300_swag038-B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"309","DOI":"10.37808\/jhhsa.43.3.5","article-title":"Social work\u2019s commitment and leadership to address social determinants of health and integrate social care into health care","volume":"43","author":"de Saxe Zerden","year":"2020","journal-title":"Journal of Health and Human Services Administration"},{"key":"2026092109071140300_swag038-B13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"533","DOI":"10.1093\/eurpub\/ckab018","article-title":"Disability, Loneliness and Health in the UK: Cross-sectional survey.\u00a0","volume":"31","author":"Emerson","year":"2021","journal-title":"European Journal of Public Health"},{"key":"2026092109071140300_swag038-B14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"191","DOI":"10.1017\/s0033291796004242","article-title":"The validity of two versions of the GHQ in the WHO study of mental illness in general health care.\u00a0","volume":"27","author":"Goldberg","year":"1997","journal-title":"Psychological Medicine"},{"key":"2026092109071140300_swag038-B15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"20","DOI":"10.1080\/01621424.2021.1984361","article-title":"Community support groups for men living with depression: Barriers and facilitators in access and engagement with services.","volume":"41","author":"Gosling","year":"2022","journal-title":"Home Health Care Services Quarterly"},{"key":"2026092109071140300_swag038-B16","author":"GOV.UK","year":"2024"},{"key":"2026092109071140300_swag038-B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"78","DOI":"10.1016\/j.gerinurse.2025.01.037","article-title":"Social isolation, loneliness, death stress and life satisfaction in older adults: A serial mediation study.\u00a0","volume":"62","author":"G\u00fcler","year":"2025","journal-title":"Geriatric Nursing"},{"key":"2026092109071140300_swag038-B18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"115568","DOI":"10.1016\/j.socscimed.2022.115568","article-title":"Living alone and all-cause mortality in community-dwelling older adults: The moderating role of perceived neighborhood cohesion.\u00a0","volume":"317","author":"Jiang","year":"2023","journal-title":"Social Science & Medicine"},{"key":"2026092109071140300_swag038-B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1125","DOI":"10.1007\/s11205-013-0459-8","article-title":"Religious attendance, stress, and happiness in South Korea: Do gender and religious affiliation matter?\u00a0","volume":"118","author":"Jung","year":"2014","journal-title":"Social Indicators Research"},{"key":"2026092109071140300_swag038-B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"102420","DOI":"10.1016\/j.healthplace.2020.102420","article-title":"Perceived neighborhood social cohesion and subsequent health and well-being in older adults: An outcome-wide longitudinal approach.\u00a0","volume":"66","author":"Kim","year":"2020","journal-title":"Health & Place"},{"key":"2026092109071140300_swag038-B20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"113","DOI":"10.1177\/21568693241232410","article-title":"Cumulative exposure to social isolation and longitudinal changes in life satisfaction among older adults","volume":"14","author":"Kim","year":"2024","journal-title":"Society and Mental Health"},{"key":"2026092109071140300_swag038-B22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"377","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jad.2023.05.055","article-title":"The negative impact of loneliness and perceived stress on mental health during two-month lockdown in Shanghai.\u00a0","volume":"335","author":"Li","year":"2023","journal-title":"Journal of Affective Disorders"},{"key":"2026092109071140300_swag038-B23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"880","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jad.2020.05.004","article-title":"Loneliness as a predictor of suicidal ideation and behaviour: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective studies.\u00a0","volume":"274","author":"McClelland","year":"2020","journal-title":"Journal of Affective Disorders"},{"key":"2026092109071140300_swag038-B24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"674","DOI":"10.1093\/ageing\/afs036","article-title":"Social support and subsequent disability: It is not the size of your network that counts.\u00a0","volume":"41","author":"McLaughlin","year":"2012","journal-title":"Age and Ageing"},{"key":"2026092109071140300_swag038-B25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"301","DOI":"10.1186\/s12877-023-04017-7","article-title":"The association between loneliness and life satisfaction: Examining spirituality, religiosity, and religious participation as moderators.\u00a0","volume":"23","author":"Muhammad","year":"2023","journal-title":"BMC Geriatrics"},{"key":"2026092109071140300_swag038-B26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"325","DOI":"10.1007\/978-94-007-4276-5_16","volume-title":"Handbook of the sociology of mental health","author":"Pearlin","year":"2013"},{"key":"2026092109071140300_swag038-B27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"575","DOI":"10.1177\/00207640241298897","article-title":"Within-person, longitudinal associations between neighborhood cohesion and adult mental health: A test of bidirectional relations.\u00a0","volume":"71","author":"Prati","year":"2024","journal-title":"International Journal of Social Psychiatry"},{"key":"2026092109071140300_swag038-B28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"114269","DOI":"10.1016\/j.socscimed.2021.114269","article-title":"Perceived neighborhood cohesion buffers COVID-19 impacts on mental health in a United States sample.\u00a0","volume":"285","author":"Robinette","year":"2021","journal-title":"Social Science & Medicine"},{"key":"2026092109071140300_swag038-B29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"4594","DOI":"10.1038\/s41380-023-02259-w","article-title":"Loneliness and depression: Bidirectional Mendelian randomization analyses using data from three large genome-wide association studies.\u00a0","volume":"28","author":"Sbarra","year":"2023","journal-title":"Molecular Psychiatry"},{"key":"2026092109071140300_swag038-B30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1007\/s11482-024-10302-3","article-title":"The effect of loneliness on subjective well-being: Evidence from the UK Household Longitudinal Study 2017\u20132021","volume":"19","author":"Seifert","year":"2024","journal-title":"Applied Research in Quality of Life"},{"key":"2026092109071140300_swag038-B31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1201","DOI":"10.2147\/PRBM.S275902","article-title":"The role of self-esteem in the relationship between loneliness and life satisfaction in late adulthood: Evidence from Poland.\u00a0","author":"Szcze\u015bniak","year":"2020","journal-title":"Psychology Research and Behavior Management"},{"key":"2026092109071140300_swag038-B32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"447","DOI":"10.1080\/01488376.2023.2236140","article-title":"COVID-19 and migrant coping strategies: A person in environment perspective on experiences of Malawian migrants living in South Africa","volume":"49","author":"Tefera","year":"2023","journal-title":"Journal of Social Service Research"},{"key":"2026092109071140300_swag038-B33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.socscimed.2020.113499","article-title":"The effect of neighbourhood cohesion on mental health across sexual orientations: A longitudinal study.\u00a0","volume":"265","author":"Teo","year":"2020","journal-title":"Social Science & Medicine"},{"key":"2026092109071140300_swag038-B34","author":"University of Essex, Institute for Social and Economic Research","year":"2023"},{"key":"2026092109071140300_swag038-B35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2383","DOI":"10.1111\/hsc.13788","article-title":"\u2018It\u2019s made me feel less isolated because there are other people who are experiencing the same or very similar to you\u2019: Men\u2019s experiences of using mental health support groups.\u00a0","volume":"30","author":"Vickery","year":"2022","journal-title":"Health and Social Care in the Community"},{"key":"2026092109071140300_swag038-B36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e066389","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2022-066389","article-title":"National survey of mental health and life satisfaction of gig workers: The role of loneliness and financial precarity.\u00a0","volume":"12","author":"Wang","year":"2022","journal-title":"BMJ Open"},{"key":"2026092109071140300_swag038-B37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"246","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jad.2024.08.062","article-title":"Mediating effect of social support and resilience between loneliness and depression in older adults: A systematic review and meta-analytic structural equation modeling.\u00a0","volume":"365","author":"Wen","year":"2024","journal-title":"Journal of Affective Disorders"},{"key":"2026092109071140300_swag038-B38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"137","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jad.2024.04.001","article-title":"The role of loneliness in the association between sexual orientation and depressive symptoms among older adults: A prospective cohort study.","volume":"356","author":"Wright","year":"2024","journal-title":"Journal of Affective Disorders"},{"key":"2026092109071140300_swag038-B39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1345","DOI":"10.1177\/14680173221093511","article-title":"The association among neighborhood mutual support, well-being, and social work","volume":"22","author":"Yang","year":"2022","journal-title":"Journal of Social Work"}],"container-title":["Social Work"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/sw\/article-pdf\/71\/4\/328\/70615025\/swag038.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/sw\/article-pdf\/71\/4\/328\/70615025\/swag038.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,21]],"date-time":"2026-09-21T13:07:17Z","timestamp":1789996037000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/sw\/article\/71\/4\/328\/8759234"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,12]]},"references-count":39,"journal-issue":{"issue":"4","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,12]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,1]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1093\/sw\/swag038","relation":{},"ISSN":["0037-8046","1545-6846"],"issn-type":[{"value":"0037-8046","type":"print"},{"value":"1545-6846","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published-other":{"date-parts":[[2026,10]]},"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,12]]}}}