Individuals who live or eat alone are more likely to have depressive symptoms than those who live with others, a study has found.
“This study found positive associations among living alone, eating alone, and depressive symptoms among adults in South Korea,” the researchers said.
A nationally representative sample of 23,066 adults from South Korea were included in the analysis and asked whether they lived alone or with other household members and whether they usually ate breakfast, lunch, or dinner alone.
The researchers then assessed depressive symptoms using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and estimated the direct and indirect associations among living alone; eating breakfast, lunch, or dinner alone; and depressive symptoms using odds ratios (ORs) and 95 percent confidence intervals (CIs).
More than one in 10 participants (12.7 percent) lived alone, while the rest (87.3 percent) lived with others. Depressive symptoms were present in 10.6 percent of individuals living alone and 4.7 percent of those living with others. [Nutrients 2026;18:2379]
Solitary eating resulted in 94-percent higher odds of having depressive symptoms (OR, 1.94, 95 percent CI, 1.62‒2.35), while the overall indirect association through eating alone had an OR of 1.36 (95 percent CI, 1.24‒1.51).
“While future longitudinal studies are needed to clarify the causal relationship, our study suggests the need for policy efforts to promote the eating behaviours and mental health of individuals living alone,” the researchers said.
“For instance, community meal programmes and workplace shared-meal initiatives that provide opportunities for communal dining may help reduce eating alone, facilitate social connectedness and a sense of belonging, and alleviate loneliness among individuals living alone,” they added.
Literature
These findings support those of previous studies that also show an association between living or eating alone and depressive symptoms. Studies in 2022 and 2024, for instance, found living alone to positively correlate with the risk of depressive symptoms or suicidal thoughts relative to living with others. [Diagnostics 2022;12:603; Front Public Health 2024;12:1441006; Front Psychiatry 2022;13:954857]
Earlier research in 2020 and 2021 also observed a link between eating alone and depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts. [Nutr J 2020;19:131; Community Ment Health J 2020;56:1603-1609; Korean J Fam Med 2021;42:219-224]
“Consistent with our findings, a recent study reported that eating alone was indirectly associated with the relationship between living alone and depressive symptoms,” the researchers said. [https://s-space.snu.ac.kr/handle/10371/232843]
“However, that study restricted its analysis to participants assessed before the COVID-19 pandemic, given the pandemic-related social distancing measures and the resulting changes in social relationships and working environments,” they added. [Ann Occup Environ Med 2024;36:e14]
Mechanisms
The association between eating alone and depressive symptoms is potentially driven by complex mechanisms. Eating with others is a human behaviour that allows food sharing while encouraging social interaction and strengthening communal bonds. [Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021;18:6235]
On the other hand, solitary eating is associated with poor dietary quality and irregular meals, as well as with poor psychological wellbeing such as loneliness and stress. [Nutrients 2018;10:413; Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021;18:3495; Nutr J 2018;17:117; BMC Public Health 2024;24:2214]
“Such conditions may serve as important pathways linking eating alone and depressive symptoms,” the researchers said.