Loneliness As a Predictor of Depression and Anxiety Among Latinx Immigrant Adults In the United States: Differences across Sex–Age Subgroups

Background and Purpose: Immigrants are at increased risk of loneliness due to separation from their social networks in their countries of origin. Loneliness is increasingly recognized as a public health concern associated with adverse mental health outcomes, including depression and anxiety. Rather than a uniform experience, loneliness is shaped by relational, cultural, and structural factors that vary across populations and life stages.

This concern may be particularly salient among Latinx populations in the U.S., given that the central role of family cohesion and social connectedness may make disruptions to these networks particularly consequential. Acculturation processes may further alter social ties and increase vulnerability over time. Nevertheless, research examining loneliness among Latinx immigrant adults in the U.S. remains limited, particularly regarding how it relates to mental health outcomes across sex–age subgroups. This study addresses this gap by analyzing loneliness and its association with depression and anxiety among Latinx immigrant adults in the U.S., identifying differences across sex–age subgroups, and adjusting for years of residence, language spoken at home, and income.

Methods: Data from the 2024 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) were analyzed, focusing on Latinx adults born outside the U.S. (N = 2,130). Six sex–age subgroups were constructed by crossing sex (male, female) with three age categories (18–40, 41–65, 65+), grounded in the Stages of Psychosocial Development Framework. Rao–Scott adjusted chi-square tests were used to assess whether loneliness differed across subgroups. Two survey-weighted binary logistic regression models were estimated with depression and anxiety as dependent variables. In both models, loneliness was the primary independent variable, and sex–age subgroup was included as a moderator via an interaction term. Models were adjusted for years of residence, language spoken at home, and income.

Results: Loneliness varied across sex–age subgroups (F = 3.94, p = .002), with decreasing levels among men across age and highest levels among older women. Loneliness was strongly associated with depression (F = 109.08, p < .001) and anxiety (F = 108.13, p < .001). In regression models, loneliness was the only significant predictor of depression (AOR = 7.33, p = .01), with no subgroup differences. For anxiety, loneliness was also a significant predictor (AOR = 5.45, p < .001), and women aged 18–40 had higher odds (AOR = 2.05, p = .01). Speaking a non-English language at home was associated with lower odds of anxiety (AOR = 0.58, p = .03).

Conclusions and Implications: Loneliness is a robust predictor of depression and anxiety across sex-age subgroups, highlighting its role as a risk factor among Latinx immigrant adults in the U.S. Women aged 18 to 40 face greater vulnerability, reporting higher loneliness and greater odds of anxiety compared to men the same age. These patterns reflect pressures associated with migration and acculturation, as well as gender inequalities. These findings underscore the need for culturally responsive mental health strategies that address loneliness among Latinx immigrant adults, with particular attention to women during young adulthood and the potentially protective role of cultural connectedness.