Research has highlighted the increasing prevalence of loneliness and lack of social connectedness, specifically among adolescents and young adults. Recent attention has been drawn to its association with other mental health conditions and outcomes, and their significant impact on other health conditions and mortality. The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the attention to the loneliness epidemic and the collision with the opioid epidemic. In fact, recent studies during COVID-19 have shown that young adults with higher loneliness scores were more likely to have higher substance use scores, and that young adults were lonelier than older adults during the pandemic, showing a greater increase in social media use, yet lower social support seeking. Alarming reports of increasing prevalence of mental health conditions, such as anxiety, depression and suicide continue to pose questions on the drivers of these phenomena. Further, the relationship between social media use and adverse effects on mental health has been well-documented, yet not fully understood.

The goal of this research topic is to examine the relationship between loneliness, social connectedness, anxiety, depression, suicidality, and substance use in adolescents and young adults, ( 12- 25 ) to explore potential determinants of these problems, and to examine potential interventions- from prevention to treatment - to address the intersection between these conditions.

Topics of interest include:

• The role of social media use and its effects on loneliness and connectedness and other mental health conditions in youth

• Mechanisms underlying the intersection between loneliness, connectedness, depression, anxiety, suicidality, and substance use.

• Multilevel determinants explaining the intersection between these conditions.

• New methods for assessing and screening for loneliness, connectedness, and its consequences in youth.

• Strategies for prevention, early detection, and intervention on loneliness and social isolation.

• Article types: Original Research, Systematic Reviews, and Scholarly Perspectives are encouraged.

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Frontiers in Psychiatry

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