Loneliness in Resettlement Among Multi-Ethnic Resettled Refugees in Ohio

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https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40615-025-02614-3

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https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-025-02614-3
 http://hdl.handle.net/11603/40736

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UMBC Sociology, Anthropology, and Public Health Department
UMBC Student Collection

Author/Creator

Author/Creator ORCID

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5990-108X

Date

2025-09-30

Type of Work

journal articles
Text

Department

Program

Citation of Original Publication

Ghimire, Saruna, Isha Karmacharya, Aman Shrestha, et al. “Loneliness in Resettlement Among Multi-Ethnic Resettled Refugees in Ohio.” Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, September 30, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-025-02614-3.

Rights

This work was written as part of one of the author's official duties as an Employee of the United States Government and is therefore a work of the United States Government. In accordance with 17 U.S.C. 105, no copyright protection is available for such works under U.S. Law.
Public Domain

Subjects

Social isolation
Refugees
Resilience
Mental health
Loneliness
Social support

Abstract

Background This study assessed the prevalence and factors associated with loneliness among five resettled communities in Ohio: Afghan, Bhutanese, Congolese, Ethiopi an/Eritrean, and Somali. Methods A cross-sectional online survey of 572 participants was conducted with the help of local community organizations. Loneliness was measured using the three-item UCLA Loneliness Scale and categorized into two groups: “not lonely” and “lonely.” The final analytic sample comprised 458 participants. Binary logistic regression was used to analyze key predictors, including healthcare access, mental and physical health, social support, and resilience. Results Of the participants, 29% reported loneliness. Participants with regular access to a doctor were 56% less likely to experience loneliness than those without access [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.29–0.69], while fair/poor self-rated health tripled the experience (aOR = 3.07, 95% CI: 1.42–6.63). Mental health was the strongest predictor, with anxiety increasing the odds of loneliness by over eight times (aOR = 8.43, 95% CI: 4.46–15.93) and depression by more than three times (aOR = 3.53, 95% CI: 1.99–6.26). Experiencing racial discrimination increased the odds of loneliness by 73% (aOR = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.10–2.74). Low resilience quintupled the odds of loneliness (aOR = 5.07, 95% CI: 2.79–9.20), while low social support doubled such odds (aOR = 2.50, 95% CI: 1.04–6.03). Conclusion The study found a high prevalence of loneliness among adults in resettled communities, which underscores the need to address physical and mental health, healthcare access, and social support. Especially, it is critical to develop and implement culturally tailored interventions to reduce loneliness and improve the well-being of these communities.