Predictors of Loneliness, Mental Wellbeing, and Stress During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Switzerland.

Increased general anxiety since the pandemic's onset was the strongest predictor across all three outcomes of loneliness, reduced mental wellbeing, and elevated stress.

• Odds ratio range for increased general anxiety across outcomes: 3.25–11.31
• Analysis used weighted binary logistic regressions with weights representing 7,182,252 residents aged ≥15 years
• Data source was the 2022 Swiss Health Survey
• Predictors were entered in blocks covering sociodemographic, psychosocial, behavioral, and pandemic-related variables

Younger age, female gender, migration background, and sexual minority status were associated with higher burden across outcomes.

• These sociodemographic factors predicted increased loneliness, reduced mental wellbeing, and elevated stress
• Analysis was conducted using weighted binary logistic regressions representing the Swiss resident population aged ≥15 years
• These findings were identified within the block-entry predictor models

Living alone and strained family or friendship relationships predicted greater loneliness, reduced wellbeing, and stress.

• Both living arrangement and relationship quality were identified as significant predictors
• These psychosocial factors were tested alongside sociodemographic, behavioral, and pandemic-related predictors
• Results were derived from the 2022 Swiss Health Survey weighted sample representing 7,182,252 residents

Economic strain, increased alcohol/tobacco use, and higher workload were associated with adverse mental health outcomes.

• These behavioral and economic factors predicted increased loneliness, reduced mental wellbeing, and elevated stress
• Behavioral predictors were entered as a block in the logistic regression models
• Findings were based on perceived change since before the pandemic as reported in the 2022 Swiss Health Survey

Prolonged COVID-19 symptoms were strongly associated with reduced mental wellbeing in extended models that included COVID-19 health variables.

• Extended models added COVID-19 health variables to the base predictor blocks
• The association with prolonged COVID-19 symptoms was specifically noted for the reduced wellbeing outcome
• This finding emerged after controlling for sociodemographic, psychosocial, behavioral, and pandemic-related predictors