Loneliness, social isolation, and alcohol/drug use over time in U.S. adults
Official title: Trajectories of Isolation and (A)Loneliness with AOD Use, 2019-2027: A National Egocentric Network Study of US Adults
Funded at Rand Corporation · NIH-11392985 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project follows U.S. adults ages 30–80 over eight years to see how loneliness, social connections, and alcohol or drug use change together.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rand Corporation NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Santa Monica, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2024 |
| Project end | March 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $631,162 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AA030890-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11392985 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are U.S. adults aged 30–80, including those who drink alcohol, use cannabis or other drugs, or who feel socially isolated or lonely.
✕Less likely to help
People under 30, those living outside the U.S., or anyone seeking immediate clinical treatment may not receive direct benefit from this observational project.
What this research studies
You would be followed each year for eight consecutive years and asked about your social connections, feelings of loneliness and the newer idea of "aloneliness," plus any alcohol, cannabis, or other drug use. The study uses surveys and egocentric network questions that ask who you regularly interact with and how close you feel to them. You would also answer standard questions about depression and anxiety so researchers can look at mental health as a link between social connection and substance use. The project aims to create the largest long-term dataset on adult social connection and substance use to guide prevention and care.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help identify people at higher risk and inform prevention programs or clinical strategies that reduce harmful alcohol and drug use tied to loneliness and isolation.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research has linked loneliness to substance use, but long-term egocentric network approaches and the concept of aloneliness are relatively new, so this project is a novel extension of existing findings.
Where this research is happening
-
Rand Corporation
Santa Monica, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pollard, Michael Sean — Rand Corporation
- Study coordinator: Pollard, Michael Sean
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Social virtual reality to tackle loneliness in older men with HIV
A new virtual reality program designed for older men living with HIV to connect with others and reduce loneliness, with the goal of improving health and daily well‑being.
-
ADRD spousal caregivers: real-time loneliness and immune links
A real-world study will follow 300 spouses caring for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias to understand how loneliness, social isolation, and daily stress relate to immune and cellular aging.
-
Understanding loneliness in stroke survivors to improve care
A study will identify different loneliness risk profiles in adults who had a stroke or TIA to help tailor support and interventions.
-
New daily loneliness indicators and aging outcomes
Researchers are studying how day-to-day loneliness affects aging and health in adults, to uncover how loneliness might speed up biological aging and functional decline.
-
Understanding how the brain and thinking shape loneliness in adults
This grant studies how brain processes and thoughts create loneliness in adults and could help develop ways to reduce loneliness and its health risks.
-
How loneliness and culture shape risky drinking patterns
This grant explores why loneliness and cultural context influence risky drinking, with goals to help people in diverse communities understand and reduce problematic alcohol use.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.