Loneliness is positively associated with populist radical right support

IF 4.9 2区医学 Q1 PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH

Social Science & Medicine Pub Date : 2025-02-01 DOI:10.1016/j.socscimed.2025.117676

Delaney Peterson , Matthijs Rooduijn , Frederic R. Hopp , Gijs Schumacher , Bert N. Bakker

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objectives

The mental and physical health consequences of loneliness are well documented. However, loneliness's socio-political ramifications have been largely unexplored. We theorize that loneliness, due to its physiologically dysregulating impact on the nervous system, facilitates greater susceptibility towards populist radical right parties.

Methods

We tested our hypothesis in 25 unique tests in four population-based samples (N = 40852), spanning nine countries - the Netherlands (15 tests, 2008–2023), Germany (two samples; 2017, 2018), Austria, Croatia, Denmark, France, Hungary, Sweden, and Switzerland (all in 2017). Logistic regressions were run per year and per country. Two internal meta-analyses were run, the first for the Dutch sample and the second for the cross country dataset.

Results

In the Netherlands, lonelier individuals were more likely to support the populist radical right across 15 tests spanning 15 years of data, with 11 tests reaching statistical significance - odds ratios ranging from 1.1 to 1.38. For the cross country analysis, Denmark reached statistical significance (OR = 1.2, 90% CI = 1.01, 1.42). Due to smaller sample sizes however, the cross country tests were underpowered to reliably detect small effects.

Conclusions

Loneliness is positively associated with support for the populist radical right in the Netherlands. The effect sizes are comparable to common health correlates of loneliness - high blood pressure, heart diseases, and depression – emphasizing their socio-political relevance. Going forward, well-powered cross-national replications are needed.

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来源期刊

Social Science & Medicine PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH-

CiteScore

9.10

自引率

5.60%

发文量

762

审稿时长

38 days

期刊介绍： Social Science & Medicine provides an international and interdisciplinary forum for the dissemination of social science research on health. We publish original research articles (both empirical and theoretical), reviews, position papers and commentaries on health issues, to inform current research, policy and practice in all areas of common interest to social scientists, health practitioners, and policy makers. The journal publishes material relevant to any aspect of health from a wide range of social science disciplines (anthropology, economics, epidemiology, geography, policy, psychology, and sociology), and material relevant to the social sciences from any of the professions concerned with physical and mental health, health care, clinical practice, and health policy and organization. We encourage material which is of general interest to an international readership.