What makes a lonely child: environmental, health, and multimodal neuroimaging correlates of prospective loneliness in the ABCD study

IF 6.6 1区医学 Q1 PSYCHIATRY

Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry Pub Date : 2026-09-02 Epub Date: 2026-05-25 DOI:10.1111/jcpp.70178

Ting Yat Wong, Ting Sam Wong, Wai Kai Hou, Angel Nga Man Leung, Jie Xiao, Kenneth S. L. Yuen, Simon S. Y. Lui, Anqi Qiu, Tyler M. Moore, Ruben C. Gur

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Loneliness in childhood is a growing public health concern, yet early multilevel candidate risk and protective factors remain insufficiently mapped. Systematic investigation is essential to guide prevention and intervention during sensitive developmental periods. This study identifies environmental, health, and neurobiological factors associated with prospective loneliness in children.

Methods

A population-based longitudinal cohort study used data from children aged 9–10 years and their caregivers enrolled in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study between 2016 and 2022. A total of 9,602 children with complete baseline and follow-up loneliness and demographic data were included after exclusions for exposure completeness and quality assurance. Baseline measures included 347 environmental exposures, 61 health indicators, and 558 MRI features capturing gray matter volume, white matter microstructure, and resting-state functional connectivity. The primary outcome was prospective loneliness reported from ages 10–14. Linear mixed-effects models assessed associations with environmental and health variables. Linear discriminant analysis was applied to neuroimaging features to distinguish children with and without prospective loneliness.

Results

Among 9,602 children (mean [SD] age, 119.01 [7.52] months; 48% girls; 55% White, 14% Black, 31% other races/ethnicities), 12% (n = 1,158) reported loneliness at baseline, and 71.6% (n = 829) of those re-experienced loneliness over 3 years. Prospective loneliness was significantly associated with 40 environmental variables (|d| = 0.069–0.388), most strongly parental psychopathology, developmental history, and family income. Twenty-six health indicators were also associated (|d| = 0.061–0.390), with general mental health showing the largest effect. Neuroimaging features associated with prospective loneliness converged in brain systems involved in socioemotional processing.

Conclusions

Prospective loneliness was associated with modifiable environmental and health factors, as well as neurobiological differences. Early identification and targeted interventions that support socioemotional development, particularly within family, neighborhood, and school contexts, may help mitigate loneliness and its long-term impact.

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是什么造就了一个孤独的孩子：ABCD研究中环境、健康和多模态神经影像学与预期孤独的相关性

背景：儿童期孤独是一个日益严重的公共卫生问题，但早期多层次潜在风险和保护因素仍未得到充分的定位。系统的调查对指导敏感发育时期的预防和干预至关重要。本研究确定了与儿童未来孤独感相关的环境、健康和神经生物学因素。方法：一项基于人群的纵向队列研究使用了2016年至2022年间参加青少年大脑认知发展（ABCD）研究的9-10岁儿童及其照顾者的数据。在排除暴露完整性和质量保证后，总共纳入了9602名具有完整基线和随访孤独感和人口统计数据的儿童。基线测量包括347个环境暴露、61个健康指标和558个MRI特征，这些特征捕获了灰质体积、白质微观结构和静息状态功能连接。主要结果是10-14岁儿童的前瞻性孤独报告。线性混合效应模型评估了与环境和健康变量的关联。线性判别分析应用于神经影像学特征，以区分儿童是否有前瞻性孤独。结果：在9602名儿童（平均[SD]年龄119.01[7.52]个月，48%为女孩，55%为白人，14%为黑人，31%为其他种族/民族）中，12% （n = 1158）在基线时报告孤独，71.6% （n = 829）的儿童在3年内再次经历孤独。前瞻性孤独感与40个环境变量（|d| = 0.069 ~ 0.388）的相关性显著，其中父母精神病理、发育历史和家庭收入的相关性最强。26项健康指标也有相关性（|d| = 0.061-0.390），其中一般心理健康表现出最大的影响。与预期孤独相关的神经影像学特征在参与社会情绪处理的大脑系统中趋同。结论：前瞻性孤独与可改变的环境和健康因素以及神经生物学差异有关。支持社会情感发展的早期识别和有针对性的干预，特别是在家庭、社区和学校环境中，可能有助于减轻孤独感及其长期影响。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 医学-精神病学

CiteScore

13.80

自引率

5.30%

发文量

169

审稿时长

1 months

期刊介绍： The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (JCPP) is a highly regarded international publication that focuses on the fields of child and adolescent psychology and psychiatry. It is recognized for publishing top-tier, clinically relevant research across various disciplines related to these areas. JCPP has a broad global readership and covers a diverse range of topics, including: Epidemiology: Studies on the prevalence and distribution of mental health issues in children and adolescents. Diagnosis: Research on the identification and classification of childhood disorders. Treatments: Psychotherapeutic and psychopharmacological interventions for child and adolescent mental health. Behavior and Cognition: Studies on the behavioral and cognitive aspects of childhood disorders. Neuroscience and Neurobiology: Research on the neural and biological underpinnings of child mental health. Genetics: Genetic factors contributing to the development of childhood disorders. JCPP serves as a platform for integrating empirical research, clinical studies, and high-quality reviews from diverse perspectives, theoretical viewpoints, and disciplines. This interdisciplinary approach is a key feature of the journal, as it fosters a comprehensive understanding of child and adolescent mental health. The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry is published 12 times a year and is affiliated with the Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ACAMH), which supports the journal's mission to advance knowledge and practice in the field of child and adolescent mental health.