Loneliness Is Becoming an Epidemic Among Youth in Urban Nepal: A Cross-Sectional Study

Loneliness Is Becoming an Epidemic Among Youth in Urban Nepal: A Cross-Sectional Study | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Loneliness Is Becoming an Epidemic Among Youth in Urban Nepal: A Cross-Sectional Study Jeevan Bhusal, Kripa Bhatta This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9014423/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Introduction: Youth mental health is an emerging public health concern in Nepal, with limited evidence available on depression, anxiety, and loneliness among young people aged 15 to 24 years. Objective This study investigated the prevalence of loneliness and psychological distress (depression, anxiety, and stress) among youths aged 15–24 years residing in Kathmandu Valley. Methodology: A cross‑sectional survey was conducted with 195 purposively and voluntarily recruited participants. Data were collected using validated Nepali versions of the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale and the DASS‑21 and analysed descriptively and correlationally using Microsoft Excel. Findings: Overall, 67.7% of respondents experienced loneliness, with 17.9% reporting extreme levels. Social loneliness (70.3%) was more prevalent than emotional loneliness (58.9%). High rates of anxiety (70.3%) and depressive symptoms (60%) were observed, particularly among female participants. Conclusion The substantial prevalence of loneliness and psychological distress among Nepali youth highlights the urgent need for culturally responsive, youth‑centred mental health services and school‑based psychosocial interventions. DASS-21 Kathmandu Valley Loneliness Psychological distress Urban Nepal Youth mental health Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9014423","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":603181276,"identity":"5dcf3f86-8414-4e95-9a69-04d17c56facf","order_by":0,"name":"Jeevan Bhusal","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA/klEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACxgYInWAAIh9UMCSQqCXhDBFaYACiJbGNCC3M7c3HJH7uYMgzl0h/+CFxXm0eA3vv4xcMNYdxO6znWJpk7xmGYssZOcYSiduOFzPwHDezYDiGRwtQpQFvG0Pihhs5DEAtxxIbJNLYDBjY8GiZ//6z4V+wlvTHPxLnwLT8w2cLD+NjiC0JZhKJDTUgLcwPGNvw+SXN8LFsm0SxwZk3ZhYJxw4ktvEcY2NI7EvHqcWw/fCDg2/bbPIMjqc/vvGhpi6xn72N+cOHb9a4tTSAKQkY/zADGwMDm0QCTg0MDPJo/DoQwfwBj45RMApGwSgYeQAAvMVaRBQXXWIAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Grampians Health","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jeevan","middleName":"","lastName":"Bhusal","suffix":""},{"id":603181281,"identity":"b488a48d-0dd3-464e-ac66-786b3a411fd7","order_by":1,"name":"Kripa Bhatta","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Department of Family, Fairness and Housing, Victorian Government","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Kripa","middleName":"","lastName":"Bhatta","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-03-03 00:38:24","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9014423/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9014423/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":104550991,"identity":"3d2e679f-fc90-45e3-b684-f5280dd4bca0","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-03-13 08:12:16","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":552486,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9014423/v1_covered_fdd4387a-f1cc-4ff2-9316-ffa458329d09.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Loneliness Is Becoming an Epidemic Among Youth in Urban Nepal: A Cross-Sectional Study","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"DASS-21, Kathmandu Valley, Loneliness, Psychological distress, Urban Nepal, Youth mental health","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9014423/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9014423/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIntroduction:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYouth mental health is an emerging public health concern in Nepal, with limited evidence available on depression, anxiety, and loneliness among young people aged 15 to 24 years.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eObjective\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study investigated the prevalence of loneliness and psychological distress (depression, anxiety, and stress) among youths aged 15–24 years residing in Kathmandu Valley.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethodology:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA cross‑sectional survey was conducted with 195 purposively and voluntarily recruited participants. Data were collected using validated Nepali versions of the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale and the DASS‑21 and analysed descriptively and correlationally using Microsoft Excel.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFindings:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOverall, 67.7% of respondents experienced loneliness, with 17.9% reporting extreme levels. Social loneliness (70.3%) was more prevalent than emotional loneliness (58.9%). High rates of anxiety (70.3%) and depressive symptoms (60%) were observed, particularly among female participants.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConclusion\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe substantial prevalence of loneliness and psychological distress among Nepali youth highlights the urgent need for culturally responsive, youth‑centred mental health services and school‑based psychosocial interventions.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Loneliness Is Becoming an Epidemic Among Youth in Urban Nepal: A Cross-Sectional Study","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-03-10 05:49:39","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9014423/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"82db73c3-f6e1-4d7e-8d28-63cc835800c8","owner":[],"postedDate":"March 10th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-03-13T08:10:10+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-03-10 05:49:39","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-9014423","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-9014423","identity":"rs-9014423","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}