When Being Alone Matters: How Perceived Isolation Shapes the Impact of Support on Black Men’s Mental Health

Prior research highlights the detrimental effects of loneliness and social isolation on health, yet Black men’s mental health in this context remains underexplored. This study examines how loneliness-related stress relates to anxiety and depression symptoms, and whether social support moderates these effects among Black men. Using cross-sectional data from 690 participants in The Association of Black Psychologists’ COVID-19 and Black Mental Health Needs Assessment, we compared men who identified “fear of being alone” as a major stressor (n = 83) to those who did not (n = 607). Those reporting being alone as a stressor showed higher anxiety and depressive symptoms. Moderation analyses revealed that informal support was unrelated to mental health outcomes for this group, but formal support significantly reduced depressive symptoms. Among men who did not fear being alone, formal support was associated with substantially lower depressive symptoms; among men who did fear being alone, depressive symptoms remained elevated regardless of support. These findings underscore the protective role of formal social support in mitigating loneliness-related distress among Black men, offering key implications for mental health interventions and future research.