Publications

English publications

Ellwardt, L., Hank, K. (in press): Later-life work and retirement: Rethinking sociology’s role. In: Schafer, M., Carr, D.C., Angel, J.A., Settersten, R.A. (eds.): Handbook of the sociology of aging. Springer Nature: Cham.

Ellwardt, L., Van Tilburg, T.G. (2026): The ties that bother: Difficult relationships in the personal networks of older adults. Social Networks, 85: 47-56. [open access]

Kruidhof, E., Corten, R., Ellwardt, L., Wittek, R.P.M. (2026): The co-evolution of informal social status and gossip in workplace social networks. Social Networks, 84: 9-26. [open access]

Reiner, A., Wittek, M., Ellwardt, L. (2025): Who would ask whom for health advice? The structural anatomy of health advice networks among middle-aged and older adults. Network Science, 13: 1-35. [open access]

Ellwardt, L., Van Tilburg, T.G. (2025): Relationship difficulty is associated with poorer mental health in later life. Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 80(7): gbaf094. [open access]

Steinhoff, P., Ellwardt, L., Wermeyer, M. (2024): Well-being in middle-aged and older adults who volunteer: A qualitative network analysis. Aging & Mental Health, 29(2): 343-351. [open access]

Schmitz, W., Naegele, L., Frerichs, F., Ellwardt, L. (2023): Gendered late working life trajectories, family history and welfare regimes: Evidence from SHARELIFE. European Journal of Ageing, 20: 5. [open access]

Ellwardt, L. (2022): The social safety net: Implications for resilience in old age. In: Lazega, E., Snijders, T.A.B., Wittek, R.P.M. (eds.): A research agenda for social networks and social resilience. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, pp. 223—237. [open access]

Van der Put, A., Ellwardt, L. (2022): Employees’ healthy eating and physical activity: The role of colleague encouragement and behaviour. BMC Public Health, 22: 2004. [open access]

Estévez, J.L., Wittek, R.P.M., Giardini, F., Ellwardt, L., Krause, R.W. (2022): Workplace gossip and the evolution of friendship relations: The role of complex contagion. Social Network Analysis and Mining, 12: 113. [open access]

Mäcken, J., Präg, P., Heß, M., Ellwardt, L. (2022): Educational inequalities in labor market exit of older workers in 15 European countries. Journal of Social Policy, 51(2): 435-459. [open access]

Müller, B., Ellwardt, L. (2022): Social networks and health inequalities in old age. In: Klärner, A., Gamper, M., Keim, S., Von der Lippe, H., Moor, I., Vonneilich, N. (eds.): Social networks and health inequalities: A new perspective for research. Wiesbaden: SpringerVS, pp. 181—202. [open access]

Ellwardt, L., Präg. P. (2021): Heterogeneous mental health development during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. Scientific Reports, 11, 15958. [open access]

Ellwardt, L., Hank, K., Mendes de Leon, C.F. (2021): Grandparenthood and risk of mortality: Findings from the Health and Retirement Study. Social Science & Medicine, 268, 113371. [open access]

Ellwardt, L., Wittek, R.P.M., Hawkley, L., Cacioppo, J. (2020): Social network characteristics and their associations with stress in older adults: Closure and balance in a population-based sample. Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 75(7): 1573-1584.

Djundeva, M., Ellwardt, L. (2020): Social support networks and loneliness of Polish migrants in the Netherlands. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 46(7): 1281-1300. [open access]

Ellwardt, L. (2019): Gossip and reputation from a social network perspective. In: Giardini, F., Wittek, R.P.M. (eds.): The Oxford Handbook of Gossip and Reputation. Oxford University Press, pp. 435—457.

Ellwardt, E., Ellwardt, L., Bittner, S., Zipp, F. (2018): Monitoring B cell repopulation after depletion therapy in neurological patients. Neurology: Neuroimmunology & Neuroinflammation, 5(4): e463. [open access]

Wörn, J., Ellwardt, L., Aartsen, M., Huisman, M. (2017): Cognitive functioning among Dutch older adults: Do neighborhood socioeconomic status and urbanity matter? Social Science & Medicine, 187, 29-38.

Ellwardt, L., Aartsen, M., Van Tilburg, T.G. (2016): Types of non-kin networks and their association with survival in late adulthood: A latent-class approach. Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 72(4): 694-705. [open access]

Klijs, B., Kibele, E.U.B., Ellwardt, L., Zuidersma, M., Stolk, R.P., Wittek, R.P.M., Mendes de Leon, C.F., Smidt, N. (2016): Neighborhood income and major depressive disorder in a large Dutch population: Results from the LifeLines Cohort study. BMC Public Health, 16, 773. [open access]

Ellwardt, L., Hernández, P., Martínez-Cánovas, G., Muñoz-Herrera, M.* (2016): Conflict and segregation in networks: An experiment on the interplay between individual preferences and social influence. Journal of Dynamics and Games 3(2), 191-216. *Main author. [open access]

Ellwardt, L., Van Tilburg, T.G., Aartsen, M., Wittek, R.P.M., Steverink, N. (2015): Personal networks and mortality risk in older adults: A twenty-year longitudinal study. PLoS ONE 10(3): e0116731. [open access]

Ellwardt, L., Van Tilburg, T.G., Aartsen, M. (2015): The mix matters: Complex personal networks relate to higher cognitive functioning in old age. Social Science & Medicine, 125, 107-115.

Ellwardt, L., Peter, S., Präg, P., Steverink, N. (2014): Social contacts of older people in 27 European countries: The role of welfare spending and economic inequality. European Sociological Review 30(4), 413-430.

Ellwardt, L., Aartsen, M., Deeg, D., Steverink, N. (2013): Does loneliness mediate the relation between social support and cognitive functioning in later life? Social Science & Medicine, 98, 116-124.

Ellwardt, L., Steglich, C. & Wittek, R.P.M. (2012): The co-evolution of gossip and friendship in workplace social networks. Social Networks 34(4), 623-633.

Ellwardt, L., Labianca, G. & Wittek, R.P.M. (2012): Who are the objects of positive and negative gossip at work? A social network perspective on workplace gossip. Social Networks 34(2), 193-205.

Ellwardt, L., Wittek, R.P.M. & Wielers, R. (2012): Talking about the boss: Effects of generalized and interpersonal trust on workplace gossip. Group & Organization Management 37(4), 519-547.

Grosser, T.J., Lopez-Kidwell, V., Labianca, G. & Ellwardt, L. (2012): Hearing it through the grapevine: Positive and negative workplace gossip. Organizational Dynamics 41(1), 52-61.

German publications

Ellwardt, L., Leszczensky, L., Pink, S. (2025). Software für die quantitative Analyse sozialer Netzwerke. In: Stegbauer, C., Häußling, R. (eds.): Handbuch Netzwerkforschung. Springer VS: Wiesbaden, pp. 575—586.

Ellwardt, L., Hank, K. (2023): Soziale Netzwerke im Alter (2. Aufl.). In: Hank, K., Schulz-Nieswandt, F., Wagner, M., Zank., S. (eds.): Alternsforschung: Handbuch für Wissenschaft und Praxis. Nomos Verlag: Baden-Baden, pp. 339—356.

Müller, B., Ellwardt, L. (2020): Psychische Gesundheit im Alter. Broschüre des Landesseniorenrat Thüringen, S. 15-23. [open access]

Müller, B., Ellwardt, L. (2019): Soziale Netzwerke und gesundheitliche Ungleichheiten im Alter. In: Klärner, A., Gamper, M., Keim, S., Von der Lippe, H., Moor, I., Vonneilich, N. (eds.): Soziale Netzwerke und gesundheitliche Ungleichheiten – eine neue Forschungsperspektive. Springer VS: Wiesbaden, pp. 227—253. [open access]

Dissertation

Ellwardt, L. (2011): Gossip in Organizations. A Social Network Study. ICS dissertation, Groningen.

Awarded articles

Best Paper Award 2023 by DGGG Deutsche Gesellschaft für Gerontologie und Geriatrie, Sektion III, for Gendered late working life trajectories, family history and welfare regimes: Evidence from SHARELIFE. € 1.000

Best Paper Award 2012 by GOM Group & Organization Management journal for Talking about the Boss: Effects of Generalized and Interpersonal Trust on Workplace Gossip.

Best Student Paper Award 2011 by INSNA International Network for Social Network Analysis for The Co-evolution of Gossip and Friendship at Work. Studying the Dynamics of Multiplex Social Networks. $ 1.500

Reviewer

Advances in Life Course Research, Ageing & Society, American Journal of Epidemiology, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, American Sociological Review, British Journal of Sociology, Chinese Sociological Review, European Journal of Ageing, European Journal of Work and Occupational Psychology, European Sociological Review, Family Medicine and Community Health Journal, Gerontology, Geriatrics & Gerontology International, Group & Organization Management, Human Communication Research, Human Relations, Medical Principles and Practice, National Journal of Aging Research, Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of Health and Social Behavior, Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences, Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences, Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, Leisure Studies, Organization Science, Oxford Bibliographies, Personnel Psychology, PLoS ONE, Research on Aging, Social Networks, Social Science & Medicine, Scientific Reports

European Research Council (ERC), French National Research Agency (ANR), German Research Foundation (DFG), Research Foundation of Korea, Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR), Research Council of Finland