Feelings of loneliness reached new levels during the COVID-19 pandemic as lockdowns isolated friends and family from each other to curb the spread of the disease. This brought significant attention to the issue of loneliness, and even after the pandemic subsided, loneliness remains widespread in many parts of the world. A survey of 28 countries in 2021 found that the
often, always, or sometimes, included Brazil, Turkey, and India. At that time, around 31 percent of adults in the United States reported feeling lonely. A different survey from 2022 of U.S. adults found that a quarter thought
, while 62 percent thought it was a problem, but not a crisis and only 11 percent thought it not a problem at all. Although loneliness may seem like a difficult, but harmless emotion, loneliness has been linked to an increased risk for several physical and mental health problems including heart disease, dementia, depression, anxiety, type 2 diabetes, addiction, and suicidal ideation.
What causes loneliness?
Loneliness is marked by feeling alone, disconnected from others, or lacking close or meaningful relationships. Loneliness is a state of mind and even people with many friends can feel lonely. There are many causes of loneliness; it can be situational, for example stemming from physical isolation or moving to a new location, or it can be a symptom of a mental health problem such as depression. Those who are marginalized, have a chronic disease, are unmarried or live alone, or are experiencing a major life transition like losing a job are also at increased risk of suffering from loneliness. In the United States, the
number of close friends adults report having has decreased over the past few decades, which may contribute to feelings of loneliness. For example, in 1990, 33 percent of surveyed U.S. adults reported having 10 or more close friends and only three percent stated they had no friends. In comparison, in 2021, only 13 percent of respondents said they had 10 or more friends and 12 percent reported having no friends at all. Furthermore,
people in the United States reported spending less time on social engagements in 2020 compared to 2003.
Age is also associated with a higher risk of feeling lonely, with younger adults more likely to report feeling lonely than older adults.
The prevalence of loneliness in the United States
As of 2022, around 21 percent of
adults in the United States stated they always or often felt lonely in the past 12 months. The share of
U.S. adults reporting loneliness a lot of the day yesterday has decreased since the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, 17 percent of adults still reported feeling loneliness a lot of the day yesterday as of February 2023.
Those from lower-income households were more likely to report feelings of loneliness than higher income households from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic through the beginning of 2023.
Women in the U.S. are also slightly more likely to report feeling lonely compared to men. Methods to prevent or combat loneliness include strengthening current relationships, joining a group and seeking people with similar interests, volunteering or helping the community, physical activity, and confiding in a loved one or a mental health professional.
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