Loneliness affects 11 million people in France, according to a study

Even a “dense social life” does not protect against feelings of loneliness, insist the authors of the report published by the Fondation de France.

Thus, among people inserted into at least two “social networks”, such as family members who do not live under the same roof, friends, neighbours, work colleagues or an association, the rate of loneliness reaches another 17%. Some are indeed “objectively surrounded but consider that the quality and nature of their ties are insufficient or a source of suffering“.

The poorer a person is, the more their social ties weaken, underline the authors of the study, based on a survey of a sample of nearly 3,400 Internet users and on in-depth interviews with people accompanied by specialized associations.

People at home (mostly women) or without a diploma are also more likely to feel isolated, because “full-time domestic work accentuates the feeling of withdrawal from the social world” and “low-skilled occupations (…) have low added value in relational matters“, notes the study.

Loneliness also affects more single parents (often mothers), or people living or having lived in a community (in social homes, or in prison, for example).

The phenomenon can be aggravated by the difficulties of certain audiences, such as seniors, in mastering digital tools. Conversely, it can be reinforced by an “overconsumption” of social networks: “Carole has 282 friends, 221 followers, 325 professional contacts, but no one to accompany her in case of a hard blow.“, summarizes the specialized association Astrée, quoted in the report.

However, the people concerned sometimes find it difficult to recognize their difficulties: “Defining yourself as alone is difficult“, summarizes Elisabeth, 57, divorced and unemployed, who participated in the study.

To encourage them to “ask for help”, it is therefore necessary to “destigmatize” loneliness, call the authors of the report.