In several countries, there are warnings of an “epidemic of loneliness” that affects both mental health and our bodies. The World Health Organization (WHO) now classifies loneliness as a global threat to public health, and research indicates that involuntary loneliness is as harmful to health as daily smoking.
It is often said that isolation increases in old age. But the prevalence of loneliness seems to follow a U-shaped curve – it is highest in young adults and the elderly, while it dips in midlife. This is according to a study carried out by researchers at Northwestern University in Chicago, USA.
128,000 participants
They have analyzed nine studies in which a total of 128,000 participants from 20 countries, including Sweden, were followed over a longer period of time to see how loneliness changes during life and which factors influence it.
The results, published in the journal Psychological Sciences, show that perceived loneliness, among other things, was more common among women, as well as among those with lower incomes and lower levels of education.
Alone despite contacts
That people “in the middle of life” have more social contacts, such as having a professional life and that you get socializing through your children, can contribute to them feeling less alone, says Eileen Graham, one of the study authors.
At the same time, the connection between social contacts and loneliness is complex – you can have many social contacts and still feel lonely, and vice versa, the researchers point out.
The new research compilation points to how widespread the “loneliness epidemic” is globally, they say.
All the included studies were done before the pandemic, when research indicates that loneliness became even more widespread.