United States: Researchers published their findings in the journal Psychological Science recently this month. A recent review lays it out, showing that people experience greater loneliness in their early adult years, lessen it as they get closer to middle age, and then experience loneliness once again in their later years.
U-Shaped Curve
According to researcher Eileen Graham, an associate professor of medical social sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, “what was striking was how consistent the uptick in loneliness is in older adulthood.”
“There’s a wealth of evidence that loneliness is related to poorer health, so we wanted to better understand who is lonely and why people are becoming lonelier as they age out of midlife, so we can hopefully start finding ways to mitigate it,” Graham said.
Surgeon General’s Warning
The U.S. Surgeon General claims that social isolation can raise the risk of dying young to levels similar to those associated with regular smoking.
Researchers analysed information from nine extensive investigations carried out globally for the review.
Researchers found that despite testing several groups of people from the US, UK, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, Australia, and Israel, all of the studies displayed a U-shaped loneliness curve.
“What makes our study special is that it used the combined power of all these datasets to address the same question: How does loneliness vary over the course of a person’s life, and what factors influence loneliness over time?” stated Graham.
Insights from Nine Studies
The researchers noted that since the pandemic occurred before all of the investigations were carried out, loneliness has become much more apparent.
Graham said the dip in loneliness during the middle-age might be because people of that particular age have many demands and they require more social interaction that is like being married, having kinds and doing your day to day work.
Marital Status and Social Interactions
And the social interaction and still be lonely or , alternatively, be relatively be relatively isolated and not feel lonely, “ Graham said in a North-western news release.
According to researcher Tomiko Yoneda, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of California, Davis, the studies’ data begin just at the end of adolescence, when young adults are negotiating a number of significant life transitions.
These include completing their schooling, starting their employment, and adjusting their connections with friends, family, and love partners on a constant basis.
Heightened Awareness
According to Yoneda, “people start to set down roots and become established, solidifying adult friend groups, social networks, and life partners as they age and develop through young adulthood into midlife.” “Finding consistent points of meaningful social contact will likely help mitigate the risk of persistent loneliness for older adults who are not married, as we do have evidence that married people tend to be less lonely.”