Most notably, researchers found that loneliness rates peak among people in their 20s, and reach their lowest point among those in their 60s. Many people also experience a spike in lonely feelings around their mid-40s. These findings are as confounding as they are surprising, at least initially.
While loneliness can affect individuals of all ages, studies show that some age groups are more vulnerable to experiencing feelings of isolation and disconnection. According to a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, young adults aged 18-24 report feeling lonely at higher rates than other age groups.
Yes, it is common to experience feelings of loneliness in your 20s. This can be due to various factors such as changes in life circumstances, differences in personal values and interests with friends or family, or difficulty in making new connections.
Who is most likely to be lonely? A recent study conducted by Cigna found that over half of Americans are experiencing loneliness. This study found that underrepresented racial groups and people with lower incomes tended to be lonelier than their counterparts.
Research Shows Young People Are the Loneliest People
But loneliness and social isolation was most common among youth ages 18 to 22. Known as Generation Z, this group had loneliness scores of about 48, compared with scores around 39 for those 72 and older.
When you think about lonely people, you tend to think exclusively about older people who are more at risk of social isolation. But the truth is that you can be chronically lonely at any age.
Similarly, results of a survey circulated in 2018 found that: 40% of respondents aged 16-24 reported feeling lonely often or very often, while only 29% of people aged 65-74 and 27% of people aged over 75 said the same6.
In 1962, Richard Yates wrote a book entitled “Eleven Kinds of Loneliness”. But it was fiction. More recently, Sarah Biddlecombe, an award-winning journalist at 'Stylist', explained that there are four distinct types of loneliness identified by psychologists: emotional, social, situational, and chronic.
Both sets of studies show the same thing: People who are not afraid to be single and people who like spending time alone are less likely to experience loneliness. They are psychologically strong in other ways, too. For example, they are less likely to be neurotic and more likely to be open to new experiences.
It's often talked about as an epidemic. You know, some surveys reveal that around 60 percent of people in the U.S. right now report feeling lonely on a pretty regular basis. And that's pretty devastating from a public health perspective. Right.
This is often a time of transition and change, where many people are just starting their careers, finishing their education, or trying to establish their independence. Additionally, the cost of living and education has risen in recent years, making it more difficult for many young people to make ends meet.
Yes. The 20s are the hardest years of your life. This is because you're trying to figure out your career and financial goals at the same time. You are also trying to be self-sufficient on a limited budget, and feeling the pressure to prove yourself.
Staying single in one's 20s can offer several benefits such as the ability to focus on personal growth and self-discovery, financial stability, and the freedom to pursue individual goals and aspirations without being held back by a romantic relationship.
Single and alone—or lonely? Far from the stereotype of the lonely single, lifelong singles are less lonely than other older people, according to psychologist Bella DePaulo, the author of Singled Out. Nor are singles alone. Many singles have close friendships which are just as valuable as romantic partnerships.
Many older adults find themselves feeling more isolated than they did at earlier points in their lives. Often, grown-up children have moved elsewhere. One or more close family members or friends may have passed away. For many, retirement has ended the days of hustling off to a workplace full of colleagues.
It's a natural feeling that some who aren't dating will experience. But what's important to note is that being single and feeling lonely are not mutually exclusive qualities. Like me, you can be single and not be lonely. Or, like some others, you can be the opposite.
Though its causes are varied, new research suggests that loneliness may be partially attributable to genetics. Genetically-informative studies have estimated that genetic factors account for approximately 40–50 % of the variance in loneliness.
What causes loneliness? There is not one single cause of loneliness. Loneliness can often be a result of life changes or circumstances that include living alone, changing your living arrangements, having financial problems, or death of a loved one.
In the United States, for example, the share of people saying they have no close friends at all went up from 3 per cent in 1990 to 12 per cent in 2021, according to surveys by Gallup and the Survey Center on American Life.
Depression was more common among young adults aged 18 to 25 years at slightly more than 17 percent, and adolescents aged 12 to 17 years (17 percent).
Loneliness is not new a problem for children and adolescents. In one study from before the pandemic, time trends of eight-year-olds' loneliness across 24 years showed that up to 20% of children consistently reported feeling lonely [7].
Four out of five adolescents report feelings of loneliness at some time, and almost a third describe these feelings as persistent and painful.