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Research indicates that loneliness frequently escalates worldwide after midlife, yet the United States presents an intriguing deviation from this trend. A study published on April 22 in Aging and Mental Health reveals that, contrary to the global norm, feelings of loneliness tend to decrease as individuals age in the U.S.
Much of the focus on loneliness has historically centered on specific age groups, particularly the elderly and, more recently, teenagers and young adults grappling with rising mental health challenges. According to Robin Richardson, a social and psychiatric epidemiologist at Emory University, middle-aged adults have often been overlooked in these discussions. This neglect can leave them particularly susceptible to the various physical and mental health issues associated with loneliness, including cognitive decline and an increased risk of mortality.
Richardson and her colleagues analyzed data from three demographic surveys that encompassed over 64,000 individuals aged 50 to 90 across 29 different countries. They assessed loneliness by asking participants how frequently they felt excluded, isolated, or lacked companionship, assigning scores from 0 (“hardly ever”) to 6 (“often”). These surveys also evaluated the respondents’ mental and physical health along with their employment status.
Findings revealed that in three-quarters of the countries studied, loneliness intensified with aging. However, notable exceptions included Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and Austria, where levels of loneliness remained stable. Denmark stood out as having the lowest overall loneliness levels.
Across the surveyed countries, loneliness generally correlated with factors such as unemployment, depression, poor health, and being unmarried. The relationship between these factors and age, however, varied significantly from one country to another. In many nations, joblessness was linked to heightened loneliness among older adults; paradoxically, this trend was reversed in the United States, suggesting a unique contextual dynamic.
The research also quantified age disparities in loneliness within countries on a scale ranging from -1 to 1, where negative values indicated higher loneliness among younger populations and positive values reflected greater loneliness in older age groups. The U.S. achieved the lowest score at -0.08, with only the Netherlands coming close at -0.064.
Richardson notes that the precise motivations behind these statistics remain somewhat elusive. The surveys did not encompass every factor related to feelings of loneliness. In the U.S. context, aspects such as health and employment status accounted for 80 percent of midlife loneliness, but a variety of other societal contributors warrant further exploration. For instance, she argues, there may be a significant narrative surrounding the limited leisure time of middle-aged adults in the U.S., which could play a crucial role in their emotional wellbeing.
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