Modern life 'leaving one in ten lonely'

 

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Modern life 'leaving one in ten lonely'

The demands of modern life are leaving people feeling increasingly isolated, recent research by the Mental Health Foundation has concluded.

According to a major new study entitled The Lonely Society? for which more than 2,200 UK adults were surveyed, 11 per cent of people "often" feel lonely, while 48 per cent of those questioned think people are getting lonelier in general.

Andrew McCulloch, chief executive of the Mental Health Foundation, said: "Changes to the way we live are putting an increasing number of people at risk of loneliness."

The organisation is clear in its distinction between people who feel lonely as opposed to those who simply prefer their own company, stating that the difference can be found in a person's perception and evaluation of the experience of social isolation. According to the charity, a person who prefers being alone is able to derive pleasure from solitude, while someone who is lonely does not.

 

Reasons for loneliness

Included in the Mental Health Foundation study were statistics which suggest possible reasons for the strong feelings of loneliness experienced by some people.

According to the report's authors, the proportion of the UK population living in single-occupancy households has doubled during the last four decades, increasing from six per cent in 1972 to 12 per cent in 2008. Another potential factor identified by the survey was the national divorce rate, which has doubled in the past 50 years.

Mr McCulloch told the Times: "In modern society we're often reliant on a specific network of contacts […] and this can make us very vulnerable to life changes.

"For example, divorce can cut you off from friends who were also your partners' friends."

He added that many people struggle with feelings of loneliness after moving from their established home for a new job, leaving them without their regular local, familial or workplace-based networks.

 

Technology 'a factor' in increased loneliness

While the researchers do not go so far as to claim the onset of the internet age is a key reason for the loneliness some people may experience, they do state that technology cannot replicate the impact of face-to-face human contact.

"It has been argued that the 50 minutes a day most Britons spend in the virtual world detracts from the time we invest in real-life social encounters", the Times quotes the report as saying.

The authors add that while new technology can help people tackle feelings of "social isolation" by connecting them with others, it cannot provide a substitute for "the physical contact that benefits our well-being".

In fact, The Lonely Society? notes, some experts believe social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter can actually undermine human relationships, leaving people lacking essential person-to-person skills.

 

Who experiences loneliness?

The study's researchers uncovered several trends relating to which groups of people are particularly at risk of experiencing feelings of loneliness.

They found that a greater proportion of women (38%) than men (30%) experience loneliness and that there seem to be more young people feeling lonely.

Such findings support recent statistics from the Samaritans and YouGov, which found that loneliness was a major worry for 21 per cent of those aged 18 to 24, compared to eight per cent of those aged over 55.

Dr Mike Shooter CBE, Samaritans Trustee and Chair of the Mental Health Foundation, said: "All people at every age in their lives have worries and fears about loneliness. Loneliness isn't a competition; however I am not at all surprised that young people feel more anxious about loneliness than other age groups.

"Relationships are at the essence of adolescence, when young people are desperately trying to work out what they want for themselves and what other people expect from them."

However it is not just the younger generation that is at risk of loneliness. The report further identifies the elderly, unemployed people and those with disabilities as particularly at risk of social isolation.

 

The problem with loneliness

The Mental Health Foundation report states that while most people will experience loneliness at some point in their lives, if it becomes persistent it can have a very negative effect leading to further problems.

American psychologist John Cacioppo tells the BBC that loneliness can be considered to have become harmful to a person when "it settles in long enough to create a persistent, self-reinforcing loop of negative thoughts, sensations and behaviours".

According to the Mental Health Foundation's researchers, chronic loneliness can be associated with unhealthy lifestyles, mental health problems such as depression, eating disorders and drug or alcohol abuse.

Mr McCulloch told the Times: "Human beings are, of course, social animals and we've evolved to live in extended family groups. If we're not in a group like that we begin to feel anxious, depressed and begin to find it increasingly difficult to regulate our own behaviour."

This claim is supported by the study, which found that 47 per cent of women and 36 per cent of men taking part had experienced feelings of depression as a result of loneliness.

 

Tackling loneliness

The Lonely Society? report states that loneliness, when experienced long term, can be particularly difficult to identify and treat.

The Times quotes it as saying: "People who are chronically lonely […] might push others away or seek transient contact, such as multiple sexual partners, which can make them even more isolated."

He adds that through raising awareness of the issue and its potential impact on people, the Mental Health Foundation hopes to "tackle the stigma attached to loneliness and help individuals who are feeling lonely to connect with others".

 

Samaritans

Samaritans is available nationwide to anyone experiencing emotional distress, including loneliness, or suicidal thoughts. They can be called for support 24 hours a day on 08457 90 90 90 (UK) and 1850 60 90 90 (ROI), or emailed at jo@samaritans.org. Face to face visits are also available – visit http://www.samaritans.org/ for the nearest branch.

 

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