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.
Young people feel loneliness the most
However, in contrast, the young report feeling lonely much more – with 40% saying they have felt this way at least some of the time. The BBC Loneliness Experiment surveyed 55,000 people and showed that 16–24-year-olds feel loneliness the most.
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.
It can be tough to find your place in the world and build a social circle when you're no longer in the structured environment of school or college. You may also struggle to form meaningful connections with others, leaving you feeling isolated and alone.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately one in five older Australians were socially isolated (Beer et al. 2016), noting that estimates of the prevalence of social isolation and loneliness vary (Smith & Lim 2020).
One in four Australian adults feel lonely, and the impacts can be dire. Loneliness increases our risks of depression, diabetes, dementia, self-harm and suicide.
A growing body of research shows that young people are more likely to feel lonely than older adults. A number of factors may be at play. “You don't have to be alone to be lonely,” says primary care physician Dr. Michelle Blain.
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.
There's angst, discovery, unpredictability and a sense of self-realization. It's the time we truly leave childhood behind and enter a whole new world of responsibility. It's also a time that demands quick decisions about careers, relationships, finances and a lot more.
Careers and family schedules often become the center of our lives, making it difficult to cultivate new relationships and grow social circles in adulthood. But just because it's difficult to make friends after 30 doesn't mean it's impossible.
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.
When someone feels lonely they are more likely to try to distract themselves with the other things in their lives. So if your colleague is always talking about their stamp collection, or always flying away on exotic solo city breaks rather than spending weekends at home, they might be feeling alone.
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.
In fact, being lonely during adulthood is quite normal. It peaks for adults in the 25-34 age group – sometimes called the 'age of anxiety' – when you have the pressures of travelling, finding a life partner, building a career, buying a house, and starting a family.
My sense, from working with loneliness over the years, is that often in people's naming of this experience there is a confusion between different kinds of loneliness, and so I have found it useful to differentiate between three levels of loneliness–psychological, existential, and spiritual.
Despite what people may believe, anxiety and depression aren't a natural part of aging and no one has to accept them. In fact, mood and anxiety disorders become less common as people age. But detection rates are also lower among older adults. They're less likely to seek assistance for mental health issues.
New research has pinpointed the most difficult age to be a female is 36, when home life becomes as stressful as work.
Well, according to a survey conducted by OnePoll and sponsored by Mixbook, the majority of parents think ages 2, 3, and 4 are a piece of cake compared to 8. It does make sense why 8 can be a tough age: Eight is officially a big kid.
Reaching 30 is like getting an upgrade after years of flying economy. There's an intrinsic shift: after years of niggling self-doubt and insecurity, you suddenly feel more grounded. You are experienced enough to avoid the mistakes you made when you were younger, but not so much that you become jaded…
Whew — 28 is the best year of your twenties. Not because of the spectacular partying (see: 22) or because you'll magically have everything figured out (see: never), but because 28 is the year when you're finally able to accept that no one actually "feels" like a grown-up and it's OK that you don't either.
In 2022, a study conducted by Mental Health Research Canada (pdf) found that 17% of those aged 20-29 reported feelings of depression.
Your 20s are hard, but being in your 30s presents a whole new set of challenges. People in their 30s are expected to achieve more and find themselves going down life paths different from their friends'. But your 30s bring a greater level of self-awareness, too. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
As they aged, older adults rated their life satisfaction progressively higher, with happiness rating rising gradually and steadily from age 50 through the decade of the 90s.” Life satisfaction IS fairly high in the 20s but not as high as it will be in the years after 60.
Smoking is a problem companies don't ignore. But they do ignore something equally dangerous: social disconnection. The Surgeon General released an advisory last week concluding that social disconnection is as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.