The problems of loneliness and social isolation gained extra consideration throughout the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and proceed to have relevance within the age of social media and synthetic intelligence and within the context of an ageing society. Loneliness and social isolation are related to various poor psychological and bodily well being situations. For instance, latest analysis suggests a causal relationship between loneliness and the onset of despair. Social isolation may also be linked to riskier substance use and is a danger issue for suicide and self–hurt. Along with psychological well being situations, loneliness and social isolation are related to heart problems and cognitive decline.
A number of efforts have been underway to extend consciousness of and handle loneliness and isolation by means of coverage. In 2023, the Surgeon Basic issued an advisory on loneliness that features methods to advance social connection. Additionally in 2023, the Nationwide Technique for Social Connection Act was launched, which might improve schooling, consciousness, and analysis on social connection, and create an workplace to advise the President and federal businesses on the impression of loneliness and how one can enhance social infrastructure and group engagement. Different payments suggest standardizing the definition and measurements of loneliness, and addressing loneliness amongst aged adults. A number of state and local-level initiatives have additionally been taken, and in 2024, San Mateo County in California grew to become the primary county to declare loneliness as a public well being emergency. A standard technique throughout many of those efforts includes bettering social connectedness. Social connectedness can mitigate loneliness and have a protecting impact on psychological well being. Nonetheless, methods to handle loneliness are usually tailor-made to aged adults and will not successfully handle loneliness amongst younger people – a inhabitants that has more and more skilled loneliness over time. At a time when social growth is essential, younger individuals are spending much less time in-person with their friends, have excessive engagement with social media, and plenty of work or attend faculty remotely.
This temporary examines loneliness and social assist networks by age, race, ethnicity, and different components primarily based on information from the 2023 KFF Racism, Discrimination and Well being Survey, a big, nationally consultant survey primarily based on responses from over 6,000 adults. Key takeaways embrace:
One in six (15%) adults report feeling all the time or usually lonely prior to now 12 months, rising to about three in ten (31%) amongst younger adults ages 18-29. Whereas a minimum of one in 5 younger adults say they’re all the time or usually lonely, the shares are increased amongst younger Black adults (35%) and younger White adults (33%) than they’re amongst younger Hispanic (24%) or younger Asian adults (22%). About one in 5 or extra ladies, low-income adults, and LGBT adults additionally report feeling often lonely prior to now 12 months.
Black, Hispanic, and Asian adults are considerably much less possible than White adults to report having a strong native assist community. Simply over 4 in ten Black adults (44%) and half of Hispanic and Asian adults (50% every) say they’ve a minimum of a good quantity of family and friends close by who they will ask for assist or assist in comparison with over half (56%) of White adults.
There’s a robust relationship between emotions of loneliness, native assist networks, and bodily and psychological well being and well-being. Throughout racial and ethnic teams, adults who say they’re all the time or usually lonely usually tend to report honest or poor bodily and psychological well being in comparison with those that report much less frequent loneliness. Equally, adults who say they’ve many buddies or household close by who they will ask for assist or assist after they want it are about half as possible as these with much less strong assist networks to report frequent loneliness in addition to poor or honest psychological or bodily well being standing.
The Prevalence of Loneliness
One in six adults (15%) say they all the time or usually felt lonely prior to now 12 months, together with bigger shares of LGBT adults (33%), adults beneath age 30 (31%), decrease earnings adults (23% of these with family incomes beneath $40,000) and Black ladies (22%). Throughout racial and ethnic teams, adults ages 18-29 report loneliness at a lot increased charges than older adults. General, about three in ten(31%) adults beneath age 30 say they’re all the time or usually lonely, a minimum of twice the share who report this amongst older age teams. Whereas a minimum of one in 5 younger adults say they’re all the time or usually lonely, the shares are increased amongst younger Black adults (35%) and younger White adults (33%) than they’re amongst younger Hispanic (24%) or Asian adults (22%). Amongst adults of all ages, Black adults are considerably extra possible than White adults (19% vs. 14%) to report feeling often lonely prior to now 12 months.
Moreover, adults dwelling in decrease earnings households (lower than $40,000 yearly) are about 3 times as prone to report frequent loneliness as are those that reside in increased earnings households ($90,000 or extra) (23% vs. 7%). This distinction is essentially pushed by increased charges of loneliness amongst low-income White and Black adults in comparison with their counterparts with increased incomes. Conversely, experiences of feeling all the time or usually lonely are related throughout earnings amongst Asian and Hispanic adults.
There are additionally variations by gender and LGBT id in relation to loneliness. General, ladies (18%) are extra possible than males (13%) to say they’ve felt all the time or usually lonely prior to now 12 months. Throughout ladies, Black ladies (22%) usually tend to report loneliness than are White (17%), Hispanic (16%), or Asian (15%) ladies. Throughout racial and ethnic teams, LGBT adults are about twice as possible as non-LGBT adults to say they felt all the time or usually lonely prior to now 12 months. For extra on LGBT adults’ experiences with discrimination and well being care disparities, see KFF’s earlier report.
Social Help Networks
Most adults say they’re a minimum of considerably glad with the variety of significant connections they’ve with different folks. Whereas few adults (14%) say they’re dissatisfied with their connections, much like patterns of loneliness, shares are increased amongst decrease earnings adults (17%), adults with honest or poor bodily well being (22%), adults youthful than 30 (19%), and LGBT (19%) adults.
Black, Hispanic, and Asian adults are considerably much less possible than White adults to report having a strong native assist community. General, about half (53%) of adults say they’ve rather a lot or a good quantity of family and friends members dwelling close by who they will ask for assist or assist, whereas the opposite half (47%) say they’ve just some or no buddies or household of their close by assist community. Black (44%), Hispanic (50%), and Asian (50%) adults are considerably much less possible than White (56%) adults to say they’ve a minimum of a good quantity of individuals of their native assist community. Amongst Asian and Hispanic adults, assist networks don’t range a lot by age. In distinction, amongst Black adults, assist networks improve with age, whereas amongst White adults, they lower with age.
Amongst White and Hispanic adults, these with increased family incomes usually tend to say they’ve extra native assist than these with decrease family incomes. Nonetheless, racial variations in assist networks are additionally evident amongst adults with increased incomes, as Black adults with family incomes of $90,000 or extra yearly (47%) are much less possible White (66%) adults at that earnings degree to say they’ve a powerful social assist community.
Amongst Black, Hispanic, and White adults, dwelling in a racially concordant neighborhood (one the place folks say a minimum of half or extra of the folks dwelling there share their racial/ethnic background) isn’t related to having a stronger native assist community.
Loneliness, Social Help Networks, and Psychological and Bodily Well being are Strongly Related
There’s a robust affiliation between emotions of loneliness and self-reported psychological and bodily well being standing. Throughout racial and ethnic teams, adults who say they’re all the time or usually lonely usually tend to report honest or poor bodily and psychological well being in comparison with those that report much less frequent loneliness. About half (54%) of adults who say they’re often lonely report honest or poor psychological well being standing in comparison with about one in ten (11%) who say they don’t seem to be usually lonely. Equally, adults who say they’re often lonely are about twice as prone to report honest or poor bodily well being in comparison with those that are much less often lonely (33% vs. 17%), a sample that holds throughout racial and ethnic teams.
Adults who say they’ve a restricted native assist community are about twice as possible as these with stronger assist networks to report frequent emotions of loneliness in addition to honest or poor psychological and bodily well being. Adults who say they’ve just some or no shut buddies or household close by who they will ask for assist or assist are extra possible than these with a minimum of a good quantity of assist close by to report feeling all the time or usually lonely prior to now 12 months (21% vs. 10%). About one in 4 adults (24%) with just some or no household or buddies close by report honest or poor psychological well being in comparison with about one in ten (11%) adults with a good quantity or a number of native assist, a sample that persists throughout racial and ethnic teams. An identical sample exists in relation to bodily well being standing.
