According to a new study, Middle-aged Americans are actually loneliner compared to their counterparts from Europe.
Lonely Middle-Aged Adults
The study, entitled "Loneliness in midlife: Historical increases and elevated levels in the United States compared with Europe" was able to note a trend that has been going on for several generations, affecting Gen Xers and baby boomers.
Middle-aged adults across Mediterranean Europe and England do not fall far behind those of the US. However, on the other hand, middle-aged adults from Nordic and continental Europe reportedly had the lowest loneliness levels and stability as time passed.
The researchers made use of survey data covering the inputs of 53,000 middle-aged adults from 13 European countries and the US. The data comes from the years 2002 to 2020. The researchers monitored the reported loneliness changes every two years throughout midlife, from 45 to 65 years of age. The span offered data from individuals who were born between 1937 and 1945, baby boomers born between 1946 and 1964, and Gen Xers born between 1965 and 1974.
The study clearly shows that today, middle-aged Americans feel lonelier compared to their European peers. This matches current evidence regarding how mortality rates are on the rise for adults of working age within the US.
There are several reasons why the researchers decided to focus on middle-aged adults. For one, these adults constitute most of the workforce, making them society's backbones. Moreover, they also face more challenges today, with notably higher demands to support their children and aging parents.
After the Great Recession that took place in late 2007 to 2009, middle-aged Americans reportedly had poorer physical and mental health compared to peers of the same age in the 1990s. Moreover, compared to several countries across Europe, middle-aged adults in the US report to have more symptoms of depression and higher rates of pain, chronic illness, and disability.
Loneliness: a Global Public Health Issue
It is a fundamental and innate need for humans to belong. When this desire is not met, grave consequences could result.
Loneliness refers to feelings of being alone. This can come regardless of whether a person has social contact or not. On the other hand, social isolation comes with insufficient social connections. Social isolation could result in loneliness for some individuals, while there are also individuals who may feel lonely even without being socially isolated.
More than being a psychological issue, loneliness is actually bad for one's health. In fact, studies have discovered that the dangers posed by loneliness are equivalent to that of smoking. Loneliness can also boost one's vulnerability towards depression, sickness, chronic illness, and premature death.
The matter is also considered a global public health concern. In 2023, the US surgeon general issued an advisory report that documented the loneliness epidemic, urging the need to boost social connections. Other countries, such as Japan and the UK, have also tapped ministers of loneliness to make sure that loneliness and relationships are factored in when it comes to policy making.
RELATED ARTICLE : Loneliness Declared as Public Health Emergency in California County; Experts Blame COVID Pandemic
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