Loneliness in the United States of America

I had a mealtime conversation with a fairly new resident the other day.  We had a heart to heart talk and he mentioned he is happy here at THD, but once in a while he feel very lonely.  I responded that I had no time to be lonely because I occupied myself with activities, such as bridge. mahjong, chair volleyball, corn hole. ladder ball, Zumba and sometimes the Strength and Balance Exercises offered here at THD.  If I am bored and getting the pangs of loneliness I start blogging. However, our conversation made me curious exactly how prevalent is loneliness in the US. Here's what I learned.

Statistics show that one in three people, or close to 33 percent, of people in the U.S. experience loneliness on a regular basis. Sixty one percent of younger people in the U.S. say they are chronically lonely.

How common is loneliness in America?

Statistics show that one in three people, or close to 33 percent, of people in the U.S. experience loneliness on a regular basis. Sixty one percent of younger people in the U.S. say they are chronically lonely.

Washington, D.C. - In May 2023, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, M.D., M.B.A., called loneliness a public health epidemic. The latest Healthy Minds Monthly Poll from the American Psychiatric Association (APA) finds that, early in 2024, 30% of adults say they have experienced feelings of loneliness at least once a week over the past year, while 10% say they are lonely every day. Younger people were more likely to experience these feelings, with 30% of Americans aged 18-34 saying they were lonely every day or several times a week, and single adults are nearly twice as likely as married adults to say they have been lonely on a weekly basis over the past year (39% vs. 22%).

When asked about a change in their level of loneliness since before COVID, 43% of American adults said their levels of loneliness had not changed, 25% said they were lonelier, and 23% felt less lonely. Most saw a positive role for technology in social connections; most Americans agreed that technology “helps me form new relationships” (66%), “helps me connect with others more frequently” (75%), and “is beneficial for forming and maintaining relationships” (69%). However, adults are split on whether technology fosters “meaningful (54%)” or “superficial (46%)” relationships.

For Complete Details visit:

https://www.psychiatry.org/news-room/news-releases/new-apa-poll-one-in-three-americans-feels-lonely-e

Meanwhile here are my two favorite quotes on loneliness.

 And My Photo of the Day