Lonelyville, US: Three factors mean middle-aged adults in America are much more likely to be lonely than their European peers, report says

Middle-aged Americans are lonelier than their peers in Europe and may explain why people in the US tend to die younger, according to a new report.

Researchers looked at data from 53,000 adults in the US and 13 European countries, focusing on responses from people aged 40 to 65.

They found that middle-aged Americans consistently scored higher on a measure used to compare loneliness levels in the U.S. with those of other countries, according to results published by the American Psychological Association.

The report’s authors highlighted three key cultural norms that could be driving an epidemic of loneliness in the US: a focus on individualism, weaker family ties and widespread use of social media.

Loneliness has been linked to a range of mental and physical health effects, including sleep disorders and metabolic conditions that affect a person’s weight

Dr. Frank Infurna, a psychologist at Arizona State University and lead author of the study, said: ‘Loneliness is gaining attention worldwide as a public health problem because increased loneliness increases the risk of depression, reduced immunity, chronic disease and mortality.

‘Our research illustrates that people in middle age feel lonelier in some countries than in others. It also sheds light on the reasons why this can happen and how governments can address it with better policies.”

Persistent feelings of loneliness have been linked to high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, a weakened immune system, anxiety, depression, cognitive decline, various forms of dementia and death.

Loneliness has been found to increase stress and thus levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which can contribute to heart disease and its risk factors, including high blood pressure. Loneliness can also lead to unhealthy behaviors, such as overeating and sedentary lifestyles, which contribute to obesity rates.

Loneliness and being alone not only contribute to feelings of depression and anxiety, but can also weaken a person’s immune system and potentially lead to cognitive decline and various forms of dementia.

A US government report from last year revealed some of the physical consequences of loneliness include a 29 percent increased risk of heart disease; a 32 percent increased risk of stroke; and a 50 percent increased risk of developing dementia for older adults.

Life expectancy in the US is lower than that of a number of other countries. The CDC estimated that life expectancy at birth in the US increased to 77.5 years in 2022, 1.1 years higher than 76.4 years in 2021, but still 1.3 years lower than 78.8 years in 2019 , before the Covid pandemic.

Life expectancy in the US is now lower than that of comparable countries with comparable GDP. The life expectancy of Germany is 80.7 years, that of Canada 81.3 years, that of France 82.3 years and that of Japan 84.1 years.

Researchers from the US and Germany examined a series of studies that collected data over a long period of time.

They looked at data from 2002 to 2020 from the US and 13 European countries across three different generations: the Silent Generation (born between 1928 and 1946), Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) and Generation X (born between 1965 and 1980). .

Dr. Frank Infurna, a psychologist at Arizona State University and lead author of the study, said, “We focused on middle-aged adults because they are the backbone of society and empirical evidence shows that American midlife health lags behind other industrialized to land.

“Middle-aged adults bear much of society’s burden by making up the bulk of the workforce, while at the same time supporting the needs of younger and older generations in the family.”

They zoomed in specifically on baby boomers and divided the group in their analyzes into early baby boomers – born between 1946 and 1954 – and late baby boomers from 1955 to 1964.

On average, early middle-aged baby boomers in the US felt lonelier than their peers in Europe. The same was true for late middle-aged baby boomers in the US, who reported feeling lonelier compared to their peers in England, Continental Europe, Mediterranean Europe and Northern Europe.

In Generation

Dr. Infurna said: ‘The cross-national differences observed in loneliness in midlife should alert researchers and policymakers to better understand the potential root causes that can promote loneliness and policy instruments that can change or reverse such trends.’

Late baby boomers born between 1955 and 1964 were lonelier than those in other countries

The early baby boomers in the US were also lonelier than their peers in Europe and England

Generation X saw a similar trend with higher loneliness scores in the US compared to other countries

The researchers said the deeply held values ​​of individualism in the United States may be to blame. There has long been an ethos in the US that prioritizes individualism, individual achievement and growth to achieve personal goals and the elusive ‘American dream’.

As a result, social support groups and connections with others can become neglected. Job insecurity and income inequality, as well as a lack of childcare and access to healthcare, are believed to worsen loneliness.

The researchers said: ‘Social and economic inequalities are likely to have powerful consequences for loneliness in mid-life by undermining the ability to meet basic needs, limiting opportunities for upward economic mobility and limiting people’s ability to sustain lives. leadership that one has reason to appreciate.’

And the rate of loneliness in the US is increasing.

A survey by Cigna, one of America’s largest health insurers, surveyed approximately 10,000 Americans in December 2021 about their current feelings.

More than half, 58 percent, indicated that they felt lonely. This almost matches the pre-pandemic total – from 2019 – of 61 percent of adults feeling lonely.

Social media doesn’t seem to help. Scrolling and watching others have fun or participate in interesting activities can increase loneliness even further.

At the same time, the number of Americans living alone has reached a new record level of 37.9 million, an increase of 4.8 million or 15 percent from 2012.

The latest research was published in the journal American psychologist.