Nearly 1 in 6 adults report frequent loneliness in large England survey
Imperial College London researchers surveyed more than 135,000 adults and found almost one in six felt lonely often or always. About 44 percent said the COVID pandemic increased their loneliness.
LONDON - Almost one in six adults reported feeling lonely often or always in a large England survey, and nearly half said the COVID pandemic made isolation worse, according to research covered by Fox News.
Professors at Imperial College London ran the INTERACT study. They recruited 135,725 volunteers age 16 and older for an online survey during a five-month period in 2023.
Almost one in six said they felt lonely often or always. More than one in five frequently felt a lack of companionship or felt left out or isolated, the SWNS news agency reported.
Lead researcher Austen El-Osta said loneliness is strongly shaped by surroundings, social networks, and environment. Some of the loneliest clusters were in large cities such as London, Birmingham, and Manchester. The team described an urban paradox: cities offer cultural and economic advantages, yet many residents report lower connection and life satisfaction than people in rural areas.
Nearly 44 percent of respondents said the pandemic increased loneliness. About 48.2 percent reported more isolation. Senior author Dr. Azeem Majeed, an NHS general practitioner, said loneliness feeds anxiety and depression, raises risk of long-term illness, and drives more clinic visits.
Relationship status did not cleanly predict loneliness. About 45 percent of respondents were married or in a civil partnership, and almost 20 percent were single.
Imperial College London called the project one of the largest dedicated loneliness studies in a single country. Authors cautioned that the sample cannot fully measure population prevalence. It overrepresented highly educated people, underrepresented some minority groups, and carried the self-selection bias of online surveys.
Separate European research in adults ages 65 to 94 has linked higher loneliness with worse memory scores at baseline, adding another reason doctors may ask about social connection during aging visits.
Go Deeper
How common was loneliness in the survey?
Almost one in six adults said they felt lonely often or always. More than one in five often felt left out, isolated, or lacking companionship.
Did COVID still matter years later?
Yes in this sample. About 44 percent said the pandemic increased loneliness, and about 48 percent reported more isolation.
Are city people lonelier?
Researchers found lonely clusters in major English cities and discussed an urban paradox of more services but weaker connection for many residents.
Does marriage protect against loneliness?
Not reliably in this study. Loneliness levels did not cleanly track whether someone was partnered or single.
What can families do?
Build regular contact, use community centers and faith groups, and tell a doctor if isolation is heavy. Loneliness is a public health issue, not only a private mood.
More health
health50+President Trump nominates Dr. Heidi Overton to lead the FDA
President Donald Trump said he will nominate Dr. Heidi Overton, deputy director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, as the next Food and Drug
Aug 23
health50+Nashville hospital potassium mix-up leaves joint-surgery patients paralyzed
Tennessee authorities are investigating after four patients at Ascension Saint Thomas Midtown in Nashville received potassium instead of standard pain
Aug 23
health50+Florida school ECG rule finds hidden heart defect in symptom-free athlete
A Florida high school athlete with no symptoms learned he had an atrial septal defect after an electrocardiogram required under the state's new Second
Aug 23