A 2022 survey conducted in 16 countries found that feelings of loneliness tend to decrease with age. That year, nearly 60 percent of young adults between 18 and 24 years reported negative effects on wellbeing from feelings of loneliness, while around 22 percent of respondents aged 65 and older reported the same. This statistic shows the percentage of people worldwide who reported negative effects on wellbeing from feelings of loneliness in 2022, by age group.

A survey from 2022 found that around 33 percent of adults in the United States felt anxious always or often in the past 12 months. This statistic shows the percentage of adults in the United States who stated they always or often felt anxious, depressed, or lonely in the past 12 months as of 2022.

A survey from 2022 found that around 39 percent of adults in the United States with a household income of less than 40,000 U.S. dollars a year felt anxious always or often in the past 12 months. This statistic shows the percentage of adults in the United States who stated they always or often felt anxious, depressed, or lonely in the past 12 months as of 2022, by household income.

A survey from 2022 found that around 60 percent of LGBT adults in the United States felt anxious always or often in the past 12 months. This statistic shows the percentage of adults in the United States who stated they always or often felt anxious, depressed, or lonely in the past 12 months as of 2022, by LGBT identity.

Percentage of persons aged 15 years and over by frequency with which they feel lonely, by gender, for Canada, regions and provinces.

Personal well-being, loneliness and what people in Great Britain felt were important issues; indicators from the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey (OPN).

According to a global survey, about 33 percent of adults experienced feelings of loneliness worldwide. Brazil had the highest percentage of people experiencing this, with 50 percent of respondents declaring that they felt lonely either often, always, or sometimes. Turkey, India, and Saudi Arabia followed, with 43 percent to 46 percent of respondents having experienced loneliness at least sometimes. On the contrary, the Netherlands, Japan, Germany, and Russia registered the largest share of interviewees which did not feel lonely.

Coping with loneliness during the pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic has suddenly cut off people from all over the world from their social life, and the lack of companionship has been a difficult situation for many to cope with. In the United States, people who experienced lack of company were, unsurprisingly, individuals living alone, and unemployed, disabled, or unemployed people. In relation to mental health, Americans who reported more symptoms of depression were by far more likely to feel lonely.

Impact of mental health According to a survey conducted in 2021 among G7 countries, about seven in 10 people experienced a worsening of their psychological health during the pandemic. A study on clinician-reported changes in selected health behaviors in the United States showed that during the pandemic patients have suffered more from feelings of loneliness, depression or anxiety, and burnout. Also nutrition and other habits have been impacted. The study reported an increase in alcohol consumption, smoking cigarettes, poor nutrition, and use of other substances.

Mixed methods tested the acceptability and feasibility of measuring loneliness, mental health and wellbeing in Sheds The collection includes information related to the project and documentation. The collection does not include research data. The project did not ask for explicit consent about uploading / archiving anonymised data. Collecting retrospective consent was not possible.Over 1 million older adults are chronically lonely. Loneliness is associated with a range of negative physical and mental health outcomes. The UK government has invested in social prescribing schemes to tackle loneliness and its associated health impacts. Social prescribing refers people with health problems into community-based support and initiatives to enable group and peer support. Men’s Sheds are one example of a community organisation with involvement in social prescribing and has an overarching aim to tackle loneliness. The Sheds aim to bring people together, to tackle loneliness through ‘making environments’, where men (and women) come together in a social space, doing practical activities (e.g. woodwork). Working closely with Men’s Sheds, the aims of this project were: To understand what is acceptable and feasible in terms of evaluating the mental health, loneliness and social isolation of members of Men’s Sheds (Shedders). To explore different methods of ‘referral’ (e.g., social prescribing) to Sheds. To understand the mechanisms, process and relationships associated with mental health outcomes in Sheds. Methods Mixed methods tested the acceptability and feasibility of measuring loneliness, mental health and wellbeing in Sheds, using acceptability questionnaires, outcome measures (loneliness, mental health and wellbeing) measured at baseline and follow-up. A subset of participants were invited for interview to understand acceptability and explore the role of social prescribing and referral processes into Sheds. Findings 93 Shedders completed the first questionnaire, with 80% (n=74) follow-up completion and 21 Shedders were interviewed. The questionnaire and outcome measures were acceptable and there was an above 90% completion response to all outcome measures. Often joining a Shed was associated with significant changes to personal circumstances (e.g., bereavement, retirement, medical diagnosis) and the Shed provided space for a mutual exchange of skills and support, with valued male company. There were some positive experiences of social prescribing in Sheds, referrals worked well when there were established relationships and Shed-specific approach. Concerns were raised around the themes of ‘responsibility’, ‘we care but we’re not carers’ and ‘I don’t want it to destroy our Shed’. Suggestions for social prescribing in Sheds were provided. Conclusion Men’s Sheds create a unique space for men (and women) to support and share both skills and personal experiences in a shoulder-to-shoulder approach. There are mutual aims between social prescribing and Sheds to reduce loneliness and social isolation. There have been some good practice examples of social prescribing in Sheds, but many concerns exist and further evaluation is needed to enable a collaborative and community-focused relationship in the future. Mixed methods tested the acceptability and feasibility of measuring loneliness, mental health and wellbeing in Sheds, using acceptability questionnaires, outcome measures (loneliness, mental health and wellbeing) measured at baseline and follow-up. A subset of participants were invited for interview to understand acceptability and explore the role of social prescribing and referral processes into Sheds.

Although research suggests Chinese International Students (CIS) in UK universities are at higher risk of suffering from loneliness and social isolation, limited research has focused on understanding what loneliness means to CIS and how they experience this feeling. Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), as an intervention that addresses maladaptive social cognition, is effective in reducing loneliness in university students (Teoh et al., 2021; Zhang et al., 2018). However, whether or how well it works for CIS has not been studied. Using a Participatory Action Research(PAR) approach, we aim to : 1. understand how Chinese International Students experience and understand loneliness in UK universities; 2. explore how MBCT can be culturally adapted to meet the needs of CIS.

We interviewed 15 CIS (with optional use of images/photos) to explore their understanding and experiences of loneliness. The participants were then invited to attend a 2-hour MBCT workshop. Three focus groups (4-5 participants in each group) were conducted to explore the participants’ opinions on how to culturally adapt MBCT for CIS experiencing loneliness. Data were thematically analysed (Braun & Clarke, 2006, 2019)

Three themes emerged from the interview data: Navigating feelings of withdrawal, isolation and disconnection; The journey of adaptation and belongingness abroad; Withholding feelings and preference for self-reliant, problem-focused coping. The themes that emerged from the focus group data were: The need to focus on oneself and find “inner peace”; Unfamiliarity of MBCT, and reluctance towards help-seeking; Preference for an efficient, practical, and collaborative learning approach.

For university support services, it might be helpful to: Proactively support CIS’s adaptation; Provide high-quality, accessible self-help material, ideally in Chinese; Help CIS explore how to balance the needs of self and others; Provide support programmes that emphasise developing skills and facilitating personal growth (e.g., MBCT); Consider changing the term “therapy” in the title, when offering MBCT (e.g., just “Mindfulness for Life”); Offer shorter versions of MBCT (Halladay et al., 2019; Chiodelli et al., 2020); Develop mindfulness teachers’ cultural competence so that the interventions can be more culturally sensitive and appropriate (having Chinese-speaking teachers would be especially helpful).

This project aims to: 1. understand how Chinese International Students (CIS) experience and understand loneliness in UK universities; 2. explore how Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) can be culturally adapted to meet the needs of CIS.

In a survey conducted in September 2022 among young LGBTQ people in Japan, over 54 percent of respondents aged 12 to 19 reported feeling lonely sometimes or often. While about 29 percent of people aged 12 to 19 felt isolated frequently, close to 26 percent of respondents in their thirties reported the same frequency of feeling lonely.

Total number of posts collected on the Reddit Loneliness forum, /r/Lonely from January 2019 to December 2022.

In 2022, Generation Zs were the largest demographic group that experienced loneliness in Thailand, amounting to 38 percent of respondents. The majority of people in Thailand, however, suffered mostly from stress and insomnia.

In May 2023, the United States surgeon general put out an advisory suggesting that loneliness and social isolation should be tackled and prioritized like health conditions such as substance abuse. Online loneliness forums provide a platform for users experiencing loneliness to engage with, share experiences/concerns, and seek support from others. On these forums, users (posters) publish support seeking posts and other users respond by either reacting to these posts and/or writing comments in which they provide support. In some cases, the posters respond to and engage with the comments that their posts elicit; understanding these interactions between posters and the comments their posts elicit can inform helpful communication strategies on online loneliness forums and online health forums, in general. Prior work on analyzing data from online loneliness forums did not study the interactions between posters and the comments their posts elicit. To address this, we present a dataset of posts and comments published in a 4 year time period i.e. from January 1 2019 to December 31 2022 on an online loneliness forum on Reddit. This dataset consists of (a) posts, (b) all the comments associated with these posts, (c) the comments that elicited responses from the posters, and (d) the responses of the posters to these comments. With this dataset, we conduct analysis using a topic modeling algorithm called BERTopic and a psycholinguistic dictionary called Linguistic Inquiry and word count (LIWC) to gain insights and elucidate the language markers associated with comments (to posts) that elicit responses from the posters. We find that as it relates to comments that received responses from posters, the following topic themes were associated with these comments i.e. relationships, empathy, and mental health concerns and the LIWC categories on second person pronoun, social processes, and present focus, were associated with these comments. We also find that the topic themes on appreciation was associated with the responses by posters to comments their posts received. We discuss these findings in the discussion section.

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

The Community Life Survey (CLS) is a household survey conducted in England, tracking the latest trends and developments across areas key to encouraging social action and empowering communities, including: volunteering and charitable giving; views about the local area; community cohesion and belonging; community empowerment and participation; influencing local decisions and affairs; and subjective well-being and loneliness.

The CLS was first commissioned by the Cabinet Office in 2012. From 2016-17, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) took over responsibility for publishing results. During 2020, the DCMS also commissioned the Community Life COVID-19 Re-contact Survey (CLRS) (SN 8781) to provide data on how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected volunteering, charitable giving, social cohesion, wellbeing and loneliness in England.

Background
Up to 2015-16, the survey used a face-to-face methodology. Following thorough testing (experimental online versions of the survey were released for 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16), the CLS moved online from 2016-17 onwards, with an end to the previous face-to-face method. The survey uses a push-to-web methodology (with paper mode for those who are not digitally engaged). The survey informs and directs policy and action in these areas;

• to provide data of value to all users, including public bodies, external stakeholders and the public; and
• underpin further research and debate on building stronger communities.

The Community Life Survey incorporates a small number of priority measures from the Citizenship Survey, which ran from 2001-2011, conducted by the then Department for Communities and Local Government. These measures were incorporated in the Community Life Survey so that trends in these issues could continue to be tracked over time. (The full Citizenship Survey series is held at the UK Data Archive under GNs 33347 and 33474.)

Further information may be found on the GOV.UK Community Life Survey webpage.

The Community Life Survey, 2019-2020 covers April 2019 - March 2020 and forms 'Official Statistics', meaning that it meets the high standards of quality set out by the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

Further information may be found on the GOV.UK Community Life Survey, 2019/20 webpage.

Latest edition information
For the second edition (May 2022), a new version of the data file was deposited. Errors have been fixed in two socio-economic variables, rnssec3 and rnssec5. The responses 'Never worked' and 'Long term unemployed' had previously been coded as missing in these variables.

Main Topics:

The main topics include measures that are key to understanding our society and local communities such as volunteering, charitable giving, neighbourhood, civic engagement, social action and subjective well-being.

This graph shows the frequency of loneliness among French people between January 2020 and January 2022. It reveals that 29 percent of the respondents stated that they rarely felt lonely in 2022, whereas 30 percent admitted that they sometimes felt lonely.

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

Ageing Better was an £87 million, seven-year programme funded by The National Lottery Community Fund (2015-2022). It was delivered through 14 Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) led partnerships in England. The programme aimed to improve the lives of people aged over 50 years old (e.g. reduce isolation and loneliness, increase involvement in the design of services).There was significant emphasis across the programme on evaluation and learning, in line with a programme aim to contribute to the evidence base.

Ecorys were commissioned in 2014 to conduct the national evaluation, which was completed in September 2022. A monitoring system and impact study were designed to track participation and test if the programme led to positive changes in outcomes (e.g. social isolation, loneliness, well-being). This activity yielded a significant amount of data which are available as part of this study.

The Common Measurement Framework dataset combines data from the participant questionnaire (collected throughout the evaluation) and the project participation data. The dataset includes responses from 35,920 participants across 366 projects (this compares to 140,886 participants recorded within the monitoring information).

Further information about the programme is available from The National Lottery Community Fund Ageing Better project webpages.

The dataset combines the Ageing Better project participation data and participant questionnaire data. This covers the programme administration and evaluation, along with themes such as social isolation, loneliness and well-being.

The following standardised scales and measures were used:

• Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (SWEMWBS)
• European Quality of Life 5 Dimensions 3 Level Version (EQ-5D-3L)
• European Quality of Life visual analogue scale (EQ VAS)
• 6-item De Jong Gierveld Loneliness scale
• University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale

The data collection was conducted in June-July 2022, with 355 participants completing the scales provided through offline paper-pencil surveys in the classroom. The research data was collected from three cities, namely Palembang, Jambi, and Yogyakarta, and consisted of junior high school and high school students, as well as university students. The university student participants were recruited from Ahmad Dahlan University, Jambi University, and Charitas Musi Catholic University. The participants completed the Nomophobia NMP-Q scale (Yildirim & Correia, 2015), the R-UCLA Loneliness Scale (Russell et al., 1980), self-control (Tangney, Baumeister & Boone, 2004), The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS; Gratz & Roemer, 2004), and Spiritual Meaningfulness which was developed based on the theory of Pargament (2007). All the questionnaires for data collection were in the Indonesian version.

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.The Community Life Survey (CLS) is a household survey conducted in England, tracking the latest trends and developments across areas key to encouraging social action and empowering communities, including: volunteering and charitable giving; views about the local area; community cohesion and belonging; community empowerment and participation; influencing local decisions and affairs; and subjective well-being and loneliness. The CLS was first commissioned by the Cabinet Office in 2012. From 2016-17, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) took over responsibility for publishing results. During 2020, the DCMS also commissioned the Community Life COVID-19 Re-contact Survey (CLRS) (SN 8781) to provide data on how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected volunteering, charitable giving, social cohesion, wellbeing and loneliness in England. BackgroundUp to 2015-16, the survey used a face-to-face methodology. Following thorough testing (experimental online versions of the survey were released for 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16), the CLS moved online from 2016-17 onwards, with an end to the previous face-to-face method. The survey uses a push-to-web methodology (with paper mode for those who are not digitally engaged). The survey informs and directs policy and action in these areas; to provide data of value to all users, including public bodies, external stakeholders and the public; and underpin further research and debate on building stronger communities. The Community Life Survey incorporates a small number of priority measures from the Citizenship Survey, which ran from 2001-2011, conducted by the then Department for Communities and Local Government. These measures were incorporated in the Community Life Survey so that trends in these issues could continue to be tracked over time. (The full Citizenship Survey series is held at the UK Data Archive under GNs 33347 and 33474.) Further information may be found on the GOV.UK Community Life Survey webpage. The Community Life Survey 2021-2022 was conducted between October 2021 and September 2022, with samples issued on a quarterly basis. The survey was conducted via an online and paper survey method called Address Based Online Surveying (ABOS). This is an affordable method of surveying the general population that still employs random sampling techniques. ABOS is a type of 'push to web' methodology, with a paper mode for those who are not digitally engaged. Further information can be found on the GOV.UK Community Life Survey, 2021/22 webpage.

A survey of Canadian adults from January 2022 found that 28 percent of women reported feeling lonely. This statistic shows the percentage of Canadian adults who felt lonely from May 2020 to January 2022, by gender.

This project aimed to explore the impact of therapeutic community gardening on the loneliness, life satisfaction and wellbeing of individuals with mental health problems and to explore the barriers and facilitators to wider use and prescription of community gardening for individuals with mental ill health. This information is essential to support increased availability and access to therapeutic community gardening as a Green Social prescription. The aims were explored through quantitative surveys with attendees at a therapeutic community garden and interviews and focus groups with a range of key stakeholders.