Loneliness in America: Just the Tip of the Iceberg?
OCTOBER 2024
Even before the pandemic, loneliness was a major public health concern in the United States. And yet, loneliness may be just the tip of the iceberg.
Since our first report on loneliness three years ago, we have sought to better understand– mainly based on what Americans report themselves– what may be causing high rates of loneliness, and we’re creating research-informed recommendations and resources that are rooted in our mission to promote caring.
Our latest brief report is based on a nationally representative survey of adults conducted in May 2024 and suggests 21% of adults in the U.S. feel lonely, with many respondents feeling disconnected from friends, family, and/or the world. They identified various factors that contribute to loneliness, as well as personal and community solutions. The data also suggest that underneath loneliness may be a troubling brew of feelings, including anxiety, depression and a lack of meaning and purpose.
Authored by Milena Batanova, Richard Weissbourd, and Joseph McIntyre.
Contact
milena_batanova@gse.harvard.edu
“People can be surrounded by others and still feel deeply lonely. The lack of quality relationships is just as big a problem as the lack of quantity. ”
Key findings
Loneliness may not only be the cause but the result of a wide range of troubling feelings that often interact in complex ways. Respondents who reported loneliness were far more likely to report anxiety, depression, a lack of meaning and purpose and the sense that their place in the world is not important. For example, 81% of lonely adults reported anxiety or depression, and about 75% of lonely adults reported having little or no meaning or purpose. While it’s impossible to precisely determine causality, it’s likely that causality goes both ways, i.e., while loneliness can certainly induce and deepen anxiety, depression and feelings of meaninglessness, these feelings can also induce and deepen loneliness.
High percentages of lonely respondents reported social-emotional loneliness, for example, not feeling part of meaningful groups (67%) and not having enough close friends or family (61%). Similarly high numbers of respondents reported existential loneliness, for instance, 65% of lonely respondents reported feeling fundamentally disconnected from others or the world and 63% reported their place in the world does not feel important or relevant.
Striking numbers of respondents don’t feel “part of this country” – 19% of all respondents and 40% of lonely respondents. Democrats and Independents were more likely than Republicans to report this disconnect.
When we asked respondents who or what they think contributes to loneliness in America, technology (73%) topped the list, followed by families not spending enough time together (66%), people working too much or being too busy or exhausted (62%) and people struggling with mental health challenges that are hurting their relationships (60%).
“Encouragingly, the solution people endorsed most, including lonely adults, is available to almost all of us: ‘taking time each day to reach out to a friend or family member.’”
Key recommendations
Promoting a culture of caring and service. Working together on common problems can serve several important goals. Collective service can provide important connections that relieve loneliness. 75% of our adult respondents, and slightly more lonely adults, reported that “finding ways to help others, such as doing community service or caring for others” would reduce their loneliness. Service can also cultivate meaning and purpose and mitigate mental health challenges. Helping others is often the best remedy for helping ourselves
Building a social infrastructure that enables people to find and sustain meaningful connections. Our public and private leaders can do much to create social connections through, for example, housing and transportation policies, reimagining public libraries as vibrant community centers that offer various activities and classes, and sparking a wide array of exciting community events. Seventy-five percent of adults in our survey reported wanting “more activities or fun community events” as well as “public spaces that are more accessible and connection-focused, like green spaces and playgrounds.” Further, sixty-nine percent prioritized “political and community leaders who promote compassion and connection as community values/norms.”
Underscoring the importance of simply reaching out to others. Encouragingly, the solution people endorsed most, including lonely adults, is available to almost all of us: “taking time each day to reach out to a friend or family member.”
Note that our recent national survey sheds light on additional topics related to loneliness; including parents’ everyday challenges that affect their mental health, the extent to which Americans report that they have meaningful connections and feel like they belong to their communities, and whether Americans see themselves as spiritual, what spirituality means to them, and how spirituality is related to loneliness and meaning and purpose.
If you are interested in our survey or collaborating in some way, please feel free to reach Milena at milena_batanova@gse.harvard.edu.
