Cigna Finds More Evidence Of Loneliness In America

Cigna Finds More Evidence Of Loneliness In America

1001Places

If you feel alone, you are not alone in being lonely.

Also, a recent survey conducted by Cigna and Ipsos, a market research firm, is not alone in finding that many, many Americans feel alone and lonely. Their survey of over 20,000 Americans ages 18 years and older revealed the following:

46% felt alone either sometimes or always
47% felt left out
27% rarely or never felt as though there are people who really understand them.
43% felt that their relationships are not meaningful
43% felt isolated from others
20% rarely or never felt close to people
18% didn't feel like there are people they can talk to
Only 53% have meaningful in-person social interactions, such as having an extended conversation with a friend or spending quality time with family, on a daily basis.

The loneliest generation of adults was Generation Z or those 18 to 22 years old.
Who were less likely to feel lonely? Those who reported spending the "right amount" of time sleeping, getting physical activity, working, and interacting with family, whatever the right amount for that person may be. Also, those who lived with other people were less likely to be lonely. Before you say "no-duh" isn't this like saying "people with cars are more likely to drive," keep in mind that living with the wrong person can be worse and more alienating than living alone.

Moreover, in this case, kids alone did not count as people since single parents were more likely to report feeling lonely. Oh, if you think social media like Facebook may help combat loneliness, this survey found that there was no difference in loneliness between heavy social media users and others.

Yes, lots of American adults feel like Eleanor Rigbies and Space Oddities living in Heartbreak Hotels and Under the Bridge with the number One plastered on their chest. As I mentioned previously for Forbes, Vivek Murthy, the 19th Surgeon General of the United States, wrote in a Harvard Business Review article that "loneliness is a growing health epidemic," "rates of loneliness have doubled since the 1980s," and that "today, over 40% of adults in America report feeling lonely, and research suggests that the real number may well be higher."