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Modern life is leaving people feeling increasingly isolated and lonely, a mental health charity said today.

One in 10 often feel lonely (11%) and half think that people are getting lonelier in general (48%), according to research released by the Mental Health Foundation.

More people are living alone than ever with the percentage of households occupied by one person doubling from 6% in 1972 to 12% in 2008.

The divorce rate also almost doubled in the past 50 years with figures showing one in three people would like to live closer to their family (35%).

The research, published in The Lonely Society, illustrated that feeling lonely is not only common among the elderly.

Women are more likely than men to feel lonely sometimes (38% compared with 30%), according to the report.

People feel pressure to be “productive and busy”, and as a consequence neglect vital relationships with friends and family, researchers said.

Andrew McCulloch, chief executive of the Mental Health Foundation, said: “Changes to the way we live are putting an increasing number of people at risk of loneliness, which can lead to health problems if chronic.

Loneliness

“People who find themselves feeling lonely should not have to feel uncomfortable talking about it or asking for help.

“By raising awareness of the subject we hope to tackle the stigma attached to loneliness and help individuals who are feeling lonely to connect with others.”

Christopher Cloke, of the NSPCC, added: “Last year ChildLine received nearly 10,000 calls from children saying they felt lonely – an increase of 60% from five years ago.

In a newer study from the USA :

Obesity and alcoholism may be bad for your health, but there’s a less obvious condition out there that is just as dangerous – loneliness.

According to a study the support of family, friends and neighbours can increase your chances of living to a healthy old age by 50 per cent.

But the findings, based on an analysis of more than 300,000 people, suggest social isolation is as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day or being an alcoholic.

It also does more damage to your health than not exercising – and is twice as harmful as obesity.

The American scientists who made the discovery say lack of social support should be added to the ‘short list’ of risk factors for an early grave.

Dr Julianne Holt-Lunstad, of Brigham Young University in Utah, who led the study, said friends and family influenced health for the better by offering a ‘calming touch’ or by helping people find meaning in their lives.

‘When someone is connected to a group and feels responsibility for other people, that sense of purpose and meaning translates to taking better care of themselves and taking fewer risks,’ she said.

The researchers looked at data from 148 previously published studies that measured people’s social networks and tracked their health for an average of seven and a half years.

The data did not show whether people were in ‘positive’ or ‘negative’ relationships – simply the number of people they were in contact with regularly.

The authors of the study believe the health benefits of positive friendships could be even stronger. ‘The data simply show whether they were integrated in a social network,’ said Dr Holt-Lunstad.

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