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Seniors Not the Most Lonely in Australia
Loneliness peaks in
40s in Australia with those over 50 the least lonely
March 8, 2006 - People didn't necessarily get
lonelier as they get older. At least that is the opinion of researchers
looking at Australians has concluded an opinion in conflict with
results of U.S. studies. In Central Queensland, they found that among
those adults 20 and older, loneliness begins to increase to a peak
between 40 and 49. The least lonely were people age 50 and older.
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More than a third of adults are lonely, with people
in their forties suffering the highest levels, according to a study
published in the latest Journal of Clinical Nursing.
People with strong religious beliefs were less
likely to be lonely and people who were unemployed reported higher
levels of loneliness than people who were retired.
The study, by a team of UK and Australian
researchers, showed that 35 per cent of the 1,289 people who took part
in 30-minute telephone interviews in Central Queensland were lonely.
"Understanding what makes people lonely is very
important as loneliness can increase the risk of health conditions, such
as heart disease and depression, and other problems such as domestic
violence" says Professor William Lauder from the University of Dundee,
Scotland, who spent two years working in Australia.
"One of the most interesting findings of this study
is that it challenges the belief that retirement is linked to diminished
social contacts and that people get lonelier as they get older."
Key findings from the research, co-authored by
Professor Kerry Mummery from Central Queensland University and nursing
lecturer Siobhan Sharkey from the University of Stirling in Scotland,
include:
● People didn't necessarily get lonelier as they
get older. Apart from the youngest age group (18-19 year-olds), the
lowest levels of loneliness were recorded in people aged 50 and over,
with loneliness levels starting to rise at 20 and peaking between 40 and
49.
● Respondents who reported having strong
religious beliefs were less likely to be lonely than people who didn't
have such beliefs.
● Women were more likely to have strong religious
beliefs and the researchers believe that this was reflected in the lower
levels of loneliness reported by women than men.
● Retired people were less likely to be lonely
than people who were unemployed.
● There was no significant link between how long
the person had lived in their current community and how lonely they
were.
● However, there were clears links between
household income and loneliness, with people on lower incomes reporting
higher levels of loneliness.
● Just under 50 per cent of the people contacted
at random agreed to take part in the study. All were over 18, with an
average age of just over 46 and there were almost equal numbers of males
(49.9 per cent) and females.
"Tackling loneliness is very important as it is a
very common and potentially health-threatening phenomenon" adds
Professor Lauder. "Previous research has indicated that health wise it
carries a similar level of risk to obesity.
"We hope that this study will provide health
professionals and others with further insight into the causes of
loneliness and support efforts to reduce health issues caused by the
problem."
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