This Tuesday, January 23, is World Loneliness Day. An IFOP study shows that this feeling is alive and well in France: more than 4 in 10 French people admit to regularly feeling alone.
- 44% of French people say they regularly feel alone and half of them admit to suffering from it.
- 8 out of 10 people affected by episodes of isolation have suffered from at least one psychological disorder during their life.
- 61% of those surveyed who felt alone reported having sleep problems and half had gone through a depressive episode.
Loneliness is part of everyday life for the French. 44% of them admitted to feeling alone on a regular basis, during a IFOP/Flashes survey for animal insurer Goodflair. Among these lonely people, 18% admit to experiencing this feeling frequently, or even every day or almost.
Feeling of loneliness: young people are very affected
While this figure represents a slight drop compared to previous years (48% in 2020 and 50% in 2022), it hides significant disparities depending on age groups and socio-professional categories. This feeling of loneliness particularly affects young people, affecting 62% of 18-24 year olds. “A rate significantly higher than that observed among seniors, where only 37% of those over 65 report this feeling”specifies the press release.
Furthermore, women are more likely to face this feeling than men (48% vs. 40%). Isolation is also greater among the inactive (60%) and the most precarious categories (59%). On the other hand, its effects on the French are quite divided: 51% assure that they do not suffer from their situation while 49% admit to feeling the pangs of it.
“Young adults are by far the most affected to the extent that more than 6 in 10 (63%) say that it is a source of suffering for them. This feeling of loneliness also significantly affects the most disadvantaged citizens (59 %) as well as residents of the Paris metropolitan area (57%).”
Loneliness: consequences on mental health
Although loneliness is not necessarily a source of suffering, it still has repercussions on mental health. 67% of people who regularly feel alone have cried, including 41% in the last 12 months. More than 6 in 10 admit to having experienced intense periods of stress, nervousness or anxiety linked to their loneliness. In addition, 61% report having sleep problems and half have experienced depression. A third (34%) of those surveyed have suicidal thoughts while 30% of those surveyed experience dysfunction in their libido.
“In total, 82% of people affected by episodes of isolation have encountered at least one of these disorders during their life. In detail, these different disorders affect women more strongly (86% in are victims compared to 76% among men), those under 25 (90%), socio-professional categories with the lowest incomes (88%) as well as residents of the Paris metropolitan area (90%).
To overcome their feeling of loneliness, the French turn overwhelmingly to social networks (69%) or go alone to public places (museums, parks or even bars; 36%). A third (32%) of respondents also indicate that they have already consumed alcohol without being accompanied or visited dating sites. In addition, almost a third (32%) of people with a pet say they adopted them to feel less alone, whether this was their primary (9%) or secondary (23%) motivation.
