
Over 80% Of Adults In The U.S. Experience Loneliness: Study
A study of close to 50,000 people living in the United States revealed that at least 80% of them experience some degree of loneliness. The study findings further revealed that women and white individuals are far more prone to loneliness than their male and non-white counterparts, which puts them at a greater risk of suffering from depression and poor physical health outcomes as well.
In a press release, lead author of the study, Oluwasegun Akinyemi, a senior research fellow at the Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, DC, said: 'The magnitude of the impact was striking, particularly that over 80% of adults reported some level of loneliness. Young adults, women, the unemployed, and people with less formal education were more likely to report loneliness. Loneliness not only impacts the elderly – it cuts across all age groups and backgrounds.'
'People who felt lonely 'always' had a fivefold increase in depression risk, 11 more poor mental health days, and 5 additional poor physical health days per month compared to those who never felt lonely. These effects were consistent even after accounting for age, race, gender, and other factors,' he added.
'Although loneliness increased the risk of depression for all racial/ethnic groups, Black and Hispanic individuals reported comparatively lower odds of depression across all levels of loneliness, pointing to potential cultural or social buffering mechanisms,' Akinyemi and colleagues noted in their study, which was published in the journal PLoS One.
The researchers highlighted that adults who always felt lonely were far more prevalent among white study participants. Out of the 47,318 U.S. adults who participated in the study, more than 73% were white and female (62%). Most of them were between 18 and 64 years old. While young people reported high levels of loneliness as well, those above the age of 45 reported a slightly higher prevalence of loneliness.
'Our study highlights that loneliness is not just an emotional state—it has measurable consequences for both mental and physical health. Addressing loneliness may be a critical public health priority to reduce depression and improve overall well-being. Conducting this research allowed us to explore the lived experiences of many individuals in vulnerable situations. What stood out most was how strongly loneliness affected every aspect of health, underscoring the urgency of tackling this hidden epidemic,' the study authors added.
'Interventions like social prescribing, community building programs, and integrating social connection screening into routine care can help. Technology-driven tools can also connect isolated individuals, especially in rural or underserved areas,' Akinyemi explained. But he noted that a major challenge is that people believe admitting they feel lonely will be perceived as a weakness or social failure, which could discourage them from seeking help in the first place.
'This silence could worsen health outcomes and delay interventions that could prevent long-term harm,' he added. 'We hope this study prompts national action to recognize loneliness as a modifiable risk factor, like smoking or obesity. Our next steps include evaluating interventions and studying how digital tools and cultural factors shape loneliness in diverse populations.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Venus Williams Admits She Came Back to Tennis at Age 45 for the Health Insurance
Blame COBRA for Venus Williams' comeback! The tennis icon — who has already made a triumphant return to singles play this week at the DC Open after a 16-month hiatus — offered a surprising reason why she is competing again. 'I had to come back for the insurance, they informed me earlier this year, I'm on COBRA,' Williams, 45, told interviewer Rennae Stubbs, as they laughed along with the crowd. 'So that's like, I got to get my benefits on. Started training.' 'She's actually not lying about that, cause we talked about that six years ago,' Stubbs replied. 'You're actually telling the truth. Insurance is hard.' The seven-time singles Grand Slam champion (and 14-time doubles Grand Slam champion) then volleyed back, to more laughter in the crowd: 'You guys know what it's like. Let me tell you, I'm always at the doctor so I need this insurance.' Earlier this month, Williams shared more about her health when she revealed on NBC News that she has had an ongoing struggle with fibroids, which once had her 'laying on the floor in the locker room' before one of her most iconic matches. Williams said that at first, she thought her symptoms had to do with Sjögren's syndrome, which causes fatigue and swollen joints. She first shared her Sjögren's diagnosis in 2011. 'I live with an autoimmune disease. So I thought maybe it was autoimmune anemia or something like that,' Williams told NBC News reporter Zinhle Essamuah. 'But really it was what I was dealing with inside, which was fibroids.' After her symptoms were dismissed at first, the athlete persisted and saw another doctor, she said. 'You can be denied the best health care no matter who you are,' Williams said. 'And that you have to be your own advocate. Hopefully someone will see this interview and say, 'I can get help. I don't have to live this way.' " Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. In the interview, Williams also alluded to her happy off-the-court life, which includes the news that she is engaged to Italian actor Andrea Preti. 'I've been taking this time to rest and recover and live my life and be, you know, a happy person without fibroids,' she said. Read the original article on People


Forbes
6 minutes ago
- Forbes
Pharma Companies Pour Billions Into US Manufacturing To Avoid Tariffs
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 12: CEO of Eli Lilly and Company David Ricks speaks at the Economic Club ... More of New York on March 12, 2024 in New York City. The U.S. drugmaker Eli Lilly, has made strategic investments in US manufacturing. Pharmaceutical imports are on the chopping block, as President Trump is proposing a 200% tariff to boost domestic production and make pharmaceutical production in the US more competitive. The U.S. imported $212 billion in pharmaceuticals in 2024, making it the 5th most imported product. The deadline for this is August 1. Jena Santoro, Global Head of Research & Analytics at Everstream Analytics, states that the previously reported grace period of approximately one to one and a half years for pharmaceutical companies to relocate their manufacturing operations to the U.S. - before the tariffs take effect - appears to remain in place. This grace period would allow drug manufacturers time to adjust production strategies and investments. Everstream is a provider of AI-based supply chain risk management solutions. Tariffs are being wielded by this administration as leverage to force reciprocity, extract critical concessions, or safeguard national interests. The pharma industry is one in which this leverage appears to have had considerable success. Pharma Make Significant Investments in the US In response to the threat of tariffs, AstraZeneca, British Swedish multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company headquartered in Cambridge, UK, reported on July 22 that it would invest $50 billion in U.S. production. A significant portion of this investment will be allocated to a new manufacturing center in Virginia. Upon completion, this facility will be the company's largest single manufacturing hub. CEO Pascal Soriot said the investment 'underpins our belief in America's innovation in biopharmaceuticals and our commitment to the millions of patients who need our medicines in America and globally.' The company stated that the Virginia plant will anchor its U.S. expansion and serve as a key hub for future pharmaceutical manufacturing. The site will produce small molecules, peptides, and oligonucleotides using AI, automation, and data analytics to optimize production. AstraZeneca's $50 billion plan also includes expansions in Maryland, Massachusetts, Indiana, Texas, and California. The company's goal is to reach $80 billion in revenue by 2030, with half of that expected to come from the U.S. market. Roche, headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, also announced today that it will invest $50 billion into the US. The investment will be made over a five-year period. The company's commitment includes new research and development (R&D) sites, and new and expanded manufacturing facilities in Indiana, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and California. Roch says their investments will create more than 12,000 new jobs: 1,000 at Roche and more than 11,000 in support of new US manufacturing capabilities. Their manufacturing investments will include a gene therapy manufacturing facility in Pennsylvania, a new 900,000-square-foot manufacturing facility to support Roche's expanding portfolio of weight loss medicines (the location of this facility has not yet been announced), and a new manufacturing facility for continuous glucose monitoring in Indiana. Once all new and expanded manufacturing capacity comes online, Roche will export more medicines from the US than it imports. Even before the pharma tariff announcement, Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) had announced plans to invest $27 billion to build four new production facilities in the US. The goal of this is to strengthen the country's pharmaceutical supply chain. David Ricks, CEO of Eli Lilly, described the planned facilities as "mega sites." Three of Lilly's newly announced sites will be dedicated to producing active pharmaceutical ingredients, which are critical components in drug production. The fourth site will focus exclusively on injectable drugs. China dominates the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients. China's dominant role in producing APIs is widely viewed as a strategic threat, primarily due to the potential for disruptions to the global pharmaceutical supply chain if China chooses to halt these exports as a way of gaining geopolitical leverage. As relations with China fray, these investments will bring significant manufacturing capabilities back to American soil. "The real gap in the supply chain in the US relates to active ingredient availability," David said. "Importantly, two of those [facilities] will be for synthetic chemistries and these, in particular, have been absent from the landscape in the US for some time." BioGen (Nasdaq: BIIB), an American biotechnology company also based in Cambridge, UK, announced on July 21 a much smaller investment. The company will invest $2 billion in its existing manufacturing plants in North Carolina. However, the facility in North Carolina's Research Triangle Park (RTP) was already home to the company's largest manufacturing plants. These facilities produce key therapies for multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's. However, Biogen remains committed to global manufacturing. 'Biogen's overall global manufacturing supply chain strategy aims at ensuring resilient and high-quality patient supply through robust risk management including geographical risk diversification and dual sourcing.' Pharmaceutical companies' more recent investments in the US have been driven by both incentives and tariff pressures. Merck (NYSE: MRK) started investing more heavily in the US following the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Since then, Merck has invested more than $12 billion into strengthening its US-based manufacturing and R&D infrastructure. The company plans to invest an additional $9 billion in domestic operations by 2028. Will the Tariffs Go Into Effect? Some of these planned investments are likely to be delayed or not implemented if the tariffs don't occur. The International Emergency Economic Powers Act grants the U.S. President broad authority to regulate economic transactions during a declared national emergency stemming from foreign threats. Traditionally, IEEPA has been used to impose sanctions and freeze assets, but the Trump administration has leveraged it to impose tariffs. This has created legal challenges. The next appellate hearing on the Trump administration's use of IEPPA is on July 31st. However, if the administration loses, TD Cowen expects them to expand its use of Section 232. This national security statute is designed to shield vital industries. These 'sector' tariffs have been announced for steel, aluminum & global autos/parts. Open investigations are focused on copper, lumber, semi-trucks and parts, critical minerals, aircraft & jet engines, and pharmaceuticals. TD Cowen is a US multinational investment bank and financial services division of TD Securities.


Fox News
6 minutes ago
- Fox News
Clint Eastwood's longtime secrets of good health and longevity revealed
At 95, American movie star and film director Clint Eastwood is still going strong. Celebrity biographer Shawn Levy, author of the book "Clint: The Man and the Movies," has written about the health practices that have contributed to the actor's longevity. In a recent Air Mail article, Levy noted that Eastwood is a "lifelong gym rat and fitness freak" who has also favored an "organic, low-fat diet" since the 1950s, "when alfalfa sprouts and yogurt were considered exotic." "And in the 60s, he was touting the benefits of sushi," he added. Eastwood has also practiced Transcendental Meditation daily, often twice a day, since the mid-1970s, even while working, according to Levy. "Indeed, especially while working," he wrote. "All this while playing the Man with No Name and Dirty Harry and other such avatars of bloodshed." Levy referred to Eastwood as a "man of contradictions" as he alternates between his rough-and-tumble movie roles and meditation sessions behind the scenes, describing how the actor has "mirrored the best and worst" of our "national character." Transcendental Meditation (TM) is a meditation technique that provides deep rest for the mind and body, according to the official TM website. The meditative practice "dissolves stress" in the nervous system, which can improve brain function. "After just a few minutes of TM practice, people typically feel more refreshed, clear-minded and ready for action," according to the website. "Over time, consciousness develops, and we enjoy greater success and happiness in life. TM practitioners report inner peace, more creativity, better health and better relationships." For more Health articles, visit In a medically reviewed WebMD guide, experts share how the TM technique can help people avoid distracting thoughts and promote a state of "relaxed awareness" by using a mantra to focus attention. Some TM supporters state that ordinary thinking is "transcended" and replaced by a "state of pure consciousness," where perfect stillness, rest, stability, order and "absence of mental boundaries" are achieved, the above source noted. Potential health benefits of the practice can include reduced stress, anxiety and depression, as well as lower blood pressure and better sleep. While TM, and even normal meditation, can be positive for overall health, experts caution that it should not be used as a singular treatment for certain conditions. TM training is available through a nonprofit organization called Maharishi Foundation. Training involves multi-session group courses with a certified instructor. Fox News Digital reached out to the Maharishi Foundation for comment.