“Most of us would intuitively think that loneliness would be worse during COVID-19, but as we dug deeper into the numbers, the depth to which loneliness increased across the board surprised us.”
SAN JOSE, Calif. (PRWEB)
June 10, 2020
Women’s Health Interactive released the results of an independent and anonymous online survey of 1,043 respondents conducted to explore the ways that social distancing and shelter-in-place orders during COVID-19 affected feelings of loneliness.
The ‘Women’s Health Interactive COVID-19 Loneliness Survey’ results provide insight into loneliness before the pandemic and how the depth and scope of loneliness changed during the pandemic.
** Survey Highlights **
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Loneliness nearly tripled (+181%): 20.7% of all respondents reported struggling with feelings of loneliness before social distancing and shelter-in-place orders; 58.1% reported feeling somewhat or much lonelier during - Women’s loneliness higher, increased more than men: 18.4% of women reported struggling with feelings of loneliness prior; 60.6% (+228%) reported feeling somewhat or much lonelier during. 22.4% of men reported struggling with feelings of loneliness prior; 55% (+146%) reported feeling somewhat or much lonelier during
- Millennials loneliest overall, Boomers least; But, Boomers/Gen X saw biggest increase in loneliness: 15.7% of Baby Boomers, 16.6% of Generation X, and 24.3% of Millennials reported struggling with feelings of loneliness prior; 50.8% (+224%) of Baby Boomers, 53.6% (+222%) of Generation X, and 61.8% (+154%) of Millennials reported feeling somewhat or much lonelier during
- Loneliness increased the most for those who live with children; those who live alone remained the loneliest overall: 16.7% of people who live with children reported struggling with feelings of loneliness prior; 55% (+229%) reported feeling somewhat or much lonelier during. 28.9% of people who live alone (19.3% who live with others, no children) reported struggling with feelings of loneliness prior; 67.7% (+134%) of people who live alone (54.7% (+183%) who live with others, no children) reported feeling somewhat or much lonelier during
- Remote contact easing Baby Boomers’ loneliness more than other generations: 47% of Baby Boomers reported that remote contact (Zoom, FaceTime, etc.) helped alleviate loneliness during, compared to 37.8% of Generation X and 42.5% of Millennial respondents. 10.8% of Baby Boomers, 14.9% of Generation X and 21.1% of Millennials reported that remote contact made feelings of loneliness WORSE
- Top activities people report missing out on the most (respondents chose up to 3): Being with friends and family (59.5%); Dining out (47.2%); Traveling or going on vacation (26.6%); Going to work (26.4%); Going to entertainment venues (24.4%); Working out at a gym or fitness class (23.9%); Attending church (15.3%); Social hobby (12.6%)
For full survey results, anonymous quotes from respondents, methodology, and downloadable infographic, visit:
https://www.womens-health.com/covid-19-loneliness-survey
** Additional Comments **
“As part of our ongoing coverage on loneliness and its status as an epidemic, we wanted to explore to what extent people were struggling with loneliness during quarantine and social distancing measures, and how much being cooped up in the house was exacerbating those feelings,” Chris Fernandez, CEO of Women’s Health Interactive, explained.
“Most of us would intuitively think that loneliness would be worse during COVID-19, but as we dug deeper into the numbers, the depth to which loneliness increased across the board surprised us,” Fernandez added.
“We were especially caught off guard by the candor, raw emotion, and the volume of comments shared with us by respondents in explaining their individual situations, which we have shared anonymously because we felt they were important to painting the nuanced picture of this very unique time in our history,” Fernandez said.
“In addition, there were surprising results within the data,” he observed. “For example: Millennials who live with children were almost as lonely during the pandemic as those who lived alone, and significantly more lonely than any other generation that also lived with children. Or along gender lines, that women were less lonely than men before the pandemic, but lonelier during. Finally, I would not have thought that Baby Boomers, despite seeing the largest increase in loneliness, are dealing with loneliness a lot better than other generations overall, especially Millennials.”
** About the Women’s Health Interactive COVID-19 Loneliness Survey **
To examine the specific ways that shelter-in-place and social distancing during COVID-19 affected people’s loneliness and to what extent, Women’s Health Interactive independently, anonymously, and informally surveyed 1,043 people online about their personal experiences between April 22, 2020, and May 14th, 2020. Complete survey statistics available upon request.
** About Women’s Health Interactive **
Women’s Health Interactive is an online publisher that focuses on women’s health and wellbeing as it pertains to relationships, sexuality and mental health. Women’s Health Interactive seeks to empower women by providing a safe place to talk about the sometimes uncomfortable side of life. Our content is medically reviewed for accuracy and written through an approach that blends fun, humor, and complete honesty.
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