Some 11 million people in France, or 20% of those over the age of 15, feel lonely, and 80% suffer from it, according to a study published this Monday, January 23, which calls for “de-stigmatize” loneliness to encourage those affected to seek help.
Even a “dense social life” does not protect against feelings of loneliness, insist the authors of the report on “relationship weaknesses” published by the Fondation de France on the occasion of the World Day of Solitudes.
Why loneliness is a vicious circle
Thus, among people inserted into at least two “social networks”, such as family members who do not live under the same roof, friends, neighbours, work colleagues or an association, the loneliness rate still reaches 17%. Some are indeed “objectively surrounded but believe that the quality and nature of their ties are insufficient or a source of suffering”.
The poorer a person is, the more their social ties weaken, underline the authors of the study, based on a survey of a sample of nearly 3,400 Internet users and on in-depth interviews with people supported by specialized associations.
“Self-defining yourself as alone is difficult”
People at home (most of the time women) or without a diploma are also more likely to feel isolated, because “full-time domestic work accentuates the feeling of withdrawal from the social world” and “unskilled trades […] have a low added value in relational matters”notes the study.
Loneliness also affects more single parents (often mothers), or people living or having lived in a community (in social homes, or in prison, for example).
“When a baby arrives, when we become a family, we feel a very strong loneliness”
The phenomenon can be aggravated by the difficulties of certain audiences, such as seniors, in mastering digital tools. Conversely, it can be reinforced by a “overconsumption” social networks: “Carole has 282 friends, 221 followers, 325 professional contacts, but no one to accompany her in case of a hard blow”summarizes the specialized association Astrée, quoted in the report.
However, the people concerned sometimes find it difficult to recognize their difficulties: “Self-defining yourself as alone is difficult”summarizes Elisabeth, 57, divorced and unemployed, who participated in the study.
To encourage them to “talk about it, ask for help”must therefore “de-stigmatize” loneliness, but also encourage the audiences concerned by promoting their “emancipation” and their “participation”, say the authors of the report. Because “volunteering is equivalent to at least four Lexomil”says Elizabeth.
