Cigna study: Over half of US adults considered lonely

Cigna updated its Loneliness Index on May 26 to include more data around which demographics are facing feelings of loneliness more than others among the 58 percent of all U.S. adults who report being lonely.

The survey includes responses from 2,496 U.S. adults from Dec. 13-19.

Beyond the personal ramifications, loneliness often results in unengaged and less productive employees that creates real costs for businesses — an estimated $154 billion annually in stress-related absenteeism alone, according to the survey.

Six key takeaways:

  1. Seventy-five percent of Hispanic adults and 68 percent of Black adults are lonely, compared to 58 percent of all adults.

  2. Sixty-three percent of adults earning less than $50,000 annually are lonely — 10 points higher than those earning over $50,000 annually. Seventy-two percent of Medicaid members are lonely compared to 55 percent of commercially insured individuals. 

  3. Seventy-nine percent of adults aged 18 to 24 are lonely compared to 41 percent of people aged 66 and up.

  4. Fifty-seven percent of men are lonely compared to 59 percent of women.

  5. About 65 percent of parents/guardians are lonely, compared to 55 percent of non-parents. 

  6. Seventy-seven percent of adults with fair or poor physical health are lonely, compared to 50 percent among those with excellent or very good physical health. Similarly, 85 percent of those with fair or poor mental health are lonely compared to 42 percent among those with excellent or very good mental health.

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