Loneliness at every age & stage

CDC lists immigrants among groups at higher risk, and WHO names refugees and migrants. Language barriers, missing family back home, and discrimination can all make connection harder.

Cultural centers, faith communities, language classes and community groups can be a bridge to new friendships.

WHO names LGBTQ+ people among groups at higher risk, and CDC lists lesbian, gay and bisexual adults. Being rejected by family or facing discrimination can leave people feeling alone.

Finding accepting spaces, like local LGBTQ+ centers, clubs or online groups with real support, can be a lifeline.

WHO names people with disabilities among groups at higher risk, and CDC lists chronic disease and long-term disability as risk factors. Places, transport and events are not always accessible.

Peer support groups and accessible online communities can help, alongside asking local groups what support they can offer.

CDC lists living in a rural area and limited transportation as things that make isolation more likely. When the nearest neighbor or community center is miles away, seeing people takes more effort.

Regular phone or video calls, faith groups, farmers’ markets and volunteer fire or community events can help keep links strong.

CDC lists low income, unemployment, divorce, losing a loved one, and being a victim of violence or abuse as risk factors. Hard times can shrink your world just when you need people most.

If you are being cut off from people by a partner or family member, that can be a sign of abuse. See our Domestic violence: the basics guide.

The CDC lists adults living alone among the groups at higher risk, and WHO names living alone as one cause of loneliness.

Living alone can be freeing, and many people love it. It just means connection has to be planned a little more, because it will not happen at the kitchen table.

Men can find it harder to say they feel lonely. In Gallup’s 2024 workplace research, working men and working women reported loneliness at the same rate, 20%.

Men’s friendships are often built around doing things side by side, like sport, work or projects. When those stop, friendships can quietly fade.

WHO names Indigenous groups and ethnic minorities among those who may face discrimination or extra barriers to connection. The CDC lists being marginalized or discriminated against as a risk factor.

Cultural groups, community organizations and faith communities can offer a strong sense of belonging and shared identity.

The NHS lists moving to a new school as a life change that can bring loneliness. Friend groups also shift on their own as interests change, which can leave someone suddenly on the outside.

What may help

• Clubs, teams, bands or drama, where you see the same faces each week
• Part-time jobs or volunteering
• Saying yes to one invitation you would usually skip
• Staying in touch with one or two old friends while making new ones

Moving to university is one of the changes the NHS links with loneliness. Researcher Jeffrey Hall studied first-year college students and found that friendships take many hours together to form: about 40 to 60 hours for a casual friend, and more than 200 for a good friend.

So feeling lonely in your first weeks or months is normal. It is the hours, not you. Regular things, like a club, a study group or a weekly game night, give those hours a chance to build.

WHO flags too much screen time and negative online interactions as a growing concern for young people’s wellbeing. Watching other people’s highlights can make you feel left out, even when you are not.

Online spaces can also help, especially for young people who feel different from those around them. The key question is whether it leads to real connection, or replaces it.

Loneliness is about feeling alone, not being alone, so you can feel it in a busy school or a full dorm. The NHS describes being among people you know and still feeling alone as existential loneliness.

It often comes from feeling different, or from never getting past small talk. One person who really gets you can matter more than a big group.

What may help

• Groups built around something you care about, like a cause, a faith, a culture or a hobby
• Sharing a little more of what is really going on with one person you trust
• Talking to a school counselor

Gallup’s 2024 workplace research found loneliness is more common among employees under 35 than among older workers. After school, there are fewer ready-made places to meet people, and friends often scatter for work or study.

This is the time when friendship starts to need a little planning. Choosing things that repeat, and being the one who invites, makes a real difference.

A lonely young person may not say so. You might notice them staying in more, dropping activities they used to enjoy, or spending long hours alone online. These can also be signs of low mood, so stay curious and kind.

Ways to help

• Ask open questions, and listen more than you advise
• Avoid making them feel there is something wrong with them
• Help them find one regular activity with people their age
• Share your own times of feeling left out
• If low mood or hopelessness lasts, help them talk to a clinical provider or counselor

Long days at home, broken sleep and changes in friendships and work can leave new parents feeling cut off, even while they are rarely alone.

Friends without children may not understand your new days, and old routines, like work chats or evenings out, may disappear overnight.

Research on new parents describes losing a sense of identity, and fearing judgment if they share their struggles. That fear can keep people quiet just when they need connection most.

Try

• Keep one small thing that is just yours, like a walk, a hobby or a call with a friend
• Tell one trusted person how it really is
• Look for parents who talk honestly, not just about the highlights

The 2025 review notes that the risk of loneliness rises for fathers as well as mothers. It also found that very few studies included fathers, so their experience is less understood.

Partners can feel left out of the new bond, cut off from friends, or unsure where to turn. Dads’ groups, parent classes and simply talking to other parents can help.

The review found that group peer support, parent and baby groups, and groups for parents facing shared challenges helped people connect. Parents valued being listened to without judgment by people who had been there too.

Creative and active groups, such as singing, yoga or exercise with babies, also helped parents connect.

Places to look

• Library story and rhyme times
• Parent and baby groups at community or faith centers
• Stroller or walking groups
• Support groups for parents of twins, premature babies or babies with health needs

For parents who struggle to leave home, the review found online options offered real connection. In one study, an online songwriting program reduced loneliness after birth and helped parents feel more connected.

Look for groups that are well moderated and kind. If an online space leaves you feeling judged or worse, it is fine to step away.

Parenting alone is one of the things that raised the risk of loneliness in the 2025 review.

Ideas

• Ask family, friends or neighbors for specific help, like one evening a week
• Swap babysitting with another parent
• Find a single parents’ group, in person or online
• Accept offers of help, even small ones

Fully remote workers reported the most loneliness in Gallup’s 2024 data. Without hallway chats or shared lunches, whole days can pass without a real conversation.

Ideas

• Plan one in-person meetup a week, even outside work
• Work from a library or café some days
• Use video, not just chat, for some calls
• Start or join a short, non-work chat with coworkers
• Take a walk at the same time each day and greet the people you pass

Research by Jeffrey Hall found that hours spent working together did less for friendship than time spent hanging out. His tip: if you work with someone, go to lunch or out for a drink together.

Ideas

• Invite a coworker for lunch or a coffee break
• Join a work club, walking group or volunteer day
• Ask one coworker about their weekend, and remember it next time

Gallup found employees who have a best friend at work were 21% less likely to be lonely. Those who felt their opinions counted were 39% less likely.

You do not need to be best friends with everyone. Growing one or two warmer work relationships can change how a whole week feels.

Job loss takes away more than income. It can remove daily routine and the people you saw every day. The CDC lists unemployment among things that raise the risk of isolation.

Ideas

• Keep a daily routine with time around people
• Join a job club or networking group
• Volunteer, which gives structure and company
• Stay in touch with friendly former coworkers

In Gallup’s U.S. study, engaged employees were 64% less likely to be lonely. Gallup suggests the best approach is improving engagement as a whole, such as meaningful work and feeling connected to the team.

Ideas

• Ask for people’s views, and act on them
• Make time for relaxed, non-task chat
• Check in one-to-one with remote staff
• Welcome new starters with a buddy

The NHS lists retiring as a life change that can bring loneliness. Work often gave daily contact and a sense of being useful, without anyone needing to plan it.

Ideas

• Volunteer, mentor or tutor
• Join a class, choir, walking group or club
• Keep a weekly routine with time around people

The NHS names recent bereavement as a reason an older person may become isolated. Losing a partner can also mean losing the person who kept up the social calendar.

Bereavement groups and gentle, regular contact from others can help. The Loneliness & loss in later life guide goes deeper.

The NHS lists sight or hearing loss among things that can leave older people isolated. Struggling to hear in a noisy room can make people stop going out.

Try

• Ask your clinical provider about a hearing or eye check
• Choose quieter places to meet
• Ask people to face you and speak clearly
• Try phone or video calls with captions

The CDC lists limited transportation as a risk factor for isolation. The NHS suggests neighbors can help by offering lifts to activities, appointments, the library or faith services.

Ask local senior centers, faith groups or community centers about transport help. Many areas have volunteer driver programs.

WHO suggests simple steps like reaching out to a friend, greeting a neighbor, and joining a local group or volunteering.

Ideas

• A weekly phone call on the same day
• Video calls with family far away
• A regular coffee morning or lunch club
• Befriending programs that match you with a friendly caller or visitor

NIH News in Health reports that marriage is generally good for health, but the quality of the relationship matters. In NIH-funded studies, couples who were hostile during disagreements showed bigger spikes in stress hormones. Couples who got along well could disagree, or even laugh about it, without sarcasm or eye-rolling.

Loneliness in a relationship often grows quietly: busy schedules, screens at dinner, or conversations that are only about chores and bills.

Ideas

• Say it gently: “I miss feeling close to you. Can we make some time for us?”
• Listen without blame, and disagree respectfully
• Plan small rituals, like a phone-free meal or a weekly walk
• Keep friendships outside the relationship too

You can live with people who love you and still feel misunderstood. Maybe your interests, beliefs or identity feel different from theirs, or hard things are never talked about. The NHS describes feeling alone among people you know as existential loneliness.

Ideas

• Find one family member you can be more open with
• Look for belonging outside the family too, like friends, clubs or community groups
• Share small pieces of your world, like a song or a hobby, rather than everything at once

The NHS lists becoming a full-time carer for someone you live with as a life change that can bring loneliness. Caring can leave little time or energy for friends, and others may not understand what your days are like.

NIH suggests making a list of ways others can help, such as sitting with the person while you run errands. Respite care can free up time for yourself or friends, and meeting other caregivers lets you swap stories and ideas.

Young people report some of the highest rates of loneliness, so it is worth asking, gently and without fuss.

• Ask how things are with friends, not just school
• Listen without rushing to fix it
• Offer lifts or support for clubs, teams or part-time work
• Help them notice if screens leave them feeling worse

Research on new parents found they valued being listened to without judgment by people who understood.

• Drop off a meal and stay for a short chat if welcome
• Offer to hold the baby so they can rest or shower
• Invite them on a walk with the stroller
• Ask “How are you really?” and mean it

Fully remote workers reported the most loneliness in Gallup’s 2024 research, and having a best friend at work made loneliness less likely.

• Invite a new starter to lunch
• Turn on video for a relaxed catch-up
• Ask for their opinion in meetings
• Remember something they told you, and ask about it

The NHS suggests starting a conversation, speaking clearly without shouting, and not rushing replies. Offering help with shopping, lifts or small jobs can open the door to more contact.

Sharing an extra portion of home-cooked food, in a container they do not need to return, is another warm way in. Befriending programs also need volunteers for calls and visits.

Moving to a new town is a common trigger for loneliness, and language barriers can add to it.

• Say hello and introduce yourself
• Share local tips, like a good park or a free event
• Invite them to something you already go to

Loneliness can sometimes be part of depression. Watch for someone pulling away from activities they used to love, losing interest, or seeming hopeless.

Gently encourage them to talk to a clinical provider or therapist. If they talk about not wanting to be alive, call or text 988 together.

A therapist can help you work through loneliness and build strategies for reconnecting with others. Therapy can also help with the worry, low mood or social anxiety that often come with it.

Your clinical provider can also help you find support in your area.

Peer support connects you with people who have been through something similar. Many communities have groups for new parents, carers, grief, newcomers and more.

Libraries, community centers, faith groups and senior centers often know what runs locally.

988 is free, confidential and open 24/7 in the U.S. You do not have to be in crisis to reach out. You can call or text if you are struggling and just need to talk.

You can also text HOME to 741741 to reach a trained crisis counselor by text, free and 24/7.

Outside the U.S., findahelpline.com lists free, confidential helplines in many countries, by phone, text or chat.

If a life is in danger, call your local emergency number.