A new study has found that loneliness in childhood is linked to a significantly higher risk of developing dementia later in life. The research, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, indicates that individuals who felt lonely or lacked close friendships before the age of 17 were more likely to experience cognitive decline and dementia, even if they no longer felt lonely as adults.
Professor Andrea Wigfield, director of the Centre for Loneliness Studies at Sheffield Hallam University, said the findings align with existing evidence on adult loneliness and cognitive decline. She noted that emotional attachments formed in early life and the social connections children make influence their likelihood of being lonely later in life.
In the UK, nearly half of Generation Z (aged 13–28) report feeling lonely, according to a June poll by Oxfam. This group has been described as the loneliest generation, with higher rates of despair and anxiety than previous generations at the same age. Professor Wigfield highlighted that while loneliness can affect anyone, there is growing evidence of increased loneliness among young adults aged 18–24 and those aged 45–65.
The study, which analysed data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, defined childhood loneliness as frequent self-reported feelings of lacking friendships. It concluded that public health initiatives should aim to prevent and reduce loneliness from an early age to mitigate long-term cognitive health risks. The Alzheimer’s Society estimates that nearly one million people in the UK have dementia.
