Researchers note being alone is not the same as feeling lonely.
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The U.S. Surgeon General reported an increase in loneliness this year. University of Arizona psychology professor David Sbarra contributed to a study that looked closer at the subject.
“This is a new study that is examining the correlation between feeling lonely and actually spending time alone. Which is different," he said.
Sbarra adds elderly adults find loneliness is strongly connected with being socially isolated. But younger people may not feel lonely even when they are by themselves.
The study was led by former UA postdoctoral associate Alex Danvers, and Liliane Efinger, a former visiting graduate student. It was published in the Journal of Research in Personality in September.
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