Americans who live alone report depression at higher rates, but social support helps
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
The number of Americans living alone has skyrocketed to 38 million, up from 5 million just a decade ago. Now, a new CDC study finds those adults who live by themselves are more likely to report feeling depressed compared to those living with others. Here's NPR's Rhitu Chatterjee.
RHITU CHATTERJEE, BYLINE: Laryssa Mykyta is with the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics. She used data from an annual health survey of U.S. households to find out if living alone was linked to feelings of depression. The good news, she says, is that...
LARYSSA MYKYTA: Most adults who live alone, 93% report either no feelings of depression or low feelings of depression.
CHATTERJEE: But 6% of those living alone did report feelings of depression. That's higher than those who live with others. In other words...
MYKYTA: Adults who live alone were more likely to report feelings of depression than adults who live with others.
CHATTERJEE: And the effect was stronger for people living alone who said they had little or no social and emotional support. Kasley Killam is a social scientist who wasn't involved in the new study.
KASLEY KILLAM: To me, the most interesting takeaway from the study was the importance of feeling supported.
CHATTERJEE: Killam, who's the author of an upcoming book called "The Art And Science Of Social Connection," says that those findings are consistent with previous research. For example, studies have shown that social isolation and loneliness are linked to a higher risk of mental and physical health problems.
KILLAM: Including diabetes, depression, like we saw in this study, dementia, heart disease and even mortality.
CHATTERJEE: On the other hand, research also shows that being socially connected improves overall health. Psychiatrist Dr. Tom Insel is the author of "Healing: Our Path From Mental Illness To Mental Health."
TOM INSEL: As health care providers, we need to be asking is there someone there for you?
CHATTERJEE: He says the answer would help providers better support their patients.
INSEL: We can help people to find community. We can prescribe social interaction. We can prescribe ways for people to actually become more engaged and to get the kind of social and emotional support they need.
CHATTERJEE: Rhitu Chatterjee, NPR News.
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