A team of psychologists from the University of Zurich set out to understand why some people quickly find partners while others remain single for years.
The researchers enrolled more than 17,000 volunteers from the United Kingdom and Germany. At the start of the study, all participants were 16 years old and had no prior relationship experience.
The scientists surveyed these young individuals annually until they turned 29. The questions focused on the participants’ personality traits and the socio-demographic factors that shape their lives.
What Did the Results Show?
The analysis showed that among participants who remained single for a long time, those with higher education were the most common. Living alone or with parents was also linked to a greater likelihood of remaining without stable relationships for years.
In contrast, living with friends or roommates increased the chances of finding a partner.
Researchers were somewhat surprised to find that it was men, rather than women, who struggled longer with loneliness.
“Our results showed that socio-demographic factors such as education, psychological characteristics, and well-being help predict who will have romantic relationships and who will not,” said Michael Kramer, one of the lead authors of the study.
What Are the Risks of Permanent Loneliness?
In the second part of their research, psychologists focused on how long-term loneliness affects life satisfaction, levels of depression, and mental well-being.
The researchers found that young people who had been single for extended periods experienced significant declines in life satisfaction and mental well-being, along with persistent feelings of depression. These feelings intensified as they approached their 30s.
These patterns were observed in both men and women, according to the Daily Mail.
However, once young people entered into stable relationships, their life satisfaction levels rose sharply.
According to Dr. Kramer, prolonged dissatisfaction with life while being single, coupled with low well-being, increases the likelihood that a person will remain single for a longer time.
The findings of the study were published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
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