CHICAGO, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- The cause of loneliness is about half genetic and half due to circumstances, such as leaving home or losing a spouse, find U.S. and Dutch researchers.
Researchers in the Netherlands and the University of Chicago examined surveys of 8,387 young adults who were twins included in the Netherlands Twin Register. The twins and their families responded to the surveys every few years, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Friday.
The twins were asked whether they agreed with such statements as "I feel lonely," "I like to be alone," "Nobody loves me," and "I try to have as little as possible to do with other people."
Thirty-five percent of the men and 50 percent of the women reported having moderate to extreme feelings of loneliness, according to study co-author John Cacioppo of the University of Chicago.
Essentially, an individual's genetic makeup determines to what extent life circumstances cause loneliness, Cacioppo said.
The findings were published in the journal Behavior Genetics.
