GenX Lonlieness

• A recent study tracking over 53,000 adults aged 45–65 revealed that Generation X in the U.S. reports significantly higher levels of loneliness than peers across Europe.WikipediaAmerican Psychological Association+3ScienceAlert+3PMC+3
   
• Middle-aged Americans also report higher loneliness than European counterparts, likely due to weaker social safety nets.ScienceAlert+4American Psychological Association+4The Times+4

• Contrary to common belief, loneliness in U.S. adults peaks in midlife, not old age. Gen‑X adults are experiencing vulnerability that older generations may have avoided.Addiction Center+9Rollins School of Public Health+9The Times+9
   
• In the U.S., unlike many other countries, middle-aged individuals are lonelier than both younger and older groups.ScienceAlert+4Rollins School of Public Health+4The Time

• A generational survey found that 59 % of Gen‑X adults report feelings of loneliness, second only to Gen Z (71 %) and higher than Millennials (65 %) and Boomers (44 %).The Cigna Group Newsroom+2Addiction Center+2
   
• Another study noted that 22 % of Gen‑Xers say they have no friends, highlighting a deepening friendship recession.Wikipedia+2Wikipedia+2

ILoneliness in midlife correlates with elevated risks of heart disease, inflammation, cognitive decline, stroke, dementia, and early mortality.PMC+3Wikipedia+3PMC+3
 

• Chronic isolation impairs sleep, raises stress hormones, and weakens immune response—effects that compound over time.Wikipedia

• The “friendship recession” shows that Americans now have far fewer close friends than in previous decades: only 13% report having 10+ close friends in 2021, down from 33 % in 1990.Wikipedia
   
• Broader cultural shifts—like individualism, economic pressure, tech-driven isolation, and reduced community ties—fuel the loneliness epidemic.Wikipedia