Before the pandemic, more than one in 10 children aged 10–12 years reported being lonely.
New research has shown that experiencing loneliness as a pre-adolescent child predicts problem drinking years later, in early adulthood.
Alcohol misuse is not the only health problem connected to loneliness. In older adults, loneliness contributes to poor physical health, including dementia, heart disease and stroke.
Researchers from Arizona State University examined the effects of experiencing childhood loneliness on current stress levels and drinking behaviors in young adults. The study was published in Addictive Behaviors Reports.