Americans claim to feel increasingly alone. Working conditions and networks do not help

Loneliness in the United States has reached epidemic levels: it affects one in five people and makes itself felt in particular in the workplace, as revealed by a report by the health insurer Cigna.

Three out of five adults, that is, 61%, reported that sometimes or always they feel alone , according to the annual Cigna Loneliness Index published for the second time and based on the results of a survey of 10,000 adults. The figure represents an increase of 7% compared to 54% of the first report, a year ago.

The general feeling of loneliness has negative effects on mental health, and in particular it generates anxiety and depression.

The report found that loneliness seems to be more common among men. 63% reported that they felt alone, compared with 58% of women.

"We had the hypothesis that society, specifically the United States, was dealing with a high level of loneliness, disconnection," Cigna CEO David Cordani told CNBC. "We can begin to see that these disconnections manifest themselves in other health problems that appear in people ... whether they think about it through the lens of depression, stress ... or more complex behavior problems." .

The link between social networks and loneliness

On the other hand, the survey revealed that social networks are linked to loneliness, since 73% of the most systematic users considered themselves lonely, compared to 52% of those who use them less.

And contrary to what one might think the youngest reported a greater sense of loneliness than the rest . Generation Z - between 18 and 22 when they were surveyed - had the highest average solitude score on the 80-point scale (around 50), and while the so-called boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) had the score lower (around 43).

We might think that older people are the loneliest, but this pattern is actually consistent with the results of other studies, Julianne Holt-Lunstad, a professor of psychology at Brigham Young University, told NPR. "We need to recognize that nobody is immune," he added.

The impact of working conditions

The report suggests that working conditions influence the perception of loneliness. For example, people with good relationships with coworkers were 10 points less alone - on the 80-point scale - and those who reported a good balance between work and personal life also felt less lonely.

Lonely workers were more likely to lose their job due to illness or stress , and many of them felt that their work is of lower quality than it should be, according to the report. And those who work isolated from the rest - in their homes, for example - are more likely to feel always or often alone.

" Connections in person are the ones that really matter, " said Doug Nemecek, medical director of behavioral health at Cigna. "Sharing that time to have meaningful interaction and meaningful conversation, to share our lives with others, is important to help us mitigate and minimize loneliness."

However, there are people who suffer from "chronic loneliness." According to the report, these are some of the symptoms to recognize it:

-Ability to connect with others on a deeper and more intimate level

-They have many acquaintances but not a "best friend" or "close friend"

- Feelings that nobody "comes"

-Abrumadores feelings of isolation, even if you are at a party surrounded by dozens of people.

-Negative feelings of doubt and self-esteem.

-Feeling exhausted when trying to participate in social activities.