Named the danger of prolonged staying without relationships

In recent years, media increasingly presents loneliness as a conscious life choice and form of self-realization. However, a new major study has proven that prolonged absence of romantic relationships at a young age has negative consequences for psychological well-being. The work was published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (JPSP).

A team of researchers from the University of Zurich analyzed data from more than 17 thousand young people from Germany and Great Britain. All participants at the start of the study (at 16 years old) had no experience of romantic relationships and then completed annual surveys until the age of 29.

The analysis showed that longer periods of singlehood are on average more characteristic of men, people with higher levels of education, and young adults with lower current levels of subjective well-being.

According to Michael Kramer, senior researcher at the Department of Psychology, the results confirm that both socio-demographic factors (such as education) and psychological characteristics (well-being and life satisfaction) affect the likelihood of entering into first relationships. Stronger focus on education, as in previous sociological studies, is associated with delaying relationships.

The researchers also compared the dynamics of well-being among those who remained without a partner for a long time and those who started relationships later. It was found that prolonged singlehood leads to decreased life satisfaction, increased feelings of loneliness, and growing symptoms of depression.

These trends were similar for both men and women. In adolescence, the differences between groups were minimal, but over time they became more pronounced.

When young people entered romantic relationships, their well-being improved significantly: life satisfaction increased, feelings of loneliness decreased - both in the short and long term.

"Our results show that prolonged singlehood is associated with moderate risks to well-being," noted Michael Kramer.

According to him, the longer a person remains without a partner, the more differences in well-being accumulate, and reduced well-being, in turn, increases the likelihood of remaining single further. This can make it especially difficult to enter into relationships.