Loneliness may be determined by our DNA, scientists discover
Researchers now think lonely people could be suffering from a permanent condition, rather than a temporary state of mind
FEELINGS of loneliness may be caused by genes passed down by family members, say experts.
Lonely people like Eleanor Rigby in The Beatles hit could suffer from a permanent condition due to inherited DNA, rather than a temporary state of mind that comes and goes.
The genes can also be linked to depression, anxiety and poor physical and mental health, said researchers.
They accounted for 14 to 27 per cent of loneliness in those studied.
Factors such as education, poverty and physical health made up the rest.
A team at the University of California San Diego analysed 10,750 people aged 50 and older.
Results showed a combination of genes linked to depression and anxiety found in those with signs of loneliness.
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But many suffer it without realising it — instead seeing themselves as outsiders, or angry, or emotional.
The study concluded: “Loneliness tends to be co-inherited with a long-term negative emotional state.”
More tests will be carried out to see which combination of genes predict the inherited condition so that a treatment can be created.