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Hold on to your friendships; they could help keep you healthier later in life. 听

This was one of the key findings from new research digging into the growing public health concern of loneliness. 听

Alison Rataj, a research scientist at the and the , led a study, published in , that found older adults without children are more vulnerable to loneliness, but friendships help fill that void. 听听

鈥淪ocial connection is incredibly important. It鈥檚 linked to both physical and mental health outcomes,鈥� Rataj says. 鈥淟oneliness is kind of a silent killer, that鈥檚 why we need to recognize it, talk about it, and find ways to remedy it.鈥� 听

Rataj and her co-authors analyzed national data from the Health and Retirement Study, a long-running survey that tracks thousands of Americans age 50 and older. They examined responses from more than 11,000 participants who answered questions about loneliness, friendship quality, and family structure, including how often they felt lonely and how much support or strain they experienced in their friendships. 听听

Older adults without children were consistently lonelier, averaging 1.62 on a standardized loneliness scale compared with 1.52 for those with at least one child. Yet when childless adults had strong, supportive friendships, their loneliness dropped by roughly 20% more than it did for parents with similar friend support. Childless adults also reported slightly higher overall friend support 鈥� 3.16 versus 3.05 on a four-point scale 鈥� suggesting they may invest more in friendships. 听听

The study also found that marital status had a significant impact. Adults who were divorced, widowed, separated, or never married reported higher loneliness than those who were married.听

鈥淵ou might have children, but you also might have close friends, a spouse, or other meaningful ties,鈥� Rataj says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not one-size-fits-all; loneliness can be eased through many different connections.鈥� 听

Rataj says the research was partially motivated by current demographic shifts: declining fertility rates and the growing number of people reaching later life without children. 听听

鈥淢any in the Silent Generation (born between 1928 and 1945) tended to have larger families and more traditional lifestyles 鈥� long marriages, children, and clearly defined family roles,鈥� Rataj says. 鈥淭he Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) and younger generations, though, are redefining what family looks like. We鈥檙e seeing more blended families, cohabitation without marriage, and strong friendship networks or 鈥榗hosen families,鈥� especially within LGBTQ+ communities. It鈥檒l be fascinating to see how these changing dynamics shape loneliness as these cohorts age.鈥� 听听

Rataj says research into loneliness is important on multiple fronts, including informing social programming that could help older adults. 听听

鈥淚t鈥檚 really important to create opportunities for older adults to connect and make friends; we can make new friends at any age,鈥� Rataj says. 鈥淭hose without children may not have the same built-in social networks as parents, but friendships, even intergenerational ones, can be just as meaningful. Programs that bring people together, whether through volunteering or community events, can make a real difference.鈥� 听听

That challenge is especially relevant in New Hampshire, which is one of the oldest states demographically. 听

鈥淚n New Hampshire, we have some challenges with transportation for older adults,鈥� Rataj says. 鈥淣ot everyone can just hop in a car and go somewhere, so it鈥檚 important to create opportunities in places they already visit, like libraries, senior centers, or even online. Many older adults are tech-savvy and connected, so offering ways to build friendships through those channels can have a big impact on their social health.鈥� 听听

Rataj hopes this research will raise awareness and encourage more conversations about loneliness. Her ongoing dissertation research explores sibling relationships in later life and their connection to wellbeing and loneliness, and she鈥檚 interested in future research on the quality of various familial relationships, including older parents and their adult children. 听听

The study was co-authored with Andrew Alberth of the University of Massachusetts Boston, Yan-Jhu Su of Pennsylvania State University, Elisabeth J. Stam of the University of Massachusetts Boston, and Jeffrey E. Stokes of the University of Massachusetts Boston.听