More than half of Dingli’s elderly feel lonely, a new Caritas study has found.

A social study of the rural village found that half of the elderly interviewed lived alone and had felt the brunt of solitude in recent months.

Caritas Director Leonid McKay told the Times of Malta that the research was meant to shine a light on the social conditions in Dingli and was part of similar work done in St Julian's and Qormi.

The research study, carried out by 44 trained volunteers, focused on 100 randomly sampled Dingli households and 50 beneficiaries of EU food aid. The study was conducted in collaboration with the Dingli parish.

Dingli's parish priest Eucharist Zammit urged the public not to be fooled by the locality’s idyllic countryside, behind the cliffs and lush greenery lay a complex society.

Earlier this month the Times of Malta reported how thousands of people were calling a support helpline because they felt lonely and just wanted someone to talk to.

Idyllic views, but Dingli's elderly residents are often in a darker place.Idyllic views, but Dingli's elderly residents are often in a darker place.

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