Two out of every five Maltese who are aged 11 and over suffer from loneliness, according to the first national scientific study on solitude.
The first wave of data from the study by the Faculty for Social Well-being also shows that at least one in 10 people – a staggering 46,000 – do not feel positive about their life.
For Dean Andrew Azzopardi, who led the study with Prof. Marilyn Clark, this figure was “quite worrying”.
Another telling find is that a third replied ‘yes’, or ‘more or less’, when asked whether they experienced a general sense of emptiness.
“The findings – the first of the sort – confirm that although we are not in the woods yet, we are heading there,” Prof. Azzopardi told Times of Malta.
A total of 1,000 people aged 11 and up, from all regions across the islands, were surveyed for the study, which flags both emotional and social loneliness.
The National Statistics Office was commissioned to collect the data and the researchers used internationally recognised tools so that the survey would provide data that is comparable with that of other countries.
It was held after it transpired that Malta lacked empirical data about loneliness.
A third replied ‘yes’ when asked if they experienced a general sense of loneliness
Prof. Azzopardi said young adolescents were included in the research as symptoms at such an early age could indicate whether they would suffer solitude at a later stage.
The findings show that the older people get, the more that solitude and loneliness trends increase.
At least two out of every 100 people suffer from severe or very severe loneliness, with another 41.3 per cent feel moderately lonely.
Meanwhile, only two thirds know they can always call on their friends whenever they need them. Nearly 18 per cent said they had no friends to call or if they do, they cannot call them. Lack of support was a big concern as this often led to mental health issues, Prof. Azzopardi added.
The research also looked into people’s perception about their household income: 20 per cent, or nearly 84,000, do not have enough income.
The faculty will be meeting policymakers to present the data, which according to Prof. Azzopardi, prove the need to increase training among professionals in the social field, and strengthen available services provided through Caritas Malta, parishes and local councils, among others.