New loneliness numbers ’not a fluke’: Western expert

A Statistics Canada survey shows more than 1 in 10 Canadians reports being lonely often or all the time. Photo by Mike Toraw of Pexels Elvis knew lonely. And if even the king of rock-and-roll sometimes checked into Heartbreak Hotel down at the end of Lonely Street, it's hardly surprising that a lot of ordinary Canadians are also feeling a bit forlorn these days. A Western University expert on loneliness research finds validation, but little consolation, in new national numbers that quantify the emotional impact of isolation during the pandemic. Newly released data from Statistics Canada shows 13 per cent of Canadians 15 years and older  reported they often or always were lonely in recent months. "Clearly it's not a fluke that we're seeing this many individuals identifying themselves as lonely, and there's also a clear trend based on age," said Western professor and loneliness researcher Julie Aitken Schermer. The Canadian Social Survey - Well-being, Activities and Perception of Time , conducted in August and September and released this week, shows older seniors and people younger than 25 are feeling the most isolated.