One in Every Ten People Have No Friends and Feel Unloved: Survey

By Staff Reporter - 12 Aug '14 05:24AM

At least one in every ten people may not have a real friend to stand by them in times of need, finds a study.

With social media, dating websites and applications that make socializing an easy affair, one may not falter at the thought of being lonely. But, a recent survey conducted by the Relationship Charity found nearly one-in-every ten British do not have a close friend and one-in-every five people admit that they are lonely and feel uncared for.

The experts interviewed over 5,000 people about their personal relations and their effect on life. Almost 91 percent of the participants had one best friend. About 81 percent and 73 percent of men and women described their friendly attachment as good or very good. Almost 42 percent of the respondents said they made no friends at work to ensure there were no distractions in their mundane nine-to-five routine, reports the Daily Mail.

Women also said their quality of relations and bonding with friends became better as they got older but, majority of men reportedly maintained the same rapport with their buddies throughout life. The survey results also revealed about 24 percent of participants did not enjoy intimate relations with their partners and spouses. One in every three respondents devoted themselves to work and neglected family life.

Although, 85 percent of surveyed people were in healthy and satisfying relation with their spouses, 24 percent of total participants had extra-marital affairs or sought professional help to fix their marriage.

The findings also found a direct association between state of well-being and healthy personal relations.

"This new study examines the quality of our relationships, showing a clear link between our personal relationships and our well-being. Whilst there is much to celebrate, the results around how close we feel to others are very concerning. There is a significant minority of people who claim to have no close friends, or who never or rarely feel loved - something which is unimaginable to many of us," said Ruth Sutherland, chief executive of Relate, reports the Daily Mail.

"Relationships are the asset which can get us through good times and bad, and it is worrying to think that there are people who feel they have no-one they can turn to during life's challenges. We know that strong relationships are vital for both individuals and society as a whole, so investing in them is crucial," she adds.