Who People Talk to When They're Struggling
This article explores the loneliness epidemic in America and the difficulty people face in finding someone to talk to during times of personal struggle. It references data from the American Trends Panel to highlight the lack of support systems for many individuals.
Why it matters
It addresses a growing public health concern regarding social isolation and the lack of emotional support networks in modern society.
Article voiceover 0:00 -7:53 Audio playback is not supported on your browser. Please upgrade. T his post has been unlocked through a generous grant from the Lilly Endowment for the Association of Religion Data Archives (ARDA). The graphs you see here use data that is publicly available for download and analysis through link(s) provided in the text below.
Who do you talk to when you’re struggling? When it feels like you’re carrying the weight of the world and there’s no way out of the mess you’re in—who can you turn to for an honest conversation? I’d bet that for a lot of us, the answer is “no one.” Many Americans are suffering in silence, without a spouse, a close friend, or even a co-worker they can lean on when times get tough. The loneliness epidemic has real casualties. Of that, I am absolutely sure.
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