Lonely people struggle to sustain positive emotions.
Lonely people experience more emotional ups and downs, especially with positive emotions.
Why it matters
- Loneliness affects emotional stability, which can impact mental and physical health.
By the numbers
- 252 adults aged 25 to 65 participated.
- Emotional reports were collected five times a day for two weeks.
The big picture
- Lonely individuals show greater emotional instability, especially with positive emotions.
- This suggests they struggle to sustain positive feelings over time.
What they're saying
- Personal anecdotes resonate with the study's findings, highlighting the relevance to personal experiences.
Caveats
- Loneliness was measured only once at the start of the study.
- Causality between loneliness and emotional instability is unclear.
What’s next
- Future studies could explore why loneliness is linked to emotional instability.
- Research could focus on helping people sustain positive emotions.