Childless seniors are not lonely

Since the 1950s, more and more people decide to not have children. Whether this has an effect on the loneliness and well-being in old age, scientists from the German centre for age questions investigated now.

The analysis shows that older women and men without children have a well-functioning social networks. Both the elderly with children and those without children have an average of about canadian drugs online four persons in a close relationship. Instead of the family in children’s scope loose significantly more contacts with friends, Acquaintances, and distant Relatives to be cared for. These are also the first point of contact when it comes to important personal decisions, emotional encouragement, or even assistance with household tasks.

For example, if the comfort or encouragement needed, would be looking for 62 percent of the childless women, those with friends or Acquaintances, while that would only be at 45 percent of the mothers in question. With the help and support due to health impairment of five percent of the fathers would, but 43 percent of childless men to more distant relatives. “A one-sided negative view on childless adults who are socially isolated and with a lack of support does not correspond to the Realität”, the author of the Study, Elke Hoffmann says.

The same is true for the well-being in old age. Childlessness does not necessarily lead to aging, lonely, and dissatisfied. Loneliness and depression did not occur in older people without children more often than mothers and fathers. Anyway, only a minority of older women (8 percent) and men (10 percent) reported being lonely. The results are based on data from the German age survey (DEAS) from the year 2014, a nationally representative study of 40 – to 85-year-old resident population.

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