When Does Being Single Affect Your Mental Health?

A recent study conducted by the University of Zurich revealed that staying single for a long time may start to negatively impact the mental health of young people, especially as they progress into late adolescence and their mid-twenties.

What the Study Revealed

The study, published in the "Journal of Personality and Social Psychology," followed about 17,400 individuals in Germany and the United Kingdom from mid-adolescence to their late twenties to observe the impact of prolonged singleness on mental health.

The results showed that being single at ages 16 and 17 does not significantly affect life satisfaction, as responsibilities are relatively limited, and there is not a big difference between single teenagers and those with romantic partners.

Beginning of Negative Impact

Psychological changes begin to appear at age 18, where single young people feel a decrease in life satisfaction compared to others in romantic relationships.

By age 19, feelings of loneliness start to clearly affect mental health, worsening throughout the twenties, peaking around age 24, creating what the study described as a "vicious cycle" that impacts mood and psychological well-being.

Depression and Singleness

Depression typically begins to appear around age 23, indicating that prolonged singleness first affects feelings of loneliness and life satisfaction before developing into broader emotional disorders.

The Positive Impact of Relationships

The study indicates that entering the first romantic relationship often provides an immediate and lasting improvement in mental health, reducing feelings of loneliness and increasing feelings of happiness, with these benefits continuing into the late twenties, even after the relationship ends.