For the study, researchers from Cambridge used population data from almost half a million British people. The database contains information about the DNA of the persons and a large number of answers to the questionnaire.

And with By analyzing this, the researchers were able to locate fifteen different places in the genetic mass that can influence the risk of loneliness.

– Much of how people feel depends on circumstances and not on genetics. Despite this, places in the genome have been identified that are strongly associated with the feeling of loneliness, says Patrik Magnusson, associate professor of genetic epidemiology.

– It's something I didn't think would happen. So it's fascinating that it's even possible.

Loneliness is something like that This is a complex psychological concept and it can be difficult to capture through questionnaires what is self-chosen and what may instead be due to health, previous disappointments or other life circumstances.

That's why it doesn't work to use this result to say who will be lonely in life. But it shows that the inheritance we receive from our parents influences the way our personality is shaped from a genetic perspective.

– You get genes that give you the conditions to be a certain way, and we carry that with us through life. And that does not take away the responsibility from us, but it will be a statement that I think can be a relief to many, says Patrik Magnusson.

Susanna Hestreus
[email protected]

Reference: R. Day et al., Elucidating the genetic basis of social interaction
and isolation, published July 3, 2018 in Nature Communication, doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-04930-1