Well, maybe you are. Alone, that is. A recent study has found that one in three adults is lonely. Loneliness not only renders people despondent and melancholy, but it can also lead to ongoing, potentially life-threatening conditions like depression and heart disease.

The study, which took involved 1,289 people in Central Queensland Australia, found that contrary to popular belief, people do not necessarily become more lonely as they get older. According to research published in the Journal of Clinical Nursing, people over age 50 are the least lonely. Loneliness seems to get going around age 20 and peaks between 40 and 49.

The loneliness study also revealed that those with strong religious beliefs were less lonely that those who had no religious connection; women were less lonely than men (this may be due to the fact that women are more likely to have strong religious beliefs); retired people were less lonely than those who were unemployed; and people with lower incomes were more lonely than their high earning counterparts.

[via EurekAlert]

Image: innerexpansion.com