Lonely? It’s in your DNA

LONELINESS could be in our genes, with about 5 per cent of what makes people feel lonely inherited from their parents.

While many people blame modern, busy lives, scientists have now identified genetic variations that may cause people to feel lonely.

UK researchers compared the DNA of 452,302 people with a questionnaire on whether they lived alone, how often they visited family and friends, and how often they felt they could confide in someone close to them.

People classed as lonely, based on their answers, had “different spellings” of their DNA at 15 genetic locations.

The same variations were also found to make people more neurotic, more depressive and more likely to be overweight.