Blame loneliness on your ancestors

LONDON: Are you prone to feeling lonely? Then you’ve only got your ancestors to blame.

Scientists have discovered that feelings of isolation are partly due to a group of “loneliness genes” passed down the generations. For those with the genes, being lonely is a permanent condition and can be a signal of mental health problems.

But the genetic influence accounts for 14 to 27 percent of typical loneliness, with environmental factors – education, poverty and physical health making up the rest.

Researchers from the University of California analysed a mental health study of 10 750 people aged 50-plus and discovered a combination of genes linked to depression and neurosis found in those showing signs of loneliness, said the journal Neuropsychopharmacology. – Daily Mail