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Politics : Sioux Nation -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: T L Comiskey who wrote (119069)	11/8/2007 12:13:18 PM
From: elpolvo	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 361761

tlc- in other 1 out of 4 gnooze... 1 out of 4 Americans Has No One To Confide In by Janet Kornblum, Chicago Sun-Times Americans have a third fewer close friends than just two decades ago, and the number of people who have none has more than doubled -- another sign we may be living more isolated lives than in the past. In 1985, the average American had three people in his or her closest circles -- defined as people in whom they confide important matters, according to a study in today's American Sociology Review. Nearly 20 years later, that number dropped to two. In 2004, one in four said they have no close confidants at all, compared with one in 10 in 1985. "You usually don't see that kind of big social change in a couple of decades," said study co-author Lynn Smith-Lovin, professor of sociology at Duke University in Durham, N.C. SOMEONE TO DEPEND ON Close relationships serve as a safety net, she said. "Whether it's picking up a child in day care or finding someone to help you out of the city in a hurricane, these are people we depend on." In addition, studies have linked isolation and loneliness to mental and physical illness. The study finds fewer contacts are from clubs and neighbors and says people rely more on family. The percentage of people who confide only in family increased from 57 percent to 80 percent, the study says. The number who depend totally on a spouse is up from 5 percent to 9 percent. While family is significant, having fewer other ties can lead to isolation, Smith-Lovin said. -ep