HEALTH NOTES: Loneliness may be a good thing for older people, new research shows

A little bit of loneliness may be a good thing for older people, surprising new research shows. 

Experts at the University of Zurich got 118 men and women over 65 to use an app to log all social interactions for three weeks. 

The results, published in the British Journal of Psychology, showed that the longer they spent in solitude, the more time the volunteers spent socialising at the next opportunity. 

The study found that older people need some quiet time to recharge their batteries after mixing with others. 

‘Solitude is an integral part in older adults’ daily lives as it supports energy recovery,’ researchers said. 

Number of ticks on the rise in the UK

Ticks that cause potentially deadly Lyme disease are on the march in the UK, especially in the south and east of England. 

New data from the UK Health Security Agency shows areas where the ticks can be found increased between 2013 and 2020.

In a report in the journal Medical And Veterinary Entomology, scientists blamed reforestation and a rise in the deer population.

New data from the UK Health Security Agency shows areas where the ticks (pictured) can be found increased between 2013 and 2020

The animals carry the ticks, which, when they bite humans, release bacteria into the blood that attack the joints and nervous system, before spreading to the brain or heart. Prompt treatment with antibiotics is needed.

Lyme disease affects up to 8,000 people a year in the UK.

Young adults are more riddled with guilt and tend to fret over relationships much more than their parents ever used to, a survey shows. 

US-based Sapien Labs – a non-profit body specialising in brain research – studied almost 150,000 18-to-24-year-olds from nearly 20 countries and found that they were two-and-a-half times more likely to feel guilty about things than the previous generation – especially when it came to disappointing other people or letting them down. 

Young adults are more riddled with guilt and tend to fret over relationships much more than their parents ever used to, a survey shows (stock image)

And they were four times more likely than their parents’ generation to regularly experience obsessive thoughts about relationships. 

Researchers said: ‘This pattern seems to reflect the changing social environment driven by the internet.’