During winter 2026 (Feb/March), 73 people at Seneca County Community Counseling Center took an anonymous survey about loneliness and social connection. CCSI’s analysis of the survey results showed that people who often/always felt lonely were significantly more likely to say that mental health and relational causes were among the reasons they felt lonely. They were more likely than other people to select these reasons for loneliness:

• Mental health symptoms (83%)
• Strained relationships (61%)
• Difficulty making friends (56%)

As expected, people who often/always felt lonely were also more likely to say they felt like they do not belong.