Its a medical paradox. People who feel lonely can spread the emotion to others - much like a virus. After poring over data collected from nearly 5,000 people, the researchers concluded that loneliness is more than just a personal feeling, its an infectious mental condition. This was a statistical rather than medical study, so it doesnt explain how the contagion happens. But what it did find was that the friends of a person describing themselves as lonely were 52% more likely to become lonely themselves, and that their friends were at an increased risk too, even if they didnt know the lonely person.

The studys authors suggest this may be down to the way lonely people behave. A tendency to be wary or mistrustful of others can make their loneliness a self-fulfilling prophecy, as it may drive friends away. This much may seem obvious, but the study also hints that this behaviour can rub off on other people, painting a rather bleak picture of lonely people driving each other into ever greater isolation. Its advice to the lonely - surround yourself with a network of friends, as long as theyre not lonely too.

Jack Izzard, BBC News

paradox
ضد و نقیض، عجیب، تعارض

poring over data
بررسی دقیق اطلاعات

an infectious mental condition
در اینجا: یک حالت روانی مسری

at an increased risk
با خطر فزاینده (احساس تنهایی کردن) روبرو هستند

down to
در اینجا: به دلیل........

a tendency to be wary or mistrustful of
بیمناک بودن و احساس بی اعتمادی به .....( دیگران)

a self-fulfilling prophecy
یک پیش بینی تحقق یافتنی است

drive friends away
دوستان شخص را از وی دور می کند

rub off on
در اینجا: تاثیر گذاشتن بر روی .......( سایر مردم)

painting a rather bleak picture
تصویر نسبتا نومیدکننده ای را ترسیم می کند