Romantic Partnerships Shield Against Loneliness—Except for Asexual Adults, New Study Finds

A study in Social Psychological and Personality Science, led by Giulia Zoppolat (Amsterdam University Medical Centers), examined romantic involvement and loneliness across sexual orientations. Romantic partnerships reduced loneliness for heterosexual and allosexual participants, but not for asexual participants.

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Researchers surveyed adults identified as heterosexual, allosexual, or asexual, measuring relationship status, satisfaction, and loneliness. They tested amatonormativity (the belief that a central romantic relationship is essential) and allonormativity (the belief that everyone experiences sexual attraction).

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The study was conducted by Giulia Zoppolat, Manuela Barreto, Pamela Qualter, Jasmine Crosbie, and David Matthew Doyle, all at Amsterdam University Medical Centers.

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Asexual participants reported lower relationship satisfaction and more unsatisfying relationships than other groups. For heterosexual and allosexual participants, partnership reduced loneliness; single or unsatisfied individuals felt lonelier. Asexual participants showed identical loneliness whether single, in an unsatisfying, or in a satisfying relationship. Overall, a satisfying partnership predicted fewer expectations of loneliness in old age.

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The results suggest that psychological benefits of romance may be muted for asexual adults, maybe because loneliness reflects social stressors like feeling invisible in a sexualized culture. The authors note that asexual people may rely on friendships, family, or queer-platonic bonds, challenging the view that romantic love is the primary source of resilience.

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The team sees the lack of a loneliness buffer as evidence that amatonormative and allonormative pressures can outweigh a partner's benefits. They also note that satisfying relationships boost confidence about aging without isolation, indicating long-term expectations depend more on relationship quality than immediate feelings.

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The authors note that grouping all asexual participants together obscures differences, such as aromantic asexuals who may experience amatonormative pressure as stress, limiting insight into how varied intimacy affects well-being.

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The authors call for studies that separate aromantic and romantic asexual sub-groups and examine non-romantic intimacy’s impact on loneliness and mental health.

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• “Romantic partnerships often act as a buffer against loneliness for most people, but this protective association does not universally extend to asexual individuals.” — Giulia Zoppolat, Social Psychologist, Amsterdam University Medical Centers

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• “Asexual participants reported completely similar rates of current loneliness regardless of whether they were single, in an unsatisfying relationship, or in a satisfying one.” — Study Findings

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• “Being in a satisfying relationship was associated with fewer worries about being lonely late in life for asexual individuals as well as their allosexual peers.” — Study Findings

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• “If an individual does not view romantic love as the absolute center of human connection, the presence or absence of a romantic partner will predictably correspond to a lesser degree with their overall loneliness.” — Study Conclusion

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