‘Empty Nest’ after 60: why children leaving home can make loneliness worse

When adult children leave home, it does not necessarily mean ‘empty nest syndrome’: many parents see this new phase as a chance to enjoy freedom, to focus on themselves or to rekindle their relationship with their partner. However, for some older people, this change can be accompanied by loneliness, a loss of their usual routine and a diminished sense of self-worth.

This is indicated by a pilot study from the University of Hertfordshire in the UK. As it is based on just 53 questionnaires, it does not prove that children leaving home in itself causes psychological problems for parents, but rather shows who may find such a transition particularly difficult.

Details

Researcher Denise Turner surveyed 53 people who had experienced the transition to the so-called ‘empty nest’. Data was collected in the spring of 2025 via the British online community GransNet and through personal and professional networks. 68 per cent of participants were over 60 years old, 90.5 per cent were women; all respondents identified as white British.

Participants described not only the absence of children in the home, but also a wider range of changes. For some, their children’s departure coincided with retirement, the loss of a partner, divorce, deteriorating health or a shrinking social circle. In such situations, the loss of daily contact with their children could exacerbate an already existing sense of isolation.

The transition proved particularly difficult for some people living alone, widowers, divorcees and single parents, as well as those whose daily lives and sense of self were closely tied to caring for their children. Some respondents felt a sense of loss of purpose: active parenting was coming to an end, whilst a new, stable role had not yet emerged.

That said, the experience was not the same for everyone. Some participants spoke of greater independence, a reduced domestic workload, the opportunity to devote time to themselves and to rebuild their relationship with their partner. 62 per cent of those surveyed also faced their adult children moving back home — the so-called ‘boomerang effect’ — so for many, the transition to an empty nest was not a one-off event.

More than a quarter of participants would like to see more information and support for people going through this stage of life. The author believes that social services could take children leaving home into account alongside other mid-life and later-life transitions, particularly if a person already has few social contacts or has experienced other significant losses.

Why this is important

The main conclusion of the study is not that the ‘empty nest’ inevitably leads to loneliness. Rather, children leaving home may exacerbate pre-existing vulnerabilities: a limited social circle, living alone, the loss of other social roles, or a lack of support.

The results should be treated with caution. This is a small pilot survey with a convenience sample rather than a representative one: almost all participants were women, all were white British, and a significant proportion were recruited via a single online forum. Such a sample does not allow us to assess how common the problem is amongst all older parents, nor can it prove a causal link between children moving away and a deterioration in mental health.

Larger studies present a mixed picture. For example, longitudinal data from the German Ageing Survey previously showed that, after taking socio-demographic and medical factors into account, the transition to the ‘empty nest’ was not associated with changes in levels of loneliness or symptoms of depression. This suggests once again that it is not the mere fact of children leaving home that is decisive, but rather specific life circumstances and the social connections available to the individual.

Source

Phys.org: Empty nest can trigger loneliness and loss in older parents, study finds, September 2026.

Denise Turner, The British Journal of Social Work, published 11 August 2026. DOI: 10.1093/bjsw/bcag151.

German Ageing Survey: The empty nest, depressive symptoms and loneliness of older parents — an additional source for context.