London, March 23 (IANS) Living alone may double the risk of depression, a study has found.

A study of more than 3,000 people in Finland found people living alone were 80 percent more likely to be taking anti-depressants at some point during the next seven years than those living with family or friends, The Telegraph Friday.

They found over a seven-year period a quarter of people living alone had bought anti-depressants compared to a sixth of those living with others.

After taking into account other factors such as work climate the effect was reduced slightly but those living alone were still around 70 percent more likely to have bought anti-depressants.

In Britain anti-depressants can only be prescribed by a doctor.

The researchers could not completely identify why there was such strong link between living alone and anti-depressant use but suggested that feelings of alienation from society and lack of trust could be involved.