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One in six people worldwide is lonely, and hundreds of thousands die every year as a result, according to a new analysis from the World Health Organization (WHO).
Concerns about an epidemic of loneliness have made their way into pop culture and politics in recent years – and the WHO’s Commission on Social Connection aimed to pinpoint exactly who is at risk and what it means for their wellbeing.
Young people are most affected by loneliness, the report found, with about 20.9 per cent of adolescents and 17.4 per cent of adults under 30 saying they feel lonely. That’s compared with 11.8 per cent of those aged 60 or older.
Overall, men and women fare about the same – but teenage girls are the loneliest group, with 24.3 per cent saying they are lonely.
“There are many factors that are driving loneliness and isolation,” Dr Vivek Murthy, the former US surgeon general and the commission’s co-chair, said during a press briefing.
He cited “poor physical and mental health, which can unfortunately further isolate individuals” as well as “social marginalisation” and the “increasingly harmful or excessive use of digital media, especially among youth” as key problems.
Not everyone who spends time alone is lonely. The WHO says someone is socially isolated if they lack enough social connections, while it defines loneliness as the “painful feeling” that arises when people do not have the kind of relationships they want.
Data on social isolation is more limited, but the commission believes it affects up to one in three older adults and one in four young people.
Both loneliness and social isolation can have severe health consequences. They are linked to an estimated 871,000 deaths per year, raising the risk of stroke, heart disease, diabetes, cognitive decline, and poor mental health, the report found.
But having strong social connections can boost people’s health and even help them live longer, the commission said.
Taking action to curb loneliness
WHO experts called for national governments to make loneliness a policy priority and for more research into strategies that can help bolster social connections.
“For too long, we have not recognised the importance of social health,” Murthy said. “That must change”.
Some countries are already taking steps in that direction. Sweden, for example, launched a €30 million plan this year to combat loneliness, for example by doing outreach to elderly people who may be isolated, said Jakob Forssmed, Sweden’s minister for social affairs and public health.
In the coming months, Sweden will start giving 16- to 18-year-olds “activity cards” with money that can be spent on civil society groups, sports, outdoor activities, and cultural events – but only on activities that involve other people, Forssmed said during the briefing.
The goal is to better equip young people with social skills and boost connections between people of all ages.
“This is not a problem for those who are lonely, those who are isolated,” Forssmed said. “This is a problem for the whole of society”.