Loneliness, Seen as a Public Health Crisis

Is loneliness a public health crisis? Look at it this way: loneliness makes people irritable, depressed and self-centered. It is associated with a 26% increase in premature mortality. 1/3 of people in industrialized countries are afflicted with loneliness, 1 in 12 people are severely affected by it and these statistics are increasing. Income, education, gender and ethnicity can’t protect people from loneliness and it’s not caused by any specific personal characteristic. Chronic loneliness increases your risk of illness and early death.

So let’s assume that yes, loneliness is a disease rampant in our society.

Do you suffer from loneliness and feel that it is affecting your health? If you are living with a chronic illness, does that make your life lonelier? Have you found any ways to maintain contact with people, in spite of your ill health? If you have, congratulations! By reducing your loneliness you are improving your health.