“Epidemic” of loneliness is a threat to public health, says WHO

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With a projection of 8.09 billion in 2025, the global population is, however, increasingly lonely. So much so that the World Health Organization (WHO) considers the problem a threat to public health. New studies highlight that the impacts go beyond the devastating mental effects, with implications ranging from diabetes to an increased risk of mortality from cardiovascular diseases, including dementia and frailty syndrome in the elderly (a condition characterized by loss of weight and muscle mass).

Researchers at Penn State University in the United States found in a study of 1,538 participants aged 35 to 65 that long-term loneliness is associated with a 29% higher risk of heart disease and a 32% higher risk of stroke.

The research focused on young and middle-aged adults because, according to the authors, investigations on the topic generally focus on teenagers or the elderly. The data revealed that even when the lack of social connection is temporary, there are impacts on physical health, such as general fatigue, nausea and headache.

Study participants underwent assessments of daily stress and mood for eight consecutive days. They had to report stressful or positive situations, including whether they felt lonely and how often. They were also asked about physical symptoms that day, such as fatigue or migraines. The interviews were carried out twice, a decade apart.

Dynamics

The researchers found that when participants were less lonely, physical complaints were fewer and milder. “These findings suggest that the daily dynamics of loneliness may be crucial for understanding and addressing the health effects of loneliness,” said David Almeida, professor of human development and family studies at Penn State and senior author of the paper, published in the journal Health Psychology.

According to the researcher, increasing social connection even for a day can result in fewer health symptoms. “This daily focus offers a manageable and hopeful micro-intervention for individuals living with loneliness.”

With data from 42,000 adults aged between 40 and 69, researchers from the United Kingdom and China found a relationship between social isolation/loneliness and poorer health, in addition to an increased risk of early mortality.

Scientists decided to investigate possible biological mechanisms of this relationship and discovered that people who considered themselves lonely or fit into a profile of little contact with others had higher levels, in the body, of substances associated with inflammation, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and death before birth. 75 years.

Proteins

One of the proteins produced at higher levels as a result of loneliness was ADM. Previous research has highlighted the role of the molecule in the response to stress and in the regulation of social hormones, such as oxytocin, capable of improving mood. The circulating amount of ADM has now been associated with a smaller volume of a brain region involved in emotional and social processes. Higher rates were also statistically related to an increased risk of early mortality.

“These findings reinforce the importance of social contact to stay well. More and more people of all ages are reporting feeling lonely. This is why, for the WHO, social isolation and loneliness are considered a ‘global public health concern’”, comments Barbara Sahakian, professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge, in the United Kingdom and co-author of the study, published in the journal Nature. “We need to find ways to address this growing problem and keep people connected to help them stay healthy.”

Specialist in psychiatry and member of the Alcohol and Drugs Center at Hospital Sírio-Libanês, Arthur Guerra advocates that loneliness be addressed by public policies. He recalls that, in 2021, Japan created the Ministry of Loneliness, a problem that increases with longevity. “People live longer, which, of course, is desirable, but, at the same time, they end up becoming increasingly distant from family, friends, companions and collaborators”, he highlights. “This is a major challenge for public health: dealing with loneliness, a phenomenon that tends to intensify around the world.”