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Researchers now warn that chronic loneliness is one of the biggest emerging threats to humanity. Statistics show that in the UK, 3.8 million people suffer a profound sense of isolation and a lack of meaningful relationships.
Chronic Loneliness: A Problem Beyond the Elderly
Perhaps surprisingly, statistics show that young people under 30 are the loneliest age group. Individuals aged 16 to 29 are twice as likely to experience chronic loneliness compared to those over 70.
This feeling is not just a temporary state people go through when children leave for university or relationships end. Chronic loneliness is an all-consuming, persistent sense of isolation that harms mental health. According to Robin Hewings, it is a serious health issue that has risen since the pandemic.
While it has long been known that loneliness can damage health, researchers are starting to uncover why. For example, a worrying new study found that chronic loneliness may shrink the human brain and raise the risk of dementia.
The Serious Impact of Chronic Loneliness on Health
Japanese researchers studied nearly 9,000 men and women aged 65 and older. They compared MRI brain scans with detailed information about how many regular contacts each person had with family and friends.
The results showed that people with the fewest social contacts also had the smallest brain volume. This was most noticeable in areas such as the hippocampus and amygdala, regions linked to dementia.
Researchers suggest that a lack of social contact may accelerate the normal brain shrinkage that comes with age. Other studies show that regular conversation and social interaction trigger nerve impulses needed to form new connections between brain cells, helping to preserve brain volume.
One recent study examined the risk of cardiovascular disease over a decade among 18,509 adults in the UK with type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is already a major risk factor for heart attacks and strokes because it can damage circulation. But the study found the risks were even higher—by as much as 26%—for people who lived in isolation and lacked friends and social contacts.
Why Does Chronic Loneliness Harm Health So Much?
How can feelings of isolation have such serious effects on the body? One answer is the body’s threat response. The body releases the hormone cortisol, which speeds up heart rate and raises blood pressure, preparing someone to fight or flee.
Chronic loneliness can cause persistent stress, keeping the cortisol response switched on. Studies show that long-term exposure to elevated cortisol can increase blood pressure, blood glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides—harmful fats in the blood.
In a 2016 study, loneliness was linked to a 30% higher risk of stroke or ischemic heart disease. Professor Chris Gale says lonely people endure such high stress levels that it can damage the cardiovascular system. He explains that stress can also trigger the release of adrenaline, which raises heart rate and blood pressure.
Other pathways by which loneliness affects health are still being explored. Because some people feel lonely even when surrounded by others, researchers want to know whether loneliness and social isolation have different consequences.
A 2020 study found that both loneliness and social isolation can lead to slower walking speeds and difficulty rising from a chair. However, only social isolation was also associated with worsened balance.
Ways to Combat Chronic Loneliness
Reporting in the Daily Mail suggests that the obvious solution is to get out into the world and meet people. But the type of interaction matters.
Psychologists have found that physical touch with a friend or loved one reduces loneliness more than merely sharing space. Studies showed that even among mature couples, feelings of loneliness fell when there was regular physical contact, like hugging or holding hands.
An American study also shows that writing letters to pen pals can be an effective way to fight isolation. Researchers say letter writing has helped people overcome loneliness in ways that email and texting do not.
