Loneliness

Seoul's new initiative offers 24x7 access to loneliness counsellors via hotline, online platform, and follow-up visits for those needing extra support

Loneliness is a major risk factor that increases the risk of dementia by over 30 per cent, regardless of age or gender, a review of 21 long-term studies involving over six lakh participants worldwide has found. Loneliness, which involves one feeling dissatisfied with their social relationships, was also linked with symptoms preceding the stage of being diagnosed with dementia, such as cognitive impairment or decline. Both conditions affect decision-making, memory and thought process. However, dementia's symptoms are severe enough to interfere with one's daily functioning. The psychological state of feeling disconnected from society is now widely regarded as a risk factor for ill-health, even though studies have shown that loneliness cannot directly cause the disease. "Dementia is spectrum, with neuropathological changes that start decades before clinical onset. It is important to continue studying the link of loneliness with different cognitive outcomes or symptoms across this ...

Studies show that loneliness transcends age, affecting everyone from the teenagers to the elderly

Widespread loneliness in the U.S. poses health risks as deadly as smoking a dozen cigarettes daily, costing the health industry billions of dollars annually, the U.S. surgeon general said Tuesday in declaring the latest public health epidemic. About half of U.S. adults say they've experienced loneliness, Dr. Vivek Murthy said in an 81-page report from his office. We now know that loneliness is a common feeling that many people experience. It's like hunger or thirst. It's a feeling the body sends us when something we need for survival is missing, Murthy told The Associated Press in an interview. Millions of people in America are struggling in the shadows, and that's not right. That's why I issued this advisory to pull back the curtain on a struggle that too many people are experiencing. The declaration is intended to raise awareness around loneliness but won't unlock federal funding or programming devoted to combatting the issue. Research shows that Americans, who have become less .

Findings also indicate the need to enable strong inter-household ties to bolster public mental health in the long run

Loneliness, as a societal malaise, is rarely acknowledged

The year gone by has triggered serious concern for the ageing population, a segment of society that has forever struggled with a pervasive and never-ending epidemic: Loneliness

So what are the signs of loneliness? And how can we recognise these signs and therefore manage them?

The researchers added that women have larger social networks than men, so separation, divorce, or the death of a partner may disadvantage men more.

Without more efforts to remedy the crisis of loneliness and isolation in the elderly, the festive season may still be anything but a season of cheer for many

Loneliness and isolation may actually lead to early death, researches say