According to the 2021 data, about 33% of adults worldwide experienced feelings of loneliness. In May 2022, the American Psychological Association published a study claiming that pandemic-related factors such as lockdowns, physical distancing, and the switch to remote working and education aggravated the problem of loneliness around the world.
This can have a long-term effect on people’s wellbeing – and it’s yet to be seen how serious it may become.
If we live in the most connected society in history, why has a top Russian politician proposed setting up an ‘Agency for Loneliness?
Loneliness, what it can cause and where it begins.
According to psychologists, loneliness is an emotional state which makes a person feel deep emptiness and isolation. Those suffering from loneliness become insecure, anxious and depressed when their social relations are not how they would like them to be.
Psychiatric disorders that can follow include alcohol abuse, sleep problems, personality disorders, and even Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, the body suffers together with the soul: Loneliness may lead to diabetes, heart disease, autoimmune disorders, obesity, and even cancer.
The main stumbling point here is that there’s no exact definition of loneliness, and it’s different for everyone. According to a study by Indian scientist Sarvada Chandra Tiwari, the state is a “unique experience to each individual.”
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic, the global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by 25%. Scientists cited among the main reasons for this unprecedented stress caused by the social isolation, as well as loneliness, financial worries, fear of infection, and grief in the case of loss.
Phenomenon of stigma
The UK was the first country to appoint a minister for loneliness in 2018. Then, a research showed that up to a fifth of all British adults felt lonely most or all of the time. The new body set its main goals as reducing stigma, “so that people feel able to talk about loneliness and reach out for help;” boosting the role of organizations that are connecting people; and providing people with all the required information about loneliness.
Actually, the problem of stigma is a serious one. According to NHS England, one in four adults and one in 10 children experience mental illness. At the same time, the UK’s Mental Health Foundation reportsthat nearly nine out of ten people with mental health problems complain about stigma and discrimination.
The organization points out that the main reason behind the stigma is actually fear. “Some people believe people with mental health problems are dangerous when, in fact, they are at a higher risk of being attacked or harming themselves than hurting other people.”
It also noted that “media reports often link mental ill health with violence or portray people with mental health problems as dangerous, criminal, evil, or very disabled and unable to live normal, fulfilled lives.”
Cultural effect- Japan.
A country which did appoint a loneliness minister is Japan. While the state is a very common issue for Japanese society due to its cultural features, the Covid-19 pandemic made the need for a special focus obvious. Tetsushi Sakamoto, who took office last year, told the media that the suicide rate among women and young people had started to grow rapidly. Meanwhile, according to a study published by the Japan Times this year, nearly 40% of adults in the country felt lonely as social interaction remained limited due to the Covid-19 pandemic, while younger people tended to feel more isolated.
In 2021, Russia’s Rossiyskaya Gazeta asked Sakamoto whether it was possible to count all the people suffering from loneliness to assess the real scale of the problem. “It is virtually impossible to count the number of lonely people,” the minister answered.
“Loneliness is a very individual thing. There are people who, being in isolation, do not feel alone. For example, those living in the mountains. At the same time, it’s a common situation when citizens, who are among other people, suffer from loneliness. What should we do with such people? How should you lend a helping hand to them? These problems need to be deeply studied.”
The cultural aspect of the problem has already been the focus of much Japanese research. “Japan strongly values respect for the individual and protection of freedom,” Professor Ishida Mitsunori noted in a study published last year. “As in other countries, violence against others or stealing others’ property – causing harm to others – is strictly proscribed. Furthermore, the definition of violence includes psychological forms.
Effects of loneliness:
According to new research, experiencing loneliness seems to lead to a higher risk of future unemployment. The people who say they “often feel lonely” are much more likely to lose their jobs later.
Paper co-author Dr Ruben Mujica-Mota, Associate Professor of Health Economics in the University of Leeds’ School of Medicine, said: “While previous research has shown that unemployment can cause loneliness, ours is the first study to identify those lonely people of any working age are at greater risk of becoming unemployed.”
“Our findings show that these two issues can interact and create a self-fulfilling, negative cycle. There is a need for greater recognition of the wider societal impacts of loneliness in the working-age population.”
Disclaimer: this article is mainly sourced from RT. We do not take any responsibility for the personal feelings this may trigger.
Support in Australia:
https://www.lifeline.org.au/get-help/information-and-support/loneliness-and-isolation/
