"The Loneliness Epidemic: English Midlifers are the loneliest in Europe"

A new report from the American Psychological Association,(APA) amp-amp0001322.pdf (apa.org) has found that English middle aged people are the loneliest in Europe - but not as lonely as their US counterparts.

The study focused on middle aged people because empirical evidence had shown that US midlife health is worse than peer nations - and because as the researchers state "they form the backbone of society"

The data is formed from a simple three question scale starting with a direct question :

"How often do you feel lonely?" followed by

• "How often do you feel that you lack companionship?"

• "How often do you feel left out?"

• "How often do you feel isolated from others?"

There are three different types of loneliness: - Emotional loneliness, Social Loneliness and Existential loneliness. Loneliness is not the same as being alone and loneliness is different from being socially isolated. Loneliness is a subjective feeling involving our perception of the quality of our relationships where as social isolation can be objectively measured by looking at the quality and amount of social contacts we have within our community and individuals.

Emotional loneliness is often called the 'loneliness of the heart' - the absence of a meaningful relationship of a significant person or close friend. This can often cause the feeling of loneliness when in a crowd.

Social loneliness is the lack of a wide social network of neighbours, colleagues or friends. For example, you may see the same people on the street daily but no one says hello or stops to chat.

Existential loneliness is the feeling that we are completely separate from everyone else and perceive that no one would care if you did not exist.

The study reports that loneliness is more prevalent for later born cohorts in England and Mediterranean Europe (i.e., late baby boomers and Generation X show higher levels relative to early baby boomers and silent generation). Social and economic inequalities likely have powerful effects on midlife loneliness through undermining one’s ability to meet basic needs, restricting opportunities for upward economic mobility, and constraining people’s ability to lead lives one has reason to value (Marmot, 2007).

The difference in social safety nets (e.g. paid family leave, (un)employment protections, and subsidised childcare and education programmes for parents with children), from previous research suggests that public employment and family policies promote health and well-being for both parents and nonparents (Glass et al., 2016). Generous family and work policies indicate to likely lessen midlife loneliness.

In 2018 a Minister for loneliness was appointed to the UK Government. This followed research and reports evidencing the scale of the social issue. In December 2017 NHS England's chief nursing officer, Prof Jane Cummings, stated that cold weather and loneliness could be fatal. She said "simple acts of companionship" could make all the difference. An estimated half of people aged 75 and over live alone - about two million people (an increasing) across England - with many saying they can go days, even weeks, with no social interaction at all.

This is not just a western hemisphere concern. In February 2021 Japan appointed a minister of loneliness and isolation, noting the similar post already in the United Kingdom. "In Japan, where solitary deaths have been a social problem since the early 2000s, the perception that loneliness is not an issue restricted to a specific age group has become entrenched," the program reported. It noted that Japan had seen an increase in suicides among young women last year, and mentioned the country's establishment of a ministerial post and office to address the situation.

South Korea also has an increasing concern about young people who have completed isolated themselves from society.

Research by the South Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare suggests there are a variety of factors driving young people to cut themselves off. Hikikomori: Why Korean parents are choosing to be shut in a cell - BBC News

According to the ministry's survey of 19- to 34-year-olds, the most common reasons are:

• difficulties finding a job (24.1%)

• issues with interpersonal relationships (23.5%)

• family problems (12.4%)

• health issues (12.4%)

South Korea has some of the highest suicide rates in the world and in 2023 its government unveiled a five-year plan aiming to address this, including state-funded mental health check-ups for people aged 20-34 every two years.

Although there are many reasons contributing to loneliness and isolation, both external and internal throughout our lives, attachment is our connection with the world. In our earliest and formative attachment relationships we can gain or lose the ability to stay open, self-nurturing and heathy. It is well researched that connection is vital to healing - people without social contact - lonely people - are at greater risk of illness.

Because we have evolved as tribal creatures, living in tribes and groups our brains interpret social isolation as a major problem. It thinks it is under attack and places our bodies in an emergency state increasing the stress hormone cortisol. There is also evidence that it triggers our fight or flight responses and consequently leads to increasing chronic inflammation. In 2002 a study found that feeling isolate was predictive of who would be dead in six years time. Professor John Cacioppo, a loneliness expert compares loneliness in the same way as we view pain or hunger. He states that we have evolved to be motivated to do something to remedy pain and satisfy our hunger, " You would not want to be in these states, at least, not for very long but each has evolved as an aversive biological signal that motivates us to do something that is good for us. Physical pain motivates us to take care of our physical body. Loneliness motivates us to take care of our social body".

Whatever the disease those of us who have genuine social support have a better prognosis.

This has been recognised in the UK and various strategies have been implemented in order to reduce the growing social problem. These include: -

• A framework to improve and connect social services through things like broadening the use social prescribing — where professionals refer people experiencing loneliness to supports like involvement in the arts or community groups. Advocates support this practice of prescribing social activities as an alternative of complement to medication will become mainstream. Just as a doctor might advise someone to quit smoking, a doctor could underscore the necessity of consistent socializing.

• Communities that promote social connection through reimagined community spaces, transportation, housing and technologies.

• Public health campaigns that raise awareness and reduce the stigma surrounding loneliness.

One hundred and twenty six UK projects and programmes benefitted from the government's £11.5 million Building Connections Fund. These included new transportation lines for those at the highest risk of isolation, digital solutions for connecting older people to one another and one-to-one support for LGBTQ people dealing with loneliness.

It s important to recognise that being alone is not what makes you lonely. Loneliness can be described as having other people and society and community around you , and having a deep sense of being excluded from them. Loneliness can be caused through the loss of a partner, particularly prevalent in later life when a spouse dies leaving their partner alone.

However, being alone and moments of solitude are essential. Our solitary moments can be described as a homage to the richness of social existence. Spending time on our own can contribute to understanding how to be a better friend/partner/parent etc. and a properly attentive companion. As far back as Plato, periods of purposeful free calm were recognised as vital for reflection and self-awareness. Plato used a metaphor to describe our minds: our ideas are like birds fluttering around in the aviary of our brains - we need calm to allow the birds to settle.

The APA report has raised the awareness of what is a global epidemic of loneliness and the social issues which have contributed to, and are a result of. I will be looking in more depth at how loneliness has become a twenty -first century global epidemic in future blogs and posts.

Emotional, social and existential loneliness are all areas where Acceptance and Commitment Coaching can change your life . Fostering connection, overcoming social anxiety- if you are feeling lonely or isolated, for whatever reason, I can help - you are not alone.