The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared loneliness as a pressing global health threat with a mortality effect equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
Key points
- The WHO also launched an international commission on the problem, led by the US surgeon general, Dr Vivek Murthy.
- The commission will run for three years. Dr Murthy said that the mortality effects of loneliness are equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
- The new commission on social connection aims to address loneliness as a pressing health threat, promote social connection as a priority and accelerate the scaling up of solutions in countries of all incomes.
- While loneliness is often seen as a problem for developed countries the rates of one in four older people experiencing social isolation are similar in all regions of the world.
- According to the WHO, in older adults, loneliness is associated with a 50% increased risk of developing dementia and a 30% increased risk of coronary artery disease or stroke.
- Additionally, between 5% and 15% of adolescents are lonely, according to research findings
