Page 21 - SeniorsToday October

Mind Matters
Loneliness: A Struggle That
Needs To Be Overcome
Dr Monika Dass writes — Loneliness can take as much toll on mental and
physical health as smoking and lack of exercise, say psychologists!
“Loneliness is a 365 day a year problem;
it just does not happen at random. The
evidence is very clear; loneliness is a
massive risk factor in people developing
both mental and physical health problems
and should be treated as a public health
emergency. Loneliness is a scourge on our
society…” - Dr Roman Raczka, President-
Elect of the BPS.
Research indicates that about 10% of
the population feel lonely at any one time
while it is accepted that older people are
at high risk of social isolation, loneliness
and, thus, poor mental and physical health,
there is now more recognition of the impact
of loneliness on children and young people
too. Young people, from adolescence to
early adulthood, attach particularly high
value to close friendships and romantic
SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #64 | OCTOBER 2024
relationships. Loneliness is particularly
common at this stage of life.
But what is it about loneliness that hurts,
and even kills? What is it that makes it
so dangerous to our physical and mental
health?
Our species evolved for social living,
which needs larger brains to develop after
passing through the birth canal - which,
in turn, means that we are brought into
this world quite helpless and relatively
immature. As infants, we are all dependent
on care for longer than any other primate.
Birth itself is painful and dangerous. It
all adds up to the need for help from kin.
Therefore, the feeling of loneliness may be
a helpful and adaptive response to being
socially disconnected and it provides us
with a drive to re-join with social groups.
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