Loneliness is one of the great silent emergencies of our time. A widespread issue found among both young and old people, it can affect anybody and not just the most vulnerable. As a growing phenomenon that has an impact on people’s health, it requires systematic, inclusive responses. Recently released data and new strategies such as social prescribing are showing how to tackle it: through listening, community support and connections between people.
The COVID-19 syndemic shone the spotlight on social problems that can no longer be ignored. One of the most prominent is the loneliness that besets millions of people worldwide, for which prompt responses are required.
Loneliness in numbers: a growing phenomenon
The extent of the phenomenon in Europe was highlighted by a survey of 25,000 people in 2022. Conducted by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) in collaboration with the European Parliament as part of the Monitoring Loneliness in Europe pilot project, it revealed that 10% to 13% of respondents felt lonely constantly or most of the time. Ireland had the highest incidence, with 23% of people feeling lonely, followed by Greece and Bulgaria (both at 17%). The figure in Italy stood at 13%, while Spain, Austria and the Czech Republic had the lowest percentages at between 9% and 10%.
Analysis published in 2024 in “Psychological Science” revealed that instead of increasing with age in a linear manner, there are two significant peaks in loneliness, in young adulthood and old age. Young adults often feel lonely during times of transition and the elderly can feel alone due to the loss of significant relationships, isolated living and declining health. In mid-life, meanwhile, there tend to be lower levels of loneliness, probably thanks to greater stability in social networks.
A more in-depth examination of the situation in Europe can be found in the publication Loneliness in Europe: Determinants, Risks and Interventions (2024), which the JRC was also behind. It delivers a stark warning and highlights that the highest rates of loneliness are among young people, especially women between 16 and 24 years of age.
Further confirmation is provided by a survey published in 2024, according to which more than half of young Europeans admit to feeling lonely. 57% of those between 18 and 35 years old reported feeling quite or extremely lonely. The highest proportions were in France (63%) and Germany (51%).
Although loneliness is widespread among young people, there is very little focus on this age group in European policies. Just 8% of measures are designed for young people, whereas more than half – 53% – are devised for the elderly.
Who is most vulnerable and what are the health risks?
According to the Loneliness in Europe report, as well as young and old people, loneliness is more often felt by people who are less well-off: low incomes and material or educational poverty restrict opportunities for social and cultural participation. Similarly, the unemployed, migrants, disabled people, those with chronic illnesses, caregivers – both formal and informal – and those with mental health problems are all at risk and often face structural barriers, discrimination or a lack of support. Another group who should be contemplated here are extremely reclusive young people. For example, take the Japanese phenomenon of young people withdrawing from social life (hikikomori), which is also increasingly widespread in Europe. It often involves psychological troubles, prolonged isolation and difficulty reintegrating in school, work and social environments.
An article published by the BBC in March 2025 explains that loneliness does not just stem from the lack of a social network. Often, it is caused by having few significant bonds, or dissatisfaction with the quality of personal relationships. In scientific debate, distinctions are made between three main phenomena.
Different ways of being alone
The term social isolation refers to the objective state of having few or no social relationships (Parsons 2020; Beckers et al. 2022). Although it is an “objective” state, there is no universally accepted minimum number of relationships that people must have if they are not to be considered isolated, because the criteria change in different cultural contexts and times of life.
Meanwhile, solitude is when people choose to be alone. It is often a positive state that people seek out for personal reasons, such as meditation, reflection, or artistic creativity.
They are both different from loneliness, which is a subjective feeling of dissatisfaction with one’s social relationships. It is a distressing state that can occur even among people with wide social networks (Peplau & Perlman 1982; Sha’ked & Rokach 2015; Ozawa-De Silva & Parsons 2020).
Time is another factor that can be taken into account when classifying loneliness:
- Situational loneliness is connected with specific events.
- Existential loneliness is associated with a lack of purpose (Ozawa-De Silva 2020).
- Transient loneliness is a short-term state.
- Chronic loneliness lasts more than two years (Young 1982).
In recent years, the outlook on loneliness has changed. Instead of an individual condition, it is now seen as a widespread, collective matter that reflects social inequality and a lack of protection and inclusion networks. At the same time, many governments have launched initiatives to combat the loneliness epidemic. For example, the United Kingdom appointed a Minister for Loneliness in 2018, followed by Japan in 2021. In addition, in 2023 the World Health Organization (WHO) launched a Commission on Social Connection in order to address the issue on a global scale, promoting policies to strengthen the bonds between people and prevent the negative consequences of isolation.
Health impacts of loneliness
According to the WHO, loneliness has a negative impact on both mental and physical health, including the life expectancy of people who are alone or at risk of loneliness.
Psychologically, social isolation is closely connected to a greater risk of depression, anxiety and high stress levels. Going for long periods without interpersonal relationships can lead to lack of confidence, despondency and inner suffering, with a negative impact on everyday well-being.
From a physical point of view, loneliness is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, strokes and even dementia. In addition, it can weaken the immune system and affect the quality of sleep, making the body more vulnerable to a vast range of health issues.
One of the most concerning aspects is that loneliness can increase the risk of early death just as much as (and in some cases even more than) well-known factors such as smoking, obesity and physical inactivity.
What can be done? Bridging the gap between people and communities with social prescribing
During the shift from a society based on the stable bonds offered by families, schools and local communities to a more fragmented, digital world, many traditional ways in which people forged connections have been lost.
Against this backdrop, culture and occasions promoting social engagement can play a key role: cultural events, shared activities and gathering places not only provide opportunities for personal growth, but also help to create new personal connections. Promoting accessible, widespread district-based initiatives, especially in settings with the highest risk of isolation, is a way of investing in neighbourhood networks that can combat loneliness and strengthen the sense of belonging in communities.
On this front, social prescribing is proving increasingly popular internationally as an effective means of fighting loneliness (we took an in-depth look at social prescribing in this article).
Through this system, healthcare and link workers help people to connect with local resources, such as support groups, creative workshops, physical activities, cultural projects and volunteering initiatives. This provides people who are alone and at risk of loneliness with chances to get involved and build significant bonds, rediscovering interests and a sense of belonging.
According to the National Academy for Social Prescribing, social prescribing has a concrete impact, helping to improve moods, self-esteem and the quality of interpersonal relationships.
How effective is social prescribing?
Social Prescribing for Children and Youth: A Scoping Review (2024) was conducted by Caitlin Muhl, a researcher at Queen’s University at Kingston (Canada), with an interdisciplinary team of scholars from the same university and the University of Toronto. It analysed a number of studies into the use of social prescribing for children and young people. The review examined nine studies that were published in the United Kingdom and the United States between 2020 and 2024, largely focusing on young people between 15 and 25 years of age. Although the evidence is still limited, the results point to a potential reduction in loneliness, suggesting that social prescribing can be a key resource in efforts to promote the relational and psychological well-being of young people.
As for the adult population, a study was conducted in Queensland (Australia) and published in “Frontiers” in 2024. It assessed the effectiveness of social prescribing by examining a sample of individuals with an average age of 54, all of whom were experiencing isolation and a lack of social connections. The research compared two approaches: treatment as usual from a General Practitioner, and treatment as usual combined with social prescribing. After eight weeks, the participants from the latter group showed a reduction in loneliness and an increase in trust in others. With the support of link workers, the participants got involved in group activities such as art workshops, outdoor sports, educational initiatives and socialising programmes. As well as strengthening their sense of social connection, these measures led to psychological benefits, although in some cases it took longer for their effects to be fully appreciated. In contrast, the treatment-as-usual group did not show progress of this kind.
Fighting loneliness: case studies
A key part is played by projects that methodically put the approach into practice in the field. One noteworthy example is Isolation to Connection on Long Island (New York), which aims to combat loneliness among older people who do not live in retirement or nursing homes. In 2021, UJA-Federation of New York and the geriatrics team at Northwell Health joined forces to launch the programme, which sees Connection Specialists working in community centres and helping people who are alone and at risk of loneliness to access local resources and develop new social relationships. The service is available for anyone to access independently. New participants are invited to an introductory consultation, which includes a brief assessment of their loneliness level. Once their needs have been established, they are directed towards activities such as book clubs, group lunches, cultural programmes and volunteering. Practical support can also be provided with matters such as transport and food. Strong ties with the local area and active involvement in the community are the cornerstones of the initiative, which takes an integrated approach, acknowledges that loneliness is a genuine threat to health and provides concrete solutions to pave the way to social connections.
The data, research and experiences that have been gathered show that loneliness is a widespread phenomenon, spanning a range of ages, social circumstances and locations. It cannot be tackled with temporary measures alone. Forward-thinking public policies must be put in place, along with community initiatives and fresh investments in human relationships, including training for link workers, who play a crucial, connecting role. Fighting loneliness is not just an individual responsibility. A joint effort is required in order to strengthen the social fabric of which we are all part.
By Catterina Seia (Presidente CCW – Cultural Welfare Centre) e Elena Rosica ( Cultural Welfare Center (CCW), Research Area)
