It is underestimated, but is a major issue in our society, which is characterized by isolation: loneliness and its serious consequences for health. Loneliness is not just a social or psychological problem, but a serious threat to health. It is associated with serious illnesses such as depression, dementia, cardiovascular disease and cancer and is considered one of the most common causes of death.

Numerous scientific studies have shown that social isolation significantly increases the risk of various physical and mental illnesses. Older people in particular are susceptible to loneliness and its consequences due to age-related changes.

Loneliness: risk factor like smoking and lack of exercise

Loneliness is by no means just a subjective feeling of isolation, but has profound physiological and neurological consequences. Children perish without social contact, as experiments from the 1940s show. If there is no reliable caregiver, children lose weight and withdraw from their environment.

Experts such as the German neuroscientist and psychiatrist Manfred Spitzer believe that loneliness can drastically shorten life expectancy in a similar way to the risk factors of smoking or lack of exercise. People who are lonely over a longer period of time have a higher stress level, which in turn can lead to inflammatory processes in the body. These in turn promote the development of cardiovascular diseases, which are one of the most common causes of death in Western societies.

The lack of social interaction means that certain regions of the brain are less stimulated, which can also impair cognitive performance in the long term. Scientific studies show that loneliness significantly increases the likelihood of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Social isolation also has a negative impact on the immune system and increases the risk of chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

Loneliness in old age: A growing problem

Older people in particular are often affected by social isolation. The reasons for this are the loss of partners and friends, limited mobility and age-related illnesses. Retirement and withdrawal from work are also partly responsible for the decline in social networks. While social contacts are often taken for granted by young people, they increasingly become a challenge in old age. A lack of social interaction often means a downward spiral: without regular contact, there is a lack of motivation to get out of the house or engage in physical activity – which in turn further deteriorates health.