By Rajesh K. Mehta, MD, FAPA, Narpinder Malhi, MD, FAPA, Dhanalakshmi Ramasamy, MD, and the Committee on Family at the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry

A February 2024 poll by the American Psychiatric Association found that 30 percent of adults felt lonely at least once a week in the past year, and 10 percent felt lonely every day. The World Health Organization calls loneliness a global health threat and estimates that one in four adults and one in 15 adolescents experience loneliness.

Loneliness can be defined as a complex feeling of being alone or lacking companionship, even when surrounded by people. Most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic significantly heightened feelings of loneliness due to prolonged social isolation and reduced in-person interaction.

Social isolation and having few social connections can lead to loneliness. However, not all individuals with few social connections are lonely, and, perhaps paradoxically, even those who are socially connected can still experience loneliness.

According to a report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, over one-third of adults aged 45 and older feel lonely, and nearly one-fourth of adults aged 65 and older are socially isolated. Older adults are at higher risk because they are more likely to live alone, lose family or friends, and suffer from chronic illnesses.

Further, it is........

© Psychology Today