Chronic Loneliness - The Next Public Health Challenge

Last week the Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt, called for a shift in attitudes towards the elderly in the UK, to avoid them becoming the forgotten generation. Numerous reports over the last couple of years have identified that many of our most vulnerable members of society, be they the frail elderly or people with physical and mental health conditions, live alone or find themselves spending their last years of life in a care home with few if any visitors, leading to chronic loneliness.

A BBC survey this month shone a spotlight on the issue of loneliness in old age and the debilitation caused by isolation. Indeed, loneliness is a challenge that has become increasingly difficult to tackle as people live longer but with life limiting conditions; suffering pain and discomfort from physical illnesses; and loss of independence, social isolation and loneliness as a result of a diminishing circle of family and friends. Mr Hunt's call for a reinvigoration of the social contract between generations, while admirable, is unlikely to be enough, as many elderly and vulnerable people do not have family or friends nearby, or may not have any family at all. These particular individuals are likely missing both social contact and the benefits of advocacy that families and friends can provide.

Loneliness is not simply a social problem but is considered increasingly to be a public health issue. While chronic loneliness can affect people of all ages it poses a particular threat to the very old, quickening the rate at which their faculties decline and cutting their lives shorter. Research studies have shown that chronic loneliness is associated with significantly greater risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke; it contributes to a more rapid progression of Alzheimer's disease and suppresses the functioning of the immune system. Loneliness also reduces life-span, with researchers finding that chronic loneliness poses as large a risk factor for long term health as smoking as well as increasing likelihood of early admission to residential or nursing care.

There are many reasons for loneliness, but people who live alone suffer from loneliness more frequently than people who share their homes with others. Currently, over two million people over the age of 75 live alone. Childless widows, those who have infrequent contact with their children, and those without adequate transportation are among the loneliest of elderly people. There is also a relationship...