Loneliness is being treated as a serious health risk

kAmp 76H J62CD 28@[ E96 &]$] $FC86@? v6?6C2=k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]99D]8@G^DFC86@?86?6C2=^AC:@C:E:6D^4@??64E:@?^:?56I]9E>=Qm :DDF65 2 7@C>2= 25G:D@CJ 56D4C:3:?8 =@?6=:?6DD 2?5 D@4:2= :D@=2E:@? 2D 2? 6A:56>:4k^2m — E96 D2>6 <:?5 @7 H2C?:?8 FD65 :? E96 A2DE 7@C AF3=:4 962=E9 >2EE6CD =:<6 D>@<:?8] w6 4@>A2C65 E96 A9JD:42= 962=E9 :>A24E @7 49C@?:4 :D@=2E:@? E@ D>@<:?8 `d 4:82C6EE6D 2 52J]k^Am

kAm{@?6=:?6DD 5@6D?’E 2=H2JD >62? 36:?8 2=@?6[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]2AC:=962=E9]4@>^QmpAC:= w62=E9k^2m C6A@CED] xE 42? 36 76=E :? 2 4C@H5 @C DFCC@F?565 3J DEC2?86CD[ 2?5 :D 4=@D6C E@ 2 766=:?8 @7 =24< @7 4@??64E:@?] p44@C5:?8 E@ C6D62C49 7C@> k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]HJD2]4@>^=@?6=:?6DD\E96\9:556?\:>A24EQm(JD2k^2m[ ?62C=J @?6 :? E9C66 p>6C:42? 25F=ED @7E6? @C 2=H2JD 766=D =@?6=J] %96 DEF5J[ H9:49 DFCG6J65 a[_cc p>6C:42? 25F=ED =2DE J62C[ F?4@G6C65 2 4@CC6=2E:@? 36EH66? A6CD:DE6?E =@?6=:?6DD 2?5 2 H:56 C2?86 @7 962=E9 DJ>AE@>D :?4=F5:?8 56AC6DD:@?[ 49C@?:4 A2:?[ 72E:8F6[ 2?5 :?D@>?:2]k^Am

kAm~E96C C6D62C49 92D =:?<65 =@?6=:?6DD 2?5 D@4:2= :D@=2E:@? E@k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]454]8@G^D@4:2=\4@??64E65?6DD^C:D<\724E@CD^:?56I]9E>=Qm 2 9:896C C:D< @7 D6C:@FD A9JD:42= :==?6DD[ DF49 2D 962CE 5:D62D6 2?5 DEC@<6k^2m[ 2?5 2>@?8 @=56C 25F=ED[k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?:2]?:9]8@G^962=E9^=@?6=:?6DD\2?5\D@4:2=\:D@=2E:@?\E:AD\DE2J:?8\4@??64E65Qm 2 D:8?:7:42?E=J :?4C62D65 C:D< @7 56>6?E:2 2?5 4@8?:E:G6 564=:?6k^2m] %9:D :D 3642FD6 49C@?:4 =@?6=:?6DD <66AD E96 3@5J’D DEC6DD C6DA@?D6 A6C>2?6?E=J DH:E4965 @?[ 2?5 @G6C E:>6 E9:D 42? 42FD6 6=6G2E65 DEC6DD 9@C>@?6D 2?5 :?7=2>>2E:@?[ H9:49 :? EFC? AFED AC6DDFC6 @? E96 962CE 2?5 E96 :>>F?6 DJDE6>]k^Am

kAm%96 :>A24E @7 =@?6=:?6DD @? >6?E2= 962=E9 :D >@C6 4@>A=6I[ 2D =@?6=:?6DD :Dk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]?:>9]?:9]8@G^962=E9^E@A:4D^56AC6DD:@?Qm 3@E9 2 C:D< 724E@C 7@C 56AC6DD:@? 2?5 2 DJ>AE@> @7 :Ek^2m] (96? 2 A6CD@? 6IA6C:6?46D =@?6=:?6DD[ E96J 2C6 >@C6 =:<6=J E@ 36 H:E95C2H? H9:49[ :? EFC?[ 42? :?4C62D6 E96 DJ>AE@>D @7 56AC6DD:@?[ 2?5 H96? 2 A6CD@? :D 56AC6DD65[ E96J >2J H:E95C2H 7C@> D@4:2=:K:?8] q@E9 =@?6=:?6DD 2?5 56AC6DD:@? 364@>6 2 42FD6 2?5 2 4@?D6BF6?46 @7 6249 @E96C[ 4C62E:?8 2 =@@A E92E >2<6D :E 5:77:4F=E E@ 562= H:E9] %9:D 2=D@ A=246D =@?6=:?6DD 2E E96 46?E6C @7 A9JD:42= 2?5 >6?E2= 962=E9[ H9:49 :D H9J :E 92D 5C2H? E96 2EE6?E:@? @7 E96 962=E9 DJDE6>]k^Am

kAmpD A6@A=6 286[ E96:C D@4:2= 4:C4=6D 368:? E@ D9C:?<[ >@3:=:EJ @7E6? 564=:?6D[ 2?5 A2CE?6CD 2?5 4=@D6 7C:6?5D 2C6 =@DE[ 2== @7 H9:49 42? =62G6 D@>6@?6 :?4C62D:?8=J :D@=2E65 2?5 =6DD 23=6 E@ 2EE6?5 E96 82E96C:?8D E92E @?46 <6AE E96> 4@??64E65] qFE E96 @E96C 8C@FA 27764E65 :D J@F?8 25F=ED[ H:E9 C6D62C49 C6A62E65=J 7:?5:?8 E92Ek2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^>44]8D6]92CG2C5]65F^C6A@CED^=@?6=:?6DD\:?\2>6C:42Qm A6@A=6 2865 `g E@ ad C6A@CE 2>@?8 E96 9:896DE =@?6=:?6DD C2E6D @7 2?J 286 8C@FAk^2m[ 56DA:E6 36:?8 E96 >@DE 4@??64E65 86?6C2E:@? :? 9:DE@CJ[ H:E9 E6IED[ G:56@ 42==D[ 2?5 8C@FA 492ED 2=H2JD 2E E96:C 7:?86CE:AD] !2CE @7 E96 6IA=2?2E:@? >2J 36 E92E 36:?8 @?=:?6 :D ?@E E96 D2>6 2D 766=:?8 4=@D6 E@ D@>6@?6] (:E9 D@4:2= >65:2 AC6D6?E:?8 2 A@=:D965 G6CD:@? @7 6G6CJ@?6 6=D6’D =:76[ H96? 2 J@F?8 A6CD@?’D @H? 6IA6C:6?46 5@6D?’E >2E49 E92E A:4EFC6[ :E 42? 24EF2==J =62G6 E96> 766=:?8 >@C6 2=@?6]k^Am

kAm(9:=DE C64@8?:K:?8 =@?6=:?6DD 2D 2 962=E9 C:D< :D 2 8C62E DE6A 7@CH2C5[ 5@:?8 D@>6E9:?8 23@FE :E :D?’E BF:E6 2D D:>A=6] &?=:<6 2 A9JD:42= :==?6DD[ H9:49 FDF2==J 92D 2 4=62C EC62E>6?E A=2? 2?5 :>AC@G6>6?ED[ =@?6=:?6DD 92D ?@ @3G:@FD 4FC6[ 2?5 :ED 42FD6D[ DF49 2D =:G:?8 2=@?6[ H@C<:?8 C6>@E6=J 2?5 76H6C 4@>>F?:EJ 2?5 D@4:2= 6G6?ED[ 2C6 ?@E 62D:=J D@=G65] %9:D :D 2=D@ H9J 25G:46 E92E 2>@F?ED E@ E6==:?8 A6@A=6 E@ “AFE E96>D6=G6D @FE E96C6” E6?5D E@ 72:=[ 2D :E 255D AC6DDFC6 E@ E96 A6CD@? 2?5 =@@AD 324< E@ E96 D2>6 4J4=6]k^Am

kAm%96 &]$] $FC86@? v6?6C2= C64@8?:K6D E92E E24<=:?8 =@?6=:?6DD C6BF:C6D 3:8 492?86D 24C@DD 4@>>F?:E:6D[ 962=E942C6[ 2?5 E649?@=@8J[ 2D :E :D?VE 2 AC@3=6> :?5:G:5F2=D 42? 7:I 6?E:C6=J @? E96:C @H?] x? C6DA@?D6[ D@>6 962=E942C6 DJDE6>D 92G6 DE2CE65 D4C66?:?8 A2E:6?ED 7@C =@?6=:?6DD 5FC:?8 C@FE:?6 G:D:ED] w@H6G6C[ D4C66?:?8 :D @?=J 96=A7F= :7 E96C6 :D D@>6E9:?8 A@D:E:G6 E92E 42? 36 8:G6? E@ 2==6G:2E6 :E]k^Am

kAmq692G:@C2= 962=E9 DFAA@CE[ 2G2:=23=6 5:C64E=J E9C@F89 AC:>2CJ 42C6 5@4E@CD[ :D DE2CE:?8 E@ >2<6 2 5:776C6?46] (:E9 E9:D A2E9H2J[ 2 4@?G6CD2E:@? 23@FE =@?6=:?6DD 42? EFC? :?E@ 2? 24EF2= A=2?[ H96E96C E92EVD @?8@:?8 >6?E2= 962=E9 DFAA@CE[ @C 2? :?EC@5F4E:@? E@ 4@>>F?:EJ AC@8C2>D[ D6?:@C 46?E6CD[ 72:E9 8C@FAD[ @C A66C DFAA@CE ?6EH@C<D :? E96:C 2C62]k^Am

kAm%9:D 5@6D?’E >2<6 =@?6=:?6DD D:>A=6 E@ D@=G6[ 3FE AC:>2CJ 42C6 5@6D?VE ?665 E@ D@=G6 =@?6=:?6DD @? :ED @H? E@ >2<6 2 9F86 5:776C6?46 E@ E9@D6 DF776C:?8] xE ;FDE ?665D E@ 36 E96 A=246 H96C6 D@>6@?6 DECF88=:?8 :D ?@E:465[ E2<6? D6C:@FD=J[ 2?5 4@??64E65 E@ E96 <:?5 @7 @?8@:?8 DFAA@CE E92E 42? 24EF2==J 492?86 E96:C EC2;64E@CJ] %92E D9:7E[ 7C@> ?@E:4:?8 =@?6=:?6DD E@ 24E:?8 @? :E[ :D H92E :?E68C2E65 42C6 >@56=D 2C6 3F:=E E@ 255C6DD]k^Am

kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]2AC:=962=E9]4@>^4@?E6?E^=@?6=:?6DD\:D\36:?8\EC62E65\2D\2\D6C:@FD\962=E9\C:D<Qmk6>m%9:D DE@CJk^6>mk^2mk6>m H2D AC@5F465 3Jk^6>m k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]2AC:=962=E9]4@>^Qmk6>mpAC:= w62=E9k^6>mk^2mk6>m 2?5 C6G:6H65 2?5 5:DEC:3FE65 3Jk^6>m k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^9F3D]=2^"_b<=8$#_Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmk6>m$E24<6Ck^6>mk^2mk6>m]k^6>mk^Am