Loneliness Needs to Be Treated Like Any Other Health Condition, Researcher Suggests

Loneliness among both seniors and younger people is a health problem that needs more attention, Kelsey McNamara, MPH, senior director of research at Papa, an organization that provides paid companionship to people in need of social support, said at the Population Health Colloquiumopens in a new tab or window here.

"Loneliness increases the risk of premature death, independent of other kinds of physical and mental health conditions," said McNamara. "You probably have heard the statistic that loneliness is just as dangerous as smoking a pack of cigarettes a day. And the relationship between loneliness and chronic conditions is bi-directional: inflammation and the biological conditions of loneliness can lead to illness, but also, having a chronic condition and the isolated experience and disabilities that might come up also leads to loneliness."

Loneliness was also associated with more unmet social needs and more transportation barriers. "Transportation is needed to get to medical appointments, but it's also needed to travel to social gatherings, and to get to church, family, and friends," said McNamara. "So this is not surprising."