It is a problem on the rise, which says a lot about today’s society (and not a good one) and no, the elderly do not suffer mostly from it. Unwanted loneliness (which does not imply isolation at all, it is a feeling regardless of whether there are people around) affects almost 5 million citizens over 15 years of age (13.4% of that age group) and Adolescents and young people between 16 and 24 years old (21.9%), those between 25 and 34 years old (16.5%) and those who are over 75 (12.2%) suffer mainly. And it affects more women (14.8%) than men (12.1%).
It is estimated that unwanted loneliness represents a total cost of 14,141 million euros per year in Spain. This represents 1.17% of Spain’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for 2021. Because this pathology negatively affects physical and mental health, people’s quality of life, and has serious economic effects.
This is indicated by the study ‘The cost of unwanted loneliness in Spain’, prepared by a research team from the University of A Coruña and the University of Vigo for the Observatory of Unwanted Loneliness of the ONCE Foundation together with Nextdoor, a platform that connect neighbors.
But why do you feel alone? The causes of loneliness are varied. 79.1% of the causes of loneliness are related to external causes, the most important being the “lack of coexistence or family or social support” (57.3%): the distant residence of their relatives (11.9%) ; stopping living with the people with whom they usually lived (10.5%); and the misunderstanding of the people around them (8.2%).
Regarding internal or intrinsic causes to the person, the difficulty in relating to others represents 12.7% of the total causes declared, and loneliness derived from poor health represents 6.4%. Of the latter, 1.4% identify that his loneliness is motivated by having a disability.
This is the first study that measures healthcare costs, both in relation to frequenting healthcare services and the use of medications. Likewise, it also measures the economic costs in terms of productivity losses related to the reduction in working time that unwanted loneliness produces. The study also measures the loss of well-being that occurs as a consequence of being in a situation of unwanted solitude, related to premature deaths and the loss of people’s quality of life.
Specifically, the costs for frequenting health services amount to more than 5,600 million euros per year, and the costs for drug consumption are 495.9 million euros. Together, healthcare costs are equivalent to 0.51% of GDP.
Along with healthcare costs, it is estimated that the costs associated with productivity losses amount to more than 8,000 million euros per year, representing approximately 0.67% of GDP.
Regarding intangible costs, unwanted loneliness generates a reduction in quality of life not associated with mortality equivalent to more than 1 million QALYs (Quality Adjusted Life Years). Premature deaths would be equivalent to an annual loss of almost 18,000 QALYs. Thus, the total loss that unwanted loneliness produces in people’s quality of life represents 2.79% of the total healthy years of life of the Spanish population over 15 years of age.
Regarding the frequency of loneliness, 22.9% of the people interviewed feel alone throughout the day. Almost 20.9% perceive this feeling of loneliness during the weekends. On average, people in a situation of unwanted loneliness have been in this situation for approximately 6 years.
People in a situation of unwanted loneliness use more health services, especially consultations with a specialist doctor and emergency services. And they make a greater consumption of prescribed medicines for illnesses related to their loneliness situation, highlighting the consumption of “tranquilizers, relaxants” (33.1%) and those of “antidepressants, stimulants” (23.5%).
“Loneliness has a negative impact on the state of mind, on the satisfaction of vital needs, on the relationship with the environment, on access to community support services, on security and, ultimately, on their quality of life In addition, unwanted loneliness constitutes a risk factor for mental health, for pathologies such as depression and anxiety, among others,” the study points out.
In turn, loneliness is also a risk factor for physical health, favoring, for example, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Different investigations also confirm a higher risk of premature death among people who feel lonely.
It is estimated that in 2019 there have been a total of 848 premature deaths (511 men and 337 women) associated with unwanted loneliness. “Carrying out the sensitivity analysis, these deaths would generate a loss of 6,707 potential years of productive life. This corresponds to an estimated cost in lost productivity of more than 191.2 million euros”, indicates the work of the Observatory.
