Study reveals loneliness hurts your body and mind | Health & Fitness

By Stephen Beech

Loneliness can trigger physical as well as mental health problems, suggests new research.

A survey of more than 47,000 people in the United States found that four in every five reported some loneliness, with levels “strongly correlated” with poor mental health days and poor physical health days.

Women consistently experienced a higher likelihood of depression and more poor mental health days, according to the findings.

Loneliness is becoming an increasing issue, particularly among older people living alone.

The new study, published in the journal PLOS One, found that loneliness is not only common but also a “strong and independent” predictor of depression and poor health outcomes.

Researchers analyzed Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data collected via phone surveys between 2016 and 2023.

The study group included 47,318 non-institutionalized adults living in the United States. Almost three in four were white (73.3%), while 62.1% were female, and 72.1% aged 18 to 64.

Study author Dr. Oluwasegun Akinyemi said: “More than 80% of participants reported some level of loneliness.

“Compared to those who reported ‘never’ being lonely, individuals who reported being ‘always’ lonely had a significantly higher predicted probability of depression, had on average 10.9 more poor mental health days per month, and five more poor physical health days per month.

“Women consistently experienced a higher likelihood of depression and more poor mental health days than men across loneliness levels, and black individuals had lower probabilities of depression and fewer mental health days than white individuals across loneliness levels.”

The researchers said their findings carry “urgent” policy and practice implications.

They suggest that loneliness should be prioritized alongside traditional risk factors in public health planning, and that routine loneliness screenings in clinical settings could help identify high-risk people for interventions such as social initiatives.

Dr. Akinyemi, a senior research fellow at the Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC, said: “Our study highlights that loneliness is not just an emotional state – it has measurable consequences for both mental and physical health.

“Addressing loneliness may be a critical public health priority to reduce depression and improve overall well-being.”

He added, “Conducting this research allowed us to explore the lived experiences of many individuals in vulnerable situations.

“What stood out most was how strongly loneliness affected every aspect of health, underscoring the urgency of tackling this hidden epidemic.”