Loneliness is emerging as a epidemic worldwide and it is affecting people across all age groups and social backgrounds. We all are living in the digital era but more and more individuals are experiencing social isolation despite being constantly connected to each other.
Loneliness is also linked to mental health issues like depression and anxiety, as well as physical health issues including heart disease. The World Health Organisation and several governments have recognised loneliness as a global threat and also started initiatives and policies to tackle loneliness.
Reporter/Script: Jagisha Arora
Camera: Suresh Pandey
Editor: Sudhanshu
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#Loneliness #Isolation #GlobalCrisis #HealthEmergency #Epidemic #Anxiety #Depression #WorldHealthOrganisation #WHO
Loneliness is also linked to mental health issues like depression and anxiety, as well as physical health issues including heart disease. The World Health Organisation and several governments have recognised loneliness as a global threat and also started initiatives and policies to tackle loneliness.
Reporter/Script: Jagisha Arora
Camera: Suresh Pandey
Editor: Sudhanshu
Follow us:
Website: https://www.outlookindia.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Outlookindia
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/outlookindia/
X: https://twitter.com/Outlookindia
Whatsapp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaNrF3v0AgWLA6OnJH0R
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@OutlookMagazine
Dailymotion: https://www.dailymotion.com/outlookindia
#Loneliness #Isolation #GlobalCrisis #HealthEmergency #Epidemic #Anxiety #Depression #WorldHealthOrganisation #WHO
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NewsTranscript
00:00In 2011, a news report shocked the society.
00:04Social activist Usha Thakur had to rush to help two sisters, Anuradha and Sonali Behl,
00:10who were in their 40s.
00:13They lived by themselves in their Noida flat.
00:16They were rescued from their home where they had confined and starved themselves for over
00:21six months.
00:23They had been living in worse possible conditions, which went unnoticed for months.
00:29While it was unclear why they chose social isolation, it raised many questions pertaining
00:35to loneliness.
00:36Over the years, we have come across many such instances.
00:42How did we get here?
00:43Welcome to Deep Dive with Outlook.
00:46Today we will talk about how loneliness is emerging as a silent epidemic worldwide.
00:54Loneliness has been described as the unpleasant experience resulting from a deficient network
00:59of social relations of an individual, either qualitatively or quantitatively.
01:05It is defined as a condition other than social isolation.
01:09We all are living in the most connected era in human history, yet loneliness and lack
01:16of connections are killing us.
01:19Social media was meant to keep us connected, but in reality is replacing real human interaction
01:26and making us feel more isolated.
01:29The World Health Organization has declared loneliness a pressing global health threat.
01:35WHO Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said that its effects are equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes
01:43a day.
01:44According to data from the World Health Organization, 10% of adolescents and 25% of older people
01:52are lonely.
01:53The Surgeon General's report also said that social isolation increases the risk of premature
01:59death by 29%.
02:01In 2018, British Prime Minister Theresa May appointed a Minister for Loneliness in a drive
02:09to tackle social isolation in the United Kingdom.
02:12Long-term loneliness can have harmful effects on physical health, such as increased risk
02:18of developing coronary heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
02:24Loneliness is associated with mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and societal
02:29tendencies.
02:30People who are lonely are said to be at higher risk of early death as compared to people
02:37with greater social connections.
02:39A 2017 study found that social isolation, loneliness, or living alone boosted the chance
02:45of premature death.
02:47Among the elderly, loneliness is associated with increased cognitive decline and worsening
02:53of health.
02:54India is also experiencing a loneliness epidemic, which affects people of all ages, but this
03:01is often dismissed as a passing phase or as a state of mind.
03:06Addressing mental health is stigmatized, making it challenging to address the issue effectively.
03:12In India's 2017 study by AgeWell Foundation across 300 districts found that 47.49% of
03:22elderly people suffer from loneliness.
03:25The situation is more pronounced in urban centers and metros, where a large number of
03:31people live alone, away from their families.
03:35A survey conducted by Nimhans in 2016 estimated that around 13.7% of India's population suffered
03:43from various mental illnesses, with around 10.6% of them requiring immediate attention.
03:52The study concluded that residents of urban metros, where isolation and stress are more
03:58pronounced, had a greater prevalence of mental health issues.
04:03Mental isolation and loneliness are pressing concerns, yet often neglected.
04:08WHO Surgeon General has outlined some helpful advisories.
04:14Strengthening social infrastructure, which includes parks and libraries, as well as public
04:20programs.
04:22Enacting pro-connection public policies at every level of government, including things
04:28like accessible public transportation or paid family leave.
04:33Mobilizing the health sector to address the medical needs that stem from loneliness.
04:40The focus on reforming digital environments to critically evaluate our relationship with
04:46technology.
04:47Deepening our knowledge through more robust research on the issue.
04:52For more on this, you can read our latest issue, Love and Loneliness.