Loneliness

Early November, a so-called expert hearing on Loneliness and the book presentation “Loneliness in Europe” took place  in the European Parliament in Brussels. Loneliness, as a public health crisis, is high on the agenda of the European Commission. Loneliness is a social problem, not just a problem of the lonely individual.  The costs of loneliness for society arise partly because lonely people have reduced productivity and higher absenteeism, rely more on already overburdened care and have a greater risk of diseases and disorders. We are talking about costs that run into billions because millions of Europeans feel lonely. Experts from left to right: Beatrice D’Hombres, Pamala Qualter, Maike Luhmann, Judith Merkies and Jill Litt © European Union 2024 – Source : EP But what is that, loneliness? According to De Jong-Gierveld, “Loneliness is the subjective experience of an unpleasant or intolerable lack of (quality of) certain social relationships.” Loneliness occurs […]