Although modern society is intertwined with technological connections, loneliness has become more prevalent than perhaps ever before in human history, turning into a public health problem on a global scale, even a “silent epidemic” (Conradi & Cramer, 2025). Current research, such as Ipsos’ Mental Health Report 2024, reveals the seriousness of the issue. According to the report, the United States of America (USA) ranked first and Turkey second in the ranking of mental health problems, revealing the urgent need for interventions to address the mental health of society. In this article, what loneliness is, its various effects on individuals, its intergenerational differences and solutions to this problem are discussed in a scientific framework.
The “Spiral of Loneliness” from Individual Well-Being to the Erosion of Social Integrity
Loneliness is defined as the perceived difference between the social ties that an individual would like to have and the social ties they have in real life (Murthy, 2023). This experience involves not only social isolation but also a deep sense of not belonging. Studies by Leigh-Hunt et al. (2017) and Gasull-Molinera et al. (2024) have shown that loneliness is associated with various health problems such as cardiovascular diseases, depression, anxiety and premature death. The results of some academic studies even suggest that the potential impact of loneliness on mortality rates may be equivalent to the risks caused by smoking addiction (Murthy, 2023).
Many people are reluctant to share their experiences of loneliness. In a survey conducted in Germany, 58% of respondents reported feeling lonely often or sometimes, but most of them did not talk about it (Conradi & Cramer, 2025). This silence is related to the fact that loneliness has become a “subject of shame”.
It is also striking that loneliness is more prevalent among young people. Looking at the intergenerational distribution, Conradi and Cramer’s (2025) findings indicate that the rate of loneliness reaches 68% among individuals between the ages of 18 and 39, while it rises to just over 50% among older individuals. This data suggests that young people, who are supposed to be more connected through social media and digital platforms, are actually more emotionally isolated.
Loneliness not only affects individual well-being, but also undermines social cohesion, political participation and commitment to democratic values (Conradi & Cramer, 2025; Rokach & Patel, 2024). Young people who feel deep loneliness are apathetic towards social issues and perceive themselves as outsiders. This makes them more open to authoritarian ideologies (Gasull-Molinera et al., 2024).
Conclusion and General Evaluation
Loneliness, as the invisible epidemic of our age, has multidimensional consequences ranging from individual health to the sustainability of the existing structure, values, institutions and relationships of society. Systematic reviews on the effects of loneliness reveal that this phenomenon has significant effects on both mental and physical health (Leigh-Hunt et al., 2017; Gasull-Molinera et al., 2024). These effects of loneliness negatively transform personal stress responses by affecting immune and neuroendocrine systems at the biological level (Rokach & Patel, 2024).
Recommendations
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Policy Support: National strategies should be developed to reduce loneliness. For example, in the USA, loneliness was declared an “epidemic” and national policy recommendations were presented in this field (Murthy, 2023).
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Social Interventions: Community-based activities that support social bonds such as yoga groups, meditation workshops and volunteering activities should be increased (Conradi & Cramer, 2025).
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Psychosocial Support for Youth: Interventions should be planned for individuals who struggle with loneliness at an early age, and the development of a sense of belonging should be supported, especially taking into account the benefits of the digital age.
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Research and Monitoring: The causal effects of loneliness should be investigated more comprehensively through longitudinal studies (Gasull-Molinera et al., 2024; Nesta, 2024).
References
Conradi, S. M., & Cramer, H. (2025). The silent epidemic: Loneliness as a global public health problem. Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1089/jicm.2025.0426
Gasull-Molinera, V., Khan, K. S., Núñez Núñez, M., & Kouiti, M. (2024). The impact of loneliness on mental and physical health outcomes: An umbrella review. Medicina de Familia. SEMERGEN, 50, 102261. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.semerg.2024.102261
Ipsos. (2024). Ipsos World Mental Health Monitor 2024. https://www.ipsos.com/tr-tr/ipsos-dunya-ruh-sagligi-monitoru-2024-raporu
Leigh-Hunt, N., Bagguley, D., Bash, K., Turner, V., Turnbull, S., Valtorta, N., & Caan, W. (2017). An overview of systematic reviews on the public health consequences of social isolation and loneliness. Public Health, 152, 157–171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.puhe.2017.07.035
Murthy, V. H. (2023). Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: U.S. Surgeon General’s Recommendation on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community. US Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf
Nesta. (2024). Investigating the impact of loneliness and social isolation on health. https://www.nesta.org.uk/
Rokach, A., & Patel, K. (2024). The effects of loneliness on health. Environment and Social Psychology, 9(6), 2150. https://doi.org/10.54517/esp.v9i6.2150