Loneliness: tackling the epidemic

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Loneliness: tackling the epidemic

The UK is believed to be the loneliest place in Europe and this is having a profound effect on people’s physical and mental health

Last Christmas, Age UK and John Lewis turned our heads to the issue of loneliness with the retailer’s “Man on the Moon” TV ad. This touching creative highlighted the loneliness faced by older people, particularly at Christmas, and it struck a chord with many of us.

The UK is believed to be the loneliest place in Europe, according to the Office for National Statistics. And while it is a problem that affects many older people, 2015 research by The Church of England and the Church Urban Fund found that a huge range of people are affected by loneliness, with isolation and bereavement being common causes. 

Mental health charities are continuing to focus on this issue, with Mind’s 2016 Christmas appeal focusing on the impact that loneliness at Christmas can have on mental health. Age UK is also calling on supporters to help end loneliness for the 1.2 million older people who the charity says are “chronically lonely”.

What’s the problem?

The NHS estimates that 51 per cent of all people over the age of 75 in England live alone, and five million older people say the television is their main form of company. A survey by the Mental Health Foundation found that in the UK, one in 10 of us feel lonely often. And the problem is on the rise, with 48 per cent of people thinking we are getting lonelier in general. 

The rise in loneliness is best demonstrated by the launch of charity helpline The Silver Line, created specifically in 2013 to help tackle loneliness among older people. Esther Rantzen (who set up Childline in 1986) was instrumental in setting up The Silver Line after she experienced an overwhelming response to an article about the loneliness she experienced after being widowed. The Silver Line has received over 920,000 calls since it launched, with 53 per cent of callers saying they have no-one else to speak to. 

Childline has also noted that loneliness has been linked to low self-esteem among young people, specifically those aged 12-18. In 2015/16, 42,000 calls to Childline were about self-esteem, low mood and loneliness – that’s about 14 per cent of total calls.

“We are getting young people saying that they are lonely and isolated, and that a lot of their low mood stems from social media,” says Emily Cherry, head of participation at NSPCC.

Christmas crisis

Loneliness is a particular problem at Christmas, with helplines receiving many more calls over the festive and New Year period. “Our record was on New Year’s Day 2016,” says Kevin Mochrie, head of communications at The Silver Line. “I think we had 1,550 calls that day.”

Even someone who is not normally lonely can feel isolated at Christmas because they usually see people at work, but won’t do so for a week or two. Friends may be away with their own families or a divorce or relationship breakdown may mean that they don’t have their children around them. 

“Loneliness is different to being alone, as many people feel comfortable being by themselves. Loneliness can be the result of not seeing or talking to anyone, but on the other hand, you can feel lonely when surrounded by people if you don’t feel understood or cared for by them,” says Lucy Lyus, information manager at Mind. And as there is so much emphasis on Christmas and its significance, it can make existing problems seem bigger, Lucy explains. “If you are lonely, Christmas can highlight how lonely you are and make you feel that you should be socialising. 

“For many people, Christmas is something to look forward to, but some may be embarking on the first Christmas after losing friends or family, may be unable to make long journeys to see loved ones, may have moved to a new area or may be spending the festive period entirely alone,” says Lucy.

Counsellor and psychotherapist Leila Collins says that the messages people get from advertising that shows large groups of people together at Christmas can draw negative comparisons if they are lonely themselves. “Christmas is hard as you fantasise that everyone is having a fantastic time and you are not,” she says. 

Why is this happening?

Many people point the finger at broken families who live a long way away from each other, but there are many different reasons why people feel lonely. Young people may feel isolated due to difficulties experienced in their families or from unrealistic expectations portrayed in the media, for example. “It is hard to identify loneliness objectively as we have to rely on what people say to us and it is a subjective judgement,” warns Mervyn Kohler, external affairs manager at Age UK.

He says reasons for loneliness among older people may include: 

  • Families being geographically spread out so they can’t rely on family support
  • Issues with transport and getting out and about. Bus services are diminishing and the cost of motoring is high. Some older people don’t trust themselves to be able to drive 
  • Digital communication is also isolating for some, as older people are the least likely to own a computer.

What’s more, illness can disrupt people’s ability to attend groups and social events, which they may not go back to, and disability can prevent people from being able to get out and about. 

The impact of loneliness

Loneliness can affect a person’s physical and mental health. In fact, a 2010 project run by Brigham Young University in America claimed: “The effect of loneliness and isolation on mortality is comparable to the impact of well-known risk factors such as obesity, and has a similar influence as cigarette smoking”.

According to Age UK, physical health problems include: 

  • Increased risk of developing coronary heart disease and stroke 
  • Increased risk of high blood pressure 
  • Higher risk of disability 
  • Greater risk of cognitive decline 
  • A 64 per cent increased chance of developing clinical dementia.

“If people are lonely, they will tend to neglect themselves. They may not dress in the morning, they won’t dress smartly or they will not bother to prepare full meals and may not feed themselves appropriately. This can cause mental illness problems,” Mervyn explains.

Lucy adds that while feeling lonely isn’t in itself a mental health problem, the two are strongly linked. “Having a mental health problem increases your chance of feeling lonely, and feeling lonely can have a negative impact on your mental health,” she explains.

What can pharmacy do?

Lonely people are more likely to have higher medication use and a higher incidence of falls. They are also more likely to go into a care home earlier, therefore it is important that pharmacy plays its role in helping them. 

Pharmacy staff should be aware of local befriending services that help people tackle loneliness. It’s important, too, to be aware of signs of mental illness in customers and how best to help people who are in need of support. 

“For healthcare professionals, it is a matter of not being obtrusive, but gently nudging,” says Mervyn. “We don’t want to interrogate people as they are walking into a pharmacy to get their prescription, but if you know older customers who may be lonely, maybe pop a leaflet onto the counter about your local befriending group or pop one into their bag.”

Coping with loneliness

Mind has the following tips to help people cope with loneliness: 

  • Think about what is making you lonely. Is it that you don’t see people very often or that you feel the people around you don’t understand you?
  • Make new connections. Can you volunteer locally or join a group you are interested in? There are online groups available for people with limited mobility 
  • Take it slow. If you don’t feel like joining a group straightaway, see if you can speak to the person running it to find out what it entails
  • Be careful when comparing yourself to others. Online social networks make us feel as though everyone else has more friends and is having more fun than us. This is unlikely to be true 
  • Check how you are feeling. Are you feeling sad or lacking in confidence? Check how well you are sleeping, eating and exercising and how this
    is affecting your mood 
  • Get some help. You can access talking therapies through a GP or some local groups and charities. 

You can find out more via the Mind website.

Five million older people say the television is their main form of company

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