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.
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