Loneliness doubles the risk of pain

The large-scale study covered more than 250,000 people from 139 countries. It showed that the feeling of isolation not only spoils the mood, but also has a direct effect on the body. Single people were more than twice as likely to experience pain.

Interestingly, psychological stress turned out to be the main link between loneliness and pain. He accounted for more than half of the impact, while physical illness and social factors such as income or educational level accounted for only a smaller part.

It is also important that a similar relationship can be traced in all age groups. From teenagers to the elderly, the feeling of uselessness equally destroys well—being. At the same time, women were particularly vulnerable.: their risk of pain due to loneliness is noticeably higher than that of men.

Another detail concerns the social status. Those who felt lonely more often had only primary education, worked part-time or were unemployed altogether. On average, their income was lower than that of people surrounded by support.

It is no less surprising that even having friends or relatives did not always save from painful emptiness. Many participants admitted that they have someone to talk to, but the feeling of loneliness still does not disappear.

The picture turned out to be different in different countries. In the poorest regions, the rates of loneliness and pain were particularly high, but there was no strict correlation with the level of the economy. Researchers believe that cultural traditions and expectations of society play an important role here.

The main conclusion is obvious: loneliness is not only a mental suffering, but also a serious challenge to health. Scientists emphasize that it is possible to cope with this problem only in a comprehensive way — by strengthening social ties, helping people psychologically and reducing inequality in society.