Loneliness at the emergency department

Chronic loneliness is a pandemic [1]. 5 –18% of adults in the UK feel lonely always or often ([2]; p. 6), and one third of adults 45 and older in the USA are chronically lonely ([3]; p. IV). A study of 2770 elderly folks in Shanghai, China, found high rates of loneliness [4]. A comparative study found that 22% of people in the US, 23% i n the UK, and 9% in Japan reported chronically feeling lonely or socially isolated [5]. In the UK, loneliness costs employers £2.5 billion every year through ill health associated with loneliness, lower productivity and increased staff turnover ([2]; p.

Source: The American Journal of Emergency Medicine - January 4, 2020 Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Zohar Lederman Source Type: research