| Shall we go through the notes we've made from our research into loneliness now, Dev? |
| Ok, Tamara. |
| Ah, it's been a real eye-opener. |
| I had no idea that loneliness has been increasing steadily for the last 20 years. |
| I know. |
| And it's the same all over the world... |
| The downside of a modern lifestyle, I guess. |
| Did you come to any conclusions about what the reasons for the increase are? |
| Well, I'd assumed it was mainly an issue for the elderly, |
| but in fact, it's something which affects young people just as much. |
| So nothing really to do with longer lifespans. |
| Um, what about social media? |
| In my case, far from making me feel isolated, it actually does the opposite. |
| It definitely does more good than harm. |
| I'd say loneliness has a lot to do with the way cities are designed: |
| people living in high-rise flats with not much opportunity to speak to their neighbours. |
| I think you're right. |
| Another possible reason is that people are having fewer children |
| and don't live in large extended family groups. |
| But in this country anyway, that all changed decades ago, |
| and yet loneliness is a more recent problem. |
| I suppose so. |
| A more plausible explanation is that people are having to move around for work |
| and often end up living miles away from their family and friends. |
| That's true. |
| Looking at the studies on health risks and loneliness, |
| there are claims that loneliness has as much impact as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. |
| Or similar to the risks caused by obesity. |
| But I'm not sure there's enough evidence for some of these claims. |
| Well, what about that one in Finland, |
| which showed that loneliness increased the risk of cancer by about 10%? |
| And those findings have been supported by other studies too. |
| You're right about that one. |
| I was actually thinking of the studies on dementia. |
| Some found no association between loneliness and dementia, |
| and others found the opposite. |
| Not exactly reliable then. |
| There's been a lot of research on cardiovascular disease and whether loneliness contributes to that. |
| Yes, I read that it was hard to reach a judgment, |
| as the definition of loneliness varied quite a lot. |
| And the responses from participants were too subjective. |
| But there's no doubt that loneliness contributes to a weakened immune system. |
| Unquestionably. |
| The data on that is sound. |
| What did you think about the evolutionary theory of loneliness? |
| Well, I thought the idea that loneliness evolved because it motivated people to be with other people quite convincing. |
| Survival often depended on group cooperation. |
| But I don't think there's enough evidence to claim that there must be a group of neurons in our brains which influence social behavior |
| by making us feel bad when we're alone. |
| There are a few studies which support the theory, but not conclusively enough. |
| More evidence is needed. |
| And anyway, this theory's not really useful when it comes to solving the problem of loneliness today. |
| True. |
| Should we look at the relationship between loneliness and mental health now? |
| Ok. |
| So, loneliness and depression are clearly related, |
| and that's been recognized by various governments around the world. |
| But unlike depression, loneliness has no recognized clinical form. |
| There's no available diagnosis or effective treatments, |
| and that's not likely to change. |
| I don't think so either. |
| I was thinking we should start our presentation with an example from our own experience. |
| I'd like to talk about how lonely I was when I started university - |
| being away from home for the first time and all that. |
| Good idea. |
| Everyone will be able to relate to that, |
| although a lot of students were probably too embarrassed to admit to it. |
| Yeah. |
| We could discuss ways of dealing with loneliness as well, like just talking to strangers. |
| Loads of studies have shown that interactions with shop assistants and bar staff make people feel more optimistic and relaxed. |
| I don't know about that, |
| but it must make people feel more connected with their community. |
| True, |
| although you need to be a certain kind of person to be able to just strike up a conversation. |
| Good point. |
| We should say something about solitude, |
| and how being alone and being lonely aren't the same thing. |
| It's strange the way some people can't stand being by themselves, while others love it. |
| Yeah, the research shows a certain amount of solitude is beneficial for well-being, which I appreciate. |
| But being alone isn't something I actually like. |
| I'd never choose to go on holiday alone, for example. |
| Me neither. |
| Well, let's... |