Study investigates whether physical isolation increases loneliness

Medical Xpress August 9, 2024
University of Technology, Sydney

A new study using data from COVID-19 lockdowns in Australia suggests that physical isolation does not lead to an increase in feelings of loneliness.

Loneliness, a subjective feeling of social disconnection, is associated with a range of health problems from heart disease to depression. It also increases a person’s risk of early death to a level comparable with smoking and obesity.

Lead author Dr. Nancy Kong from the Center for Health Economics Research and Evaluation at the University of Technology Sydney said loneliness is a pervasive and growing problem.

“There is a widely held belief that physical isolation directly leads to increased loneliness. We felt the COVID lockdowns provided a natural experiment to see if this was true,” said Dr....