In Germany, loneliness is less common compared to some other countries, which the higher integration into different groups contributes to. Image: dpa
People who feel isolated are more likely to get sick. Numerous studies prove this. The good news is that we are not helpless, we can do something about it. A guest post.
Loneliness makes you sick. In fact, it contributes just as much to people dying earlier than unhealthy eating habits, smoking, alcohol consumption or lack of exercise. American scientists have shown this in meta-studies with data from many thousands of people. We took a closer look at this in an international consortium of researchers. To this end, we conducted two representative studies of the German population, each with more than a thousand participants, first at the beginning of the corona pandemic in 2020 and then again in 2022 at the beginning of the war in Ukraine.
We first asked these men and women how much they identify with different groups – from family, circle of friends, neighborhood, Germany and Europe to the whole of humanity. We asked them to rate statements such as “I identify with my family”, “I feel connected to the people in my neighborhood” or “I am happy to live in Germany”. Six weeks later, we then asked them how lonely and isolated they felt, how much stress they currently perceive in their lives and how often they suffer from symptoms such as headaches, neck and shoulder problems or stomach problems.