When the UK appointed a “Minister of Loneliness” in 2018, it also made headlines here in Switzerland. The lockdowns during the coronavirus pandemic further heightened the debate about “loneliness as a widespread disease”. There are indeed societal factors that can promote loneliness: We live in an individualized society, change places of residence and circles of friends more often, more and more people are living alone, and families are getting smaller.

“Today, we are less related to joint activities and obligations. Associations and churches are struggling with the loss of membership,” says Isabelle Noth, Professor of Spiritual Care, Religious Psychology and Religious Education at the University of Bern. Whether more people are actually lonely than in the past is difficult to prove. “But it’s clear that people feel loneliness more strongly today,” says Noth.

Being alone does not always mean you are lonely

The question of how widespread loneliness is is not easy to answer, says Tobias Krieger, research group leader at the Institute of Psychology at the University of Bern. His team is investigating the effectiveness of an online intervention program for chronic loneliness (see additional text). Loneliness is not a diagnosable disease. Rather, it is – unlike social isolation, which is objectively perceptible – a subjective feeling. Loneliness is not the same as being alone: People who are often alone do not necessarily feel lonely. Conversely, someone who is surrounded by people can also be lonely.

“Loneliness is a subjective feeling that occurs when the individual’s need for social connection is not satisfied,” explains Krieger. “This discrepancy may affect both the quality and quantity of social relations.” In this respect, loneliness is always painful because it is not something deliberately chosen. Being alone, however, can be deliberate and be perceived as positive.

Chronic loneliness means stress

According to the 2017 federal health survey (the results of the latest survey will be published at the end of 2023), around 5% of the Swiss population aged 15 and over often or very often feel lonely. If you add those who sometimes feel lonely, you get to 40%. However, this information is subject to many uncertainties: Precisely because it is a subjective sensation, the nature of the question alone can influence the results. In addition, not every form of loneliness has a negative effect: “Most people have experienced loneliness at some point,” says Krieger. Scientists call it situational loneliness if, for example, we wish to have more company on a Sunday evening, but the feelings of loneliness disappear after a short time. Temporary loneliness, which often occurs during major changes such as moving, changing jobs or separating, is also familiar to many of us. Krieger: “This feeling is helpful at first. It serves as a warning signal that can motivate us to change the situation and take action. Loneliness can therefore be described as 'social thirst’.”

“The feeling of loneliness serves as a warning signal that can motivate us to change the situation and take action.”
Tobias Krieger

On the other hand, persistent or chronic loneliness becomes a burden – although there is no consensus among professionals as to the length of time after which loneliness should be described as chronic. In this case, the warning signal can no longer be converted into activity and the condition seems uncontrollable for those affected. Chronic loneliness can have a negative impact on health because it means stress. This, in turn, can lead to mental and physical problems such as depression, poor sleep and cardiovascular diseases. There is often an interdependence: Loneliness can lead to depression, just as depression can lead to loneliness. Whether loneliness is more prevalent today than before or not, the fact is that many people feel chronically lonely, with serious consequences for society and the healthcare system. Krieger: “Loneliness and its health consequences are important topics. It is good that they are more widely perceived and discussed in the public eye.”

Stefanie Schmidt, Head of Clinical Psychology of Childhood and Adolescence at the University of Bern, who is investigating the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on young people in the canton of Bern, says that the coronavirus pandemic has raised awareness of mental disorders. Not surprisingly, the number of people who felt lonely increased significantly during the coronavirus pandemic. For example, studies from Germany and the EU showed that young adults in particular felt much more lonely during the first period of the pandemic than before.

Whether this increase will continue remains to be seen. According to Schmidt’s observations, young people have suffered massively as a result of the measures: “Contacts were severely restricted during the pandemic. Especially in early adolescence, contact with peers is often more important than contact with the family. As a result, the young people often felt lonely and no longer connected to their social environment.” In addition, social contacts are particularly important for young people’s self-esteem.

Adolescents react hypersensitively

Chronic loneliness has several causes. Poor health, precarious financial circumstances or belonging to a socially disadvantaged group may play a role, but also negative experiences of attachment in the past or the loss of a loved one. Lonely people also often have poor self-esteem and tend to interpret signals from their social environment negatively. They often feel unwanted in society, which in turn can increase the feeling of loneliness – a vicious circle.

Over time, many sufferers develop a protective mechanism, avoid social situations, and tend to keep a low profile in society. According to Stefanie Schmidt, young people are particularly vulnerable to this: “They are hypersensitive to social rejection. They feel rejected more quickly than older adults and are also less able to deal with rejection.” In this context, young people in particular identify strongly through feedback from peers. Digitalization also plays a role here: “Online, there is instantly a reward, for example in the form of likes. As a result, expectations are fueled that are not fulfilled in a real encounter. This can also lead to someone being dissatisfied with social contacts and feeling lonely.” However, the extent to which digitalization generally promotes loneliness is controversial. Those who actively use it to maintain contacts or make new ones can certainly counteract loneliness.

Because loneliness has many causes, there is no one-size-fits-all formula that can be applied to all those affected. All some people need is a simple phone call, others need behavioral therapy to identify and change harmful thoughts and behaviors, or to work on their social skills. Some need opportunities and places to meet other people. “If I feel that loneliness is bothering me, I can consciously cultivate my contacts and visit places where I meet like-minded people – online or in real life,” advises Stefanie Schmidt. At the same time, the general public must enable all people to participate in society. Pastoral care can also help here, says Isabelle Noth: “Pastoral care can build relationships with people in all situations of life, visit them and actively invite them somewhere so they feel a sense of belonging again.”