The pandemic, with its prolonged regime of social isolation, has drawn attention to the topic of loneliness. The epidemic has shown that this feeling is not just oppressive and devastating, it poses a threat to the health of mankind. WHO started talking about it, and the European Commission conducted a separate study on the risks and consequences of loneliness. In this article, we will consider the key findings of scientists and how the phenomenon of loneliness affects the quality of life and the global economy.
According to a large-scale study by the European Commission conducted in the first half of 2023, more than 30% of Europeans periodically experience a feeling of loneliness, and 13% live with it most of their lives. Residents of Ireland, Luxembourg, and Bulgaria feel most often lonely.
The extent of the phenomenon of loneliness and its causes are still poorly understood, but scientists agree that social connections are fundamental to human health.
Single people have a 26% higher risk of dying prematurely than those who are happy with their social life.
Back in the 2010s, in a study for National Geographic, Dan Buettner established what distinguishes the so-called “blue zones” — corners of the planet in which the maximum number of centenarians is recorded, and people’s lives are filled with health and meaning. Studying the lifestyle of the inhabitants of Sardinia, Okinawa, Icaria and In addition, he came to the conclusion that this is a diet, physical activity and the ability to manage stress, social support and communication with the community.
Susan Pinker’s research conducted around the same time in Sardinia showed that it was not so much the quality of nutrition and physical activity, but social connections and constant interaction with neighbors, friends, and relatives that ensured the quality and longevity of life. Residents of the blue zones have never experienced a feeling of loneliness.
But if we leave the phenomenon of blue zones out of the brackets, and return to ordinary countries?
Do these laws work here? Is the experience of the blue zones applicable to you and me?
To find out what has the greatest effect on life expectancy, Julianne Holt-Lunstad, a researcher from Brigham Young University, conducted a series of studies on tens of thousands of middle-aged people. She studied all aspects of their lifestyle in an attempt to figure out which factor has the greatest impact on mortality and life expectancy. Long—term research has shown that one of the key factors is the presence of close relationships, those people who can be relied upon during difficult life circumstances.
But an even more important indicator is social integration: how many physical contacts took place during the day, how many people you greeted and talked to. Not only strong connections are important, but also weak ones.
It is social integration that has proved to be the strongest factor determining how long a person will live.
Loneliness on the web
Does this mean that the more time we spend on social media, the higher our social integration? Can we communicate in messengers with relatives and friends, and be sure that we will not be overtaken by a feeling of loneliness?
Elizabeth Redkey, a neuroscientist from The University of Maryland has tried to determine the difference between what happens in our brain when we interact live with when we perform the same action online. Comparing the results of the brain work of people in two groups performing the same actions, she came to the conclusion that during live communication, the brain turns on the mechanisms responsible for attention and social intelligence. A person receives an additional emotional reward from the fact that someone else thinks, feels and acts with him.
With personal contact, the brain releases a cascade of neurotransmitters. And with each activity, when we just look into the eyes or shake hands, oxytocin is produced, which reduces cortisol levels in the blood, and dopamine, which, being a powerful regulator of cognitive brain functions, motivates us, and then rewards us for the work done with a pleasant sense of accomplishment.
These observations show that by creating and maintaining social interactions, investing time and resources in friendly relationships, we create a powerful biological field against disease and death. This face-to-face interaction is the reason why the lowest rate of dementia is observed among people who lead an active social life. That is why women suffering from breast cancer are four times more likely to survive the disease than women experiencing loneliness. Men who have suffered a stroke and meet regularly to play poker or have a cup of coffee are better protected by this social contact than by medications. Social interaction and the power of personal contacts often allows you to protect yourself much more effectively than medications.
Some European countries have already begun to take measures to combat loneliness, but so far there is no single social program at the EU level.
At the same time, local assistance programs for lonely elderly people, who found themselves in the most vulnerable position during the pandemic, are gaining more and more activity. France’s largest national program, MONALISA, unites about 500 local organizations across the country, creating a space for mutual assistance and communication. And as part of the KISS program in Switzerland, a number of public spaces have been created for single people across the country, which has helped more than 2,000 people to suspend the transition to nursing homes.
The concern of the governments of the EU member states about loneliness is growing along with the growing proportion of the aging population. According to the forecast of Eurostat, by 2050 the share of people over 65 years of age will grow from the current 20 to 30% of the population, the share of people over 80 years of age — from 6 to 11%. Italy, Germany, and Portugal are currently at risk, but the increase in the share of the older generation will undoubtedly affect the whole of Europe. At the same time, the trend towards reducing the average family size to two people is observed in 24 of the 27 countries of the European Union.
At the same time, the increase in the number of divorces and new types of cohabitation leads to a shortage of housing.
In these conditions, new models of accommodation are emerging, including co-living and housing for older people (senior living).
Such types of accommodation solve not only the problem of housing, but also contribute to improving the quality of life and combating loneliness. They create conditions in which the number and quality of social connections organically increases, and those, in turn, fill life with health and meaning, create physical and emotional support.
The undiscovered potential for this type of accommodation is in Portugal, which is a leading country for retirement, and which is increasingly being chosen for recreation by the older generation from The United Kingdom, Germany, France, Scandinavia and the USA.
Safety and tranquility, a warm climate, a well-developed health infrastructure, a system of tax breaks for non-residents of Portugal and a lack of supply provoke an increase in demand for housing for older people. At the same time, the bureaucracy of the system and the reluctance of banks to issue loans for such projects do not allow Portugal to take full advantage of the growth in demand in this segment of housing construction.
Investment activity is now concentrated mainly in Germany and The United Kingdom, which account for more than half of the total investment in the industry. Nevertheless, interest in the segment is gradually spreading throughout Europe, and investment volumes are growing fastest in Sweden, Italy and Spain. The net yield of housing for older people ranges from 0.5% to 5.8%. And the key factors for the successful development of cohabitation projects for the elderly are location, quality of services (primarily medical and leisure) and the quality of public transport.
Now, in a period of uncertainty in the economy, the trend is particularly pronounced to move away from investments in real estate that bring fixed rental income towards investments in operational real estate businesses. In this kind of investment, the income and value of real estate are related to the performance of the main operator. These can be investments in shared use projects (coliving, coworking, student accommodation, for older people), data centers, warehouses and medical centers.
In such projects, the investor puts more attention into managing his assets, and this, in turn, allows him not only to protect himself from inflation during periods of market turmoil and uncertainty, but also to significantly increase profitability.
The trend towards an increase in the number of older people who want and are ready to gather, live in the same house, communicate and do something together is only gaining momentum.
Understanding not only trends, but also what is behind them, what not only material, but also social, physical and emotional benefits it brings, is becoming increasingly important.
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