Loneliness Q&A: Does...?

Search engines receive many questions about feeling alone and loneliness. In this page, we provide short answers to many of the more commonly searched ‘does’ questions. For fuller answers, we encourage you to explore the website.

Questions

Does loneliness cause depression?

Loneliness may lead to depression, especially where loneliness becomes prolonged. In particular, loneliness predicts subsequent increases in depression. Therefore responding to signals of loneliness are important. However, depression does not predict escalation of loneliness. Furthermore, loneliness has been found to be a mediator from anxiety to depression.

Does loneliness cause dementia?

Feelings of loneliness might increase the risk of the onset of dementia, and other mental illnesses. The increased risk of dementia is less related to being socially isolated, and more related to missing quality relationships. Without perceived meaningful connections our immune system is lowered.

Does loneliness ever go away?

Loneliness can go away. While most people experience some form of loneliness you can conquer loneliness by increasing the number of meaningful quality relationships. You need people you can trust and depend on in a variety of settings. If you are unable to develop those meaningful relationships get professional help.

Does loneliness affect health?

Loneliness does affect our health, especially when the loneliness becomes prolonged. Physically, loneliness can cause high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, stroke, metabolic syndrome, high stress-sensitive hormone cortisol, and altered gene expression. Mentally, loneliness can cause social anxiety, depression, paranoia, dementia, and obsessive compulsive symptoms.

Does loneliness kill?

Loneliness can lead to illnesses such as coronary heart disease and stroke, which do kill people. So loneliness is a predictor of premature mortality. People who perceive that they lack meaningful, quality relationships in their lives are at higher risk of premature deaths than people who have enough quality relationships.

Does loneliness cause anxiety?

Loneliness can cause anxiety. The relationship between loneliness and social anxiety is complex. Loneliness is a predictor of subsequent social anxiety, while social anxiety is also a predictor of loneliness. Furthermore, loneliness has been found to be a mediator from anxiety to depression.

Does loneliness cause insomnia?

Loneliness and insomnia are linked. Lonely people have restless nights especially after days which they have found hard to cope with; sometimes having crawled into bed earlier to feel safe, and secure, only to find that their anxiety makes it hard to switch their minds off to get quality sleep.

Do you have any other questions?

Select the coloured button corresponding to your type of question.