Loneliness is now being taken very seriously nationally and internationally as a major public health issue. As this article will explain, the impact of loneliness isn’t just about quality of life, it can shorten life expectancy itself. We look at the effects of loneliness, share some research findings and focus on what line managers can do to combat loneliness in the workplace.
The growing awareness of loneliness
In the UK we appointed our first Minister for Loneliness back in 2018 to recognise the need to focus our public policies on the issue. In the USA the Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, set up a special committee to study what they saw as a growing epidemic, and the World Health Organisation (WHO) launched its own raising awareness campaign throughout its global operations.
A few definitions might be useful. We all feel lonely sometimes and one description used by MIND[i] is particularly helpful “the feeling we get when our need for rewarding social contact and relationships is not met” which echoes the WHO international definition “Loneliness is the pain we feel when our social connections do not meet our needs”[ii]. It is a “subjective” definition – what constitutes loneliness will vary according to our individual experiences, personality and needs. Some people need less social contact with others, others need more. We are all different which must shape both our understanding of the issue and our response to it.
The impact of loneliness
What is clear is that loneliness has a devastating effect on so many people. It is estimated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that one in three people in many countries are affected by loneliness and these numbers are supported by the UK. These estimates led to the appointment of our Minister for Loneliness, supporting what is now a concerted effort by charities together with some government funding, to tackle the issue. Certainly, loneliness particularly affects older people, often because their social contacts and their ability to connect to others is decreasing, but recent post-pandemic findings suggest that younger people were particularly affected during lockdown by loneliness.
The scale of the issue is vast, and the impact loneliness has on our health, as individuals and as a nation, is considerable. The WHO when looking at loneliness and social isolation in older people summarise the impact under three headings:
- They shorten older people’s lives
- They damage their physical and mental health
- They reduce their quality of life
In more detail and looking specifically at the UK, the Royal College of Nursing provides hard-hitting and sobering facts on the impact of loneliness on morbidity and mortality in the UK:
“Research shows that loneliness and social isolation are harmful to health. Lack of social connections can increase the likelihood of early death by 26%. That risk is comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day and is higher than that caused by obesity and physical inactivity” [iii]
As well as older people, research by Sense[iv] has shown that up to 50% of disabled people will be lonely on any given day. Whilst the problem is universal, therefore, and can affect people of all ages there are certainly groups within our society who are at significantly greater risk.
Suddenly the issue of loneliness deserves more of our attention than a few words of sympathy and a passing thought or two. Affecting so many people, and impacting directly on health to such an extent, it is clear why we need a public health policy and a concerted approach.
Tackling loneliness in the workplace
But it cannot be left merely to government initiatives and charities to tackle such an issue. We all need to examine what we can do if we are to both understand and respond effectively.
As employers the starting point must be to examine our “duty of care” and both our policy and practice in terms of diversity, inclusion and equality. We have to examine whether we are being truly inclusive. Do we go out of our way to ensure that everyone feels valued for the contribution they make? Do we go out of our way to listen to and reach those members of our team who somehow seem to be on the fringes of our social activity or connectedness, who are sometimes left out or passed over?
Our policies matter here, of course, and if we have developed a culture of inclusion, rather than merely have an occasional half-hearted campaign, then we shall be better placed to address the issues. There is also a particular role for line managers to play in combatting loneliness in the workplace since they are involved in the development of the culture of inclusion, and they are closest to people who they manage so can see the signs and determine what actions to take.
Some steps to take:
Relatively simple steps taken by employers, and particularly by line managers can have an impact some include:
- Promote a workplace culture of inclusion and empathy. A workplace that is inclusive, warm, friendly, and compassionate will create higher levels of social connection
- Encourage employees to build trust networks. Small groups of colleagues you routinely turn to ask for advice or emotional support. In a busy working environment is can be sometimes difficult for voices to be heard and hard for people to express when they are feeling low and alone
- Focus on mental and emotional health. Ensure managers are trained in spotting signs and symptoms when things are not going well for employees and can quickly signpost to professional support and/or explore what else can be offered to help
- Give back. Exploring ways to create volunteering programmes so that employees can reach people outside of the workplace. This in turn raises awareness of loneliness and enhances an organisational culture through shared values
In conclusion
There is no simple, one-size-fits all fix, but we can all reach out, help people get through tough times, and do our bit to make the workplace more inclusive by being more thoughtful and sensitive to the needs of others. What will matter, as employers and as individuals, is whether we can sustain levels of commitment and activity to ensure we too play our part in addressing this critical global issue.
[ii] https://www.who.int/teams/social-determinants-of-health/demographic-change-and-healthy-ageing/social-isolation-and-loneliness
[iii] https://www.rcn.org.uk/clinical-topics/public-health/inclusion-health-care/loneliness/recognising-loneliness
