Nearly 40% of people who suffer loneliness unwanted in Spain They are young, a number that doubles that of those over 65, according to a report by the state entity that highlights this social phenomenon.
In addition, the annual cost of addressing these situations reaches 14.141 million euros, that is, the 1.17% of the gross domestic product of 2021.
It is the first study to measure the costs of unwanted loneliness, which reaches 13.4% of the Spanish population -more to women-, with damage to the physical and mental health and quality of life of those who suffer from it, but also with negative economic effects.
The investigation of the State Observatory of Unwanted Loneliness (SoledadES) evaluates expenses such as medical consultations, drug use, productivity losses, reduced quality of life and premature deaths associated with this issue.
He 38.4% of people between the ages of 16 and 34 live with it, and it rises to 51.6% if that age range is extended to 44 years; they have this feeling twenty % of those over 65 (especially from 75, since it reaches 12.2%), he 13.2% between 35 and 44 and the 12.1% between 45 and 54 years old.
It affects women more 14.8%, in front of 12.1% of men, highlighted this Monday the researcher Bruno Casal in the presentation of the report.
On average, people in unwanted loneliness have been in this situation for approximately six years.
The main reason: the lack of coexistence or family or social support that declare the 57.3% of those surveyed (more than 4,000), who are asked questions about suffering from loneliness and its causes.
Health and working life resist
The observatory measures the costs due to the frequency of use of health services and medicines, but also the economic ones due to productivity losses related to the reduction in working time that unwanted loneliness produces in Spain.
Specifically, healthcare costs rise to more than 5.6 billion euros per year; due to drug use (tranquilizers, relaxants, antidepressants), another 495.9 million; and those associated with productivity losses, more than 8,000 million.
These people have a higher prevalence of some ailments: depression, chronic anxiety and heart disease.
Regarding intangible costs, the loss of quality of life represents the 2.79% of the total years of good health of the Spanish population over 15 years of age.
According to calculations, there were 848 premature deaths (511 men and 337 women) associated with unwanted loneliness in 2019.
The excess of work that cuts leisure, job changes, retirement or workplace bullying cause the 11.1% of unwanted loneliness.
But the main reason is the absence of family support – the 57.3%– Because relatives live far away, someone close to you has died, you feel a lack of understanding of your environment or because you do not have children.
Source: EFE
Source: Gestion
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