ROMA (ITALPRESS) – Chronic social isolation is associated with approximately 870.000 deaths every year in the world, 100 every hour. An impact on health, described in an Oms report of 2025, which is comparable to that of smoking 15 cigarettes per day. It is reported by the Higher Institute of Health. It is from this data that clearly emerges the value of social relations: friendships do not only feel good, but help to live better and longer.
On the occasion of the World Day of Friendship, which is celebrated on July 30, scientific evidence recalls that a network of solid relationships represents a true protection factor: it promotes psychological well-being, improves physical health and can increase up to 50% the chances of living longer.
“On the other hand, solitude is a growing phenomenon,” explains Ilaria Lega, researcher of the National Center for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (Cnapps) of the Higher Institute of Health. “According to the Oms – he adds – a person out of six in the world feels alone. Among young people the phenomenon affects a person out of five, while in low-income countries it involves almost one out of four.”.
Incidentally, the researcher emphasizes, “they are not only demographic changes and lifestyles, but also the way relationships are built today. In the case of young people, for example, they are not social media in themselves to determine loneliness, but the ways in which they are used and the quality of the experiences lived in the virtual context. When used as a space of confrontation, sharing and participation can strengthen social ties; on the contrary, passive use or characterized by negative and hostile interactions can accentuate the sense of isolation and loneliness.”.
The elderly are also a particularly vulnerable population. Although they are not the group that reports the highest levels of loneliness, they are among those who benefit from the maintenance of meaningful relationships and opportunities for participation in the life of the community.
To address the challenge of social isolation, different countries are experiencing new tools. “A Ministry of Solitude has been established in the United Kingdom – Lega concludes – and in several countries including Italy is spreading the model of social prescription, through which doctors, alongside traditional therapies, can direct patients to activities such as walking groups, choirs, laboratories or voluntary initiatives. An approach that recognizes the value of relationships as an integral part of health.”.
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(ITALPRESS).
