An invisible epidemic
Eurofound and the JRC report that roughly 1 in 8 Europeans feels lonely most or all of the time, with sharp rises among under-25s and over-75s. Loneliness is now linked to outcomes comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day in terms of all-cause mortality risk. Responses include the EU Loneliness Initiative (2023), national strategies (UK Minister for Loneliness, IT Pact…

