According to Webster’s dictionary, loneliness is defined as “being without company” and “cut off from others”. This definition is an extension of what we have been asked to do during this pandemic era. Not specifically in those words, but it has been highly encouraged that people maintain an acceptable social distance to decrease the potential transmission of the virus. As such, it would be no surprise that loneliness has been on the rise since the pandemic began and it is more common than you might think. According to a poll completed in July 2020 by the Centre for Addiction and Mental health, almost 25% of those surveyed indicated that they feel lonely.

History of Loneliness

As much as we would like to blame everything on the current pandemic, it is valuable to acknowledge that loneliness is an issue that existed long before COVID-19. How long, you might wonder? In a recent publication out of Oxford University, anthropologists theorize that loneliness has existed for 52 million years, with the very first primates. For these early primates, being a member of an intimate social group was vital for survival from the perspective of safety. Today, being part of a group is an important factor in mental well-being.

Measuring Loneliness

Loneliness is an emotion that one feels. Those who treat it find it helpful to quantify loneliness to establish a baseline. This baseline allows health care practitioners to determine if the feeling of loneliness is improving, staying the same, or worsening. To measure loneliness, doctors at UCLA created a loneliness scale. It is a seven-item assessment tool that determines the frequency that someone feels each item. This is what it looks like:

Do you often, sometimes, rarely, or never feel these ways?

• I am unhappy doing so many things alone.
• I have nobody to talk to.
• I cannot tolerate being so alone.
• I feel as if nobody really understands me.
• I am no longer close to anyone.
• There is no one I can turn to.
• I feel isolated from others.

What Can Lead to Loneliness?

There are many contributing factors that lead to loneliness in individuals. Some of these causes are external, while others manifest from within. Some of the external factors include situational variables such as the current guidelines for social distancing, working from home, divorce, moving to a new location, the death of a close companion, and physical isolation. Internal drivers of loneliness include existing depression and a compromised sense of self-worth. Individuals who struggle with low self-esteem can feel they are not good enough to have the attention or time of others. This leads to a path of isolation and subsequent loneliness.

How Do We Alleviate Loneliness?

External contributors are usually remedied with time. If you are new to a location, consider that COVID safe options for social interaction in your neighbourhood via searches on social media, and the local community/recreation centre. Invite new colleagues and neighbours for a socially distanced walk or coffee. Keep in touch with distant friends through regular contact via communication apps and phone calls. If you are in a location where there are physically fewer individuals within your vicinity, consider changing your location to a more populated area. If this is not possible, consider participating in activities to broaden your network.

For those with internal contributors of loneliess, there are many routes to take to alleviate loneliness. Focus on increasing your self-esteem through apps, books, friends and family or through professional guidance with a counsellor. Consider community service or another activity you enjoy. Focus on developing quality relationships. Recognize loneliness as a sign that perhaps something needs altering. Understand the effects of loneliness on your life, both physical and mental.