1Shall we go through the notes we've made from our research into loneliness now, Dev?
2Ok, Tamara.
3Ah, it's been a real eye-opener.
4I had no idea that loneliness has been increasing steadily for the last 20 years.
5I know.
6And it's the same all over the world...
7The downside of a modern lifestyle, I guess.
8Did you come to any conclusions about what the reasons for the increase are?
9Well, I'd assumed it was mainly an issue for the elderly,
10but in fact, it's something which affects young people just as much.
11So nothing really to do with longer lifespans.
12Um, what about social media?
13In my case, far from making me feel isolated, it actually does the opposite.
14It definitely does more good than harm.
15I'd say loneliness has a lot to do with the way cities are designed:
16people living in high-rise flats with not much opportunity to speak to their neighbours.
17I think you're right.
18Another possible reason is that people are having fewer children
19and don't live in large extended family groups.
20But in this country anyway, that all changed decades ago,
21and yet loneliness is a more recent problem.
22I suppose so.
23A more plausible explanation is that people are having to move around for work
24and often end up living miles away from their family and friends.
25That's true.
26Looking at the studies on health risks and loneliness,
27there are claims that loneliness has as much impact as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
28Or similar to the risks caused by obesity.
29But I'm not sure there's enough evidence for some of these claims.
30Well, what about that one in Finland,
31which showed that loneliness increased the risk of cancer by about 10%?
32And those findings have been supported by other studies too.
33You're right about that one.
34I was actually thinking of the studies on dementia.
35Some found no association between loneliness and dementia,
36and others found the opposite.
37Not exactly reliable then.
38There's been a lot of research on cardiovascular disease and whether loneliness contributes to that.
39Yes, I read that it was hard to reach a judgment,
40as the definition of loneliness varied quite a lot.
41And the responses from participants were too subjective.
42But there's no doubt that loneliness contributes to a weakened immune system.
43Unquestionably.
44The data on that is sound.
45What did you think about the evolutionary theory of loneliness?
46Well, I thought the idea that loneliness evolved because it motivated people to be with other people quite convincing.
47Survival often depended on group cooperation.
48But I don't think there's enough evidence to claim that there must be a group of neurons in our brains which influence social behavior
49by making us feel bad when we're alone.
50There are a few studies which support the theory, but not conclusively enough.
51More evidence is needed.
52And anyway, this theory's not really useful when it comes to solving the problem of loneliness today.
53True.
54Should we look at the relationship between loneliness and mental health now?
55Ok.
56So, loneliness and depression are clearly related,
57and that's been recognized by various governments around the world.
58But unlike depression, loneliness has no recognized clinical form.
59There's no available diagnosis or effective treatments,
60and that's not likely to change.
61I don't think so either.
62I was thinking we should start our presentation with an example from our own experience.
63I'd like to talk about how lonely I was when I started university -
64being away from home for the first time and all that.
65Good idea.
66Everyone will be able to relate to that,
67although a lot of students were probably too embarrassed to admit to it.
68Yeah.
69We could discuss ways of dealing with loneliness as well, like just talking to strangers.
70Loads of studies have shown that interactions with shop assistants and bar staff make people feel more optimistic and relaxed.
71I don't know about that,
72but it must make people feel more connected with their community.
73True,
74although you need to be a certain kind of person to be able to just strike up a conversation.
75Good point.
76We should say something about solitude,
77and how being alone and being lonely aren't the same thing.
78It's strange the way some people can't stand being by themselves, while others love it.
79Yeah, the research shows a certain amount of solitude is beneficial for well-being, which I appreciate.
80But being alone isn't something I actually like.
81I'd never choose to go on holiday alone, for example.
82Me neither.
83Well, let's...