Care home residents ‘dying of loneliness’ as testing delays expose ‘huge staff shortages’

Vulnerable people living in care homes are ‘dying of loneliness,’ as they’re deprived from seeing families due to lockdown, while delays in testing have exposed ‘huge staff shortages,’ in the sector, it has been claimed. Baroness Ros Altmann, a former Minister of State for pensions, welcomed Matt Hancock’s announcement yesterday that care home residents would … Read more

Loneliness of locked down TV star: JOHN BARROWMAN describes fatherhood

John Barrowman, the perennially upbeat, affable and incontestably happy Mr Nice Guy, is feeling uncharacteristically glum. Lockdown for him — a ‘control freak who loves to work’ — has been particularly difficult, he says. As for so many in the entertainment industry, 2020 has been a complete wash out. ‘This is the longest period I’ve … Read more

Adults suffer from loneliness in different ways ‘depending on age’

Loneliness in adult life is experienced differently depending on what age you are, a new scientific study suggests.   Factors associated with feelings of loneliness, such as contact with friends and family, perceived health and employment, differ throughout adult life, scientists say.  Researchers found that these various factors caused loneliness in different measures across three age … Read more

Depression, loneliness and anxiety soars among BAME people during Covid-19 lockdown

BAME individuals are more likely than white people to suffer depression, loneliness and anxiety during Covid-19 lockdown, study finds 17 per cent of white people report being often lonely during lockdown This figure rises to around 23 per cent amongst those from BAME backgrounds  BAME people have also reported lower levels of happiness and life … Read more

Coronavirus pandemic has NOT led to a rise in loneliness in the US, study finds

Loneliness did not increase among Americans during the coronavirus pandemic, a new study suggests. When social distancing guidelines and stay-at-home orders were enacted, there was a lot of fear that people would feel isolated. Instead, there were increased feelings of social support and more reports of people connecting with their family and friends. The team, … Read more

Loneliness alters neural ‘maps’ of the brain, study shows

Neural activity in our brain can show whether we are experiencing loneliness, scientists say.   US researchers claim sociable people show similar ‘stamps’ of brain activity when they think about themselves and their friends. In comparison, brain activity in lonely people is more skewed, leading to more dissimilar activity patterns when they think about themselves and … Read more

Loneliness makes it harder to quit smoking, study finds

Long periods of loneliness, such as those experienced during the current coronavirus lockdown, makes smoking habits worse, according to a new study. Being alone increases both the likelihood of starting smoking and the number of cigarettes smoked per day, while decreasing the likelihood of successfully quitting, UK researchers say. The team at the University of … Read more

Jessica Marais shares raw open letter about ‘loneliness and death’ after being hospitalised 

‘I have the courage to speak my truth’: Jessica Marais shares a raw open letter about ‘loneliness, death and surviving’ a month after being hospitalised By Joshua Fox For Daily Mail Australia Published: 23:05 BST, 10 June 2020 | Updated: 23:30 BST, 10 June 2020 Jessica Marais shared a heartfelt open letter about ‘loneliness and … Read more

Bipolar man, 34, with diabetes killed himself due to lockdown loneliness

Bipolar man, 34, with diabetes killed himself after being pushed over the edge due to loneliness when he was forced to self-isolate during coronavirus, family say Daniel Furniss, 34, lived by himself in Crookhorn, near Portsmouth, Hampshire  The ‘big kid’ who was a ‘joy to everyone’ struggled with the lack of contact Sister Chelsea Furniss … Read more

How Honjok, the South Korean philosophy can teach you how to avoid loneliness during self-isolation 

With the coronavirus pandemic sweeping across the world, and many locking down in their homes, some are dreading the idea of going through the crisis alone. But advocates of Honjok, the South Korean art of being at peace with yourself in time of isolation, believe the self-isolation could actually provide a perfect moment to practice self-acceptance.  … Read more