A new, large-scale study conducted by scientists at City St George’s University of London has found a strong link between loneliness and physical pain, with psychological stress playing a crucial role in this connection. The research, which covered 139 countries, highlights the growing problem of loneliness on a global scale.
The study, whose findings were published in the journal “Scientific Reports,” is based on data collected as part of the 2023-2024 Gallup World Poll. It analyzed data from 256,760 individuals aged 15 to 100. It was found that lonely people experience physical pain twice as often as those who do not feel lonely.
The researchers, Dr. Lucia Macchia and Dr. Anna-Katharina Fett, determined that psychological stress contributes the most to the strong link between loneliness and physical pain, accounting for over 60% of this association. According to the study, health problems explain 18.9% of this link, while social and demographic factors (e.g., social support) account for 14%.
The study also revealed that lonely individuals often have a low socioeconomic status. They frequently have only a primary education, are unemployed or partially employed, and have a lower-than-average income.
The link between loneliness and pain is observed across all age groups, though it is more pronounced in women than in men. Although older people are more likely to feel lonely and have health problems, the relationship between loneliness and pain remains consistent throughout life.
According to Dr. Macchia, this link manifests with different strengths in various countries, indicating the importance of cultural factors. Although the highest rates of loneliness, pain, and stress were found in countries with poverty, the connections did not fully align with the level of economic development, which suggests a role for cultural norms and social structures.
The study’s findings underscore the global scale of loneliness. A significant 22.7% of respondents reported feeling “very lonely” the day before the study was conducted.
The study’s authors note that loneliness is not merely the result of a lack of social contact. It is closely linked to worsening health and a decrease in overall well-being.
Although many lonely respondents stated they had friends or family members they could count on, the link between loneliness and physical pain still remained significant. This indicates that the feeling of loneliness can exist even in the presence of social connections, highlighting the complex nature of the problem.
