The number of men over the age of 50 suffering from severe loneliness in England will increase to more than 1 million in the next 15 years, research has revealed.
More than 700,000 older men already report feeling a high degree of loneliness and with the population of older men living alone predicted to swell by 65% to 1.5 million by 2030, the impact of isolation will spread, according to advice and support charity, Independent Age. Men with poor health, low incomes, few qualifications and living in rented housing are hit hardest by loneliness, which Independent Age defines as the feeling of not liking isolation.
“This matters because loneliness is actually a health risk,” said Janet Morrison, chief executive of Independent Age. “If you allow people to suffer from loneliness it has the equivalent impact as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and is as big a risk as obesity.”
According to the report the problem is worse for men than women. More older men experience high levels of social isolation and almost a quarter of men over 50 have less than monthly contact with their children compared to just one in seven women. Nearly one in five older men admitted to having less than monthly contact with friends compared to one in eight for women. Loneliness affects close to half of all men over 50, the report found, with the highest degree of loneliness reported by 8%.
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More than 700,000 older men already report feeling a high degree of loneliness and with the population of older men living alone predicted to swell by 65% to 1.5 million by 2030, the impact of isolation will spread, according to advice and support charity, Independent Age. Men with poor health, low incomes, few qualifications and living in rented housing are hit hardest by loneliness, which Independent Age defines as the feeling of not liking isolation.
“This matters because loneliness is actually a health risk,” said Janet Morrison, chief executive of Independent Age. “If you allow people to suffer from loneliness it has the equivalent impact as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and is as big a risk as obesity.”
According to the report the problem is worse for men than women. More older men experience high levels of social isolation and almost a quarter of men over 50 have less than monthly contact with their children compared to just one in seven women. Nearly one in five older men admitted to having less than monthly contact with friends compared to one in eight for women. Loneliness affects close to half of all men over 50, the report found, with the highest degree of loneliness reported by 8%.
From here
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