"Unwanted loneliness is one of the main stealthy epidemics of the 21st century," stated Bruno Casal, a professor at the University of La Coruña and researcher of the study The Cost of Unwanted Loneliness in Spain. This question, that of having less social relationships or of worse quality than one would like, reflects the study that affects 13.4% of the Spanish population, mainly young people between 16 and 24 years of age (22%). In relation to this, the president of the ONCE Social Group, Miguel Carballeda, has warned that this is reflected in the particular cases of families that tell him that their children "lock themselves in the room and hide behind social networks to isolate themselves every time further". Carballeda has pointed out that "these data are later reflected in the suicides of young people."
The former mayoress of Madrid, Manuela Carmena, also took part in the presentation of the publication, who highlighted the role that civil society should play, dysfunctional for now, to combat unwanted loneliness: "We have a very weak. Very tense due to an erroneous conception of what politics is. That is why there is very little possibility that projects exist". In relation to this, she has also highlighted the need to apply public policies to reverse this problem: "There is a State Observatory for Unwanted Loneliness that is not an administrative body." This quote is identified with the intention of seeking a public solution to unwanted loneliness.
The research, in which professors from the University of Vigo have also participated, has reflected two data of special social relevance: unwanted loneliness affects women more than men. 14.8% to them, while 12.1% to them. In addition, the main cause that generates it is the lack of coexistence or lack of family support. On the other hand, depression and chronic anxiety are diseases, almost entirely, that are linked to loneliness. There are 77% of people who suffer from one of the two pathologies while suffering from this isolation.
In economic terms, the study has estimated that unwanted loneliness represents a total cost of 14,141 million euros per year for Spain. 1.17% of GDP in 2021. This figure is divided into three types of costs: healthcare, associated with lost productivity, and intangibles, which are those that reflect the reduction in quality of life caused by physical suffering and emotional.
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