Loneliness is not just impacting people’s mental and physical health, it’s costing the NHS as much as £850 extra every year.
A study on more than 23,000 adults in the UK found loneliness leads to an increase in healthcare costs.
In the UK, four in 10 citizens identify as being lonely at least some of the time, and experts argue intervention would reduce health issues and costs on the taxpayer.
“We know that loneliness has a significant effect on health and wellbeing, particularly among older adults,” said the lead author Nia Morrish, of the University of Exeter.
“We found that people experiencing loneliness, especially in younger adulthood and later life, incur higher NHS costs compared with those who are not lonely. Loneliness was also strongly linked with poorer health, reduced wellbeing, and lower quality of life.”
Researchers analysed the Understanding Society UK Household Longitudinal Study, which gathers survey and interview data from UK adults.
The study published in the journal PLOS One, looked at self-reported loneliness, health and well-being measures and NHS expenditures across 23,071 participants from 2021-2023.
Healthcare costs were estimated at £49 per general practitioner visit, £217 per outpatient visit and £1,111 per inpatient case.
About 32 per cent of participants felt lonely some of the time and 8 per cent reported feeling lonely often.
Loneliness was associated with worse mental wellbeing and poorer physical health.
Those who reported feeling lonely often incurred about £850 more in annual NHS costs than non-lonely individuals – by going to the GP more often.
Loneliness is increasing with projections from Age UK suggesting the number of people aged 65 and over who report frequent loneliness could reach 1.2 million by 2034.
“There is a recognised link between loneliness and mental health issues including anxiety and depression, and evidence suggests that early intervention in the midlife phase can significantly reduce loneliness and enhance wellbeing,” Denise Turner, professor of social work at the University of Hertfordshire, told The Independent.
He added: “Intervention at this stage would reduce loneliness and associated mental health issues later in life, thereby reducing the pressure on health and social care services.”
Co-author Professor Antonieta Medina-Lara, of the University of Exeter, said: “Our findings highlight the importance of recognising loneliness as both a public health issue and an NHS priority.
“Too often overlooked, loneliness carries substantial personal and societal costs. By making these visible, we hope to encourage new approaches to help people build connections, improve wellbeing, and ultimately reduce the burden on health services.”
NHS England has been contacted for a comment.
