Loneliness: An Underestimated Public Health Threat

Loneliness has emerged as a prominent concern in recent years, leading to it being described as the ‘epidemic’ of the twenty-first century. The COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with the distancing measures implemented to curb its spread, further heightened those worries. This introductory chapter explores the growing emphasis on loneliness in both public discourse and the political arena and discusses the underlying reasons for this increased public attention. It then presents the recent joint project of the European Commission and the European Parliament aimed at generating additional scientific insights into the risk factors and consequences of loneliness, as well as the effectiveness of loneliness interventions in the European Union. Lastly, the chapter explains the structure and organisation of this volume.