Workplace loneliness is a new health emergency

Loneliness has become a public health emergency in the 'new normal' of remote and hybrid working 

Since the pandemic began, informal gatherings which previously solidified our friendships at work now happen much less often — if at all. Picture: iStock

There are signs that much of the world is getting lonelier. 

Last month, the US released an alarming report shedding light on the loneliness crisis and its effects on people’s physical and mental health. Isolation leads to a 29% increased risk of heart disease and a 32% increased risk of a stroke and increases the chance of developing dementia by about 50% in older people. It also significantly increases the risk of premature death.