One in six people affected by loneliness, studies show

Loneliness affects about one in six people worldwide and is linked to serious mental and physical health risks, ORF reported. The Yellow September awareness month aims to strengthen awareness of mental health and promote support services.

The World Health Organization considers social connectedness a fundamental determinant of health. In Austria, about 28 percent of people aged 18 to 74 said they sometimes felt lonely in the second quarter of 2025, according to the Federal Ministry for Labour, Social Affairs, Health and Consumer Protection. That amounted to approximately 1.832 million people. Eight percent said they always or mostly felt lonely.

People with health limitations were affected more than twice as often as those without such limitations. Thirteen percent of people with health limitations reported persistent loneliness, compared with six percent of those without them.

Loneliness affects mental and physical health

Katharina Hüfner, director of the University Clinic for Psychiatry II at Innsbruck Medical University, said loneliness affects both mental and physical health. Psychological stress caused by a lack of social support can worsen depressive symptoms and physical health problems such as cardiovascular disease.

A meta-analysis by US psychologist Julianne Holt-Lunstad found that loneliness increases the risk of death by 26 percent. The effects are particularly significant among people under 65.

Young people also affected

Ann-Christin Jahnke-Majorkovits, a psychologist at Hall State Hospital, said children and adolescents were also increasingly suffering from loneliness. Austria’s HBSC study found that 22 percent of girls and 10 percent of boys often felt lonely.

The psychological burden increases with the frequency of loneliness. Among adolescents who are constantly lonely, 59 percent show signs of depressed mood.

Barbara Haid, head of the Coordination Centre for Psychotherapy and Clinical Psychology at the Tyrol clinics, called for an integrated approach involving psychiatry, psychotherapy and clinical psychology. She said loneliness was not a personal failure but a serious health factor.

“With Yellow September, we are sending a clear signal: No one has to remain alone with loneliness,” Haid said. “We want to encourage people to reach out to one another, accept support and understand mental health as a shared responsibility in society.”

Support services in Tyrol

The Psychosocial Crisis Service can be reached at 0800 400 120 daily from 8am to 8pm. The Psychosocial Centres of Tyrol can be reached at 050 500 from Monday to Friday between 9am and 2pm.

Other services include the Telephone Counselling Service at 142, available around the clock; the FIT4SCHOOL hotline for students, parents and teachers at +43 5 12561734 on weekdays from 2pm to 3pm; the Children’s Emergency Line at 0800 567 567; Rat auf Draht at 147; and the telephone health advice service at 1450. Emergency departments, rescue services and emergency response organisations are also available.