“One in five Flemish people experience severe loneliness”

The social isolation to which corona forces us, rapidly increases the loneliness in society. That was already one of the findings of the sixth Health Survey of Sciensano, and it appears again from a poll by Bond Zonder Naam on Wednesday. 21.3 percent of Flemish people now say they experience severe loneliness. In an earlier study, ten years ago, this was still 2.5 percent.

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In the BZN survey, 16 percent say they often feel lonely, 43 percent sometimes and the remaining 41 percent are (almost) never lonely. In people who have difficulties getting by, double the number of people report being lonely compared to the general population.

Other studies have shown more often that elderly people in particular are lonely, but in this survey young people indicate that they feel noticeably more (emotionally) lonely. Emotional loneliness is the lack of a close, affectionate bond with someone. Even those surrounded by others can still feel lonely. “In this age phase, the acquisition of autonomy is central, young people want to stand on their own two feet,” says child and youth psychiatrist Winny Ang. “This is also accompanied by the urge to experiment, preferably outdoors. Relationships with peers are therefore very important. The challenging corona times are a serious obstacle to those processes. ”

Another striking finding is that only 47 percent of people have a hug contact. If one only looks at the singles, then the picture is almost the same: in that group 45 percent have a cuddly contact.

The research from ten years ago already showed that people with a lower income and / or with health problems are more lonely. That inequality is confirmed. “BZN is in close contact with and wants to keep an eye on the most vulnerable target groups in society,” says Ine De Rycke of BZN. “Loneliness, poor health and a difficult financial situation very often go hand in hand. Structural solutions are needed for the most vulnerable target groups to ensure that these people can escape this vicious circle. ”

Bond Zonder Naam hopes with these figures to provide insight “into the diversity and inequality of loneliness, so that tailor-made solutions can also be found”. For the BZN poll, a representative group of over 1,000 over-18s was surveyed in February.

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