本集内容

Can loneliness harm your health? 孤独是否损害健康？

文字稿

Can loneliness harm your health?

孤独会损害健康吗？

We all feel lonely sometimes. It's normal, and not something to worry about.

我们都有孤独的时候。偶尔感到孤独很正常，并不用担心。

Source: WHO
But some experts say that being socially isolated or feeling lonely for long periods could affect your health.

数据来源：世界卫生组织
但有一些专家说，长期与社会隔离（缺乏社会联系）或感到孤独可能会影响你的健康。

It's been compared to smoking, drinking too much alcohol, and obesity for the potential impact on life expectancy.

有些研究将长期感到孤独与吸烟、酗酒和肥胖等因素放在一起比较，以了解长期孤独对人预期寿命可能产生的影响。

But the science on this is not clear.

但这方面的科学依据尚不明确。

Physical symptoms can include a higher risk of heart disease, dementia and stroke.

长期感到孤独可能会增加人患心脏疾病、失智症及中风的风险。

And it can impact your mental health too.

也会影响人的心理健康。

It's been linked to an increased risk of sleep issues, anxiety and depression.

长期感到孤独还与睡眠问题、焦虑和抑郁的风险增加有关。

Researchers are trying to find out more about why these health links exist.

研究人员们正在试图找出上述健康问题存在联系的原因。

Loneliness is something that affects all age groups, and it's a global problem reported by people in every region.

孤独影响所有年龄段的人，这也是一个全球性的问题，所有地区的人们都反映受到了孤独的影响。

Source: WHO
One in four older people experience social isolation. And up to 15% of young people feel lonely.

数据来源：世界卫生组织
四分之一的老年人长期与社会隔离。而有多达15%的年轻人感到孤独。

But it's thought those numbers could actually be much higher.

但人们认为实际数字可能要更高。

The World Health Organisation says it's a "global public health concern".

世界卫生组织表示，孤独是一个 “全球公共卫生问题”。

It recommends three tools to help fix how you feel.

世界卫生组织建议用以下三个方法来帮助你克服孤独感。

Get in touch with friends and family.

一：与朋友和家人保持联系。

Do things you enjoy, like hobbies.

二：做你喜欢的事情，比如兴趣爱好。

And reach out – join groups to meet new people or speak to medical professionals who can support you.

三：主动与他人沟通交流，加入兴趣小组以结识新朋友，或与能帮助你的医学专业人士交谈。