A big chunk of this question straddles the philosophical/semantic divide. We consider emotional ailments, health issues in our times. In that sense, "yes" by de

A big chunk of this question straddles the philosophical/semantic divide. We consider emotional ailments, health issues in our times. In that sense, "yes" by definition, if we're seeing a spread of it. It also doesn't take much proving to convince me that loneliness (the physical state, and the emotional lonliness) is related to depression and other emotional states. There's a completely nonsemantic point on lonliness causing physical ailments too, and I think the evidence here is as convincing as anything related to happiness and mental health. Sometimes we think too hard. Put a chimp or sheep or donkey into a bad social setting (no peers, peers change daily, peers hate you...) and they will show signs of distress. Create an environment where these are more prevelant, the ailments will be more prevelant. People too. Lonliness is related to people's relationship s. These have changed. Community is weaker, as our it's institutions. Modern society is more indivualistic, with less social obligation... or contact above a very basic level of commitment. Do you send your kids to clean out ms hegarty's shed, because your aunt told you that she needs help and was good to your mum? Culture has changed, and many of the loneliness-combating relationships are gone. IMO, corporate life has crowded out everything else. This is another point I'm confident about but can't substantiate: work relationships are very low nutrition, and they form most of many of our diets. Some people don't even have that. On May's department of lonliness... What "normally" helps prevent lonliness, is friends, neighbors, family, community.... our modern world has a lot less of that. I don't think the answer is government institutions instead. I think the answer is social institutions. Maybe May should focus on cheerleading instead of doing, try to encourage social institutions that exist, or could.