Forum: Do more to tackle loneliness and its adverse health impacts

I read with interest and concern the article “Is being alone really so bad? Coping with loneliness by befriending ChatGPT and embracing solitude” (Nov 23).

While some people in Singapore may have little choice but to embrace loneliness due to their circumstances, we as a society should not stop looking for ways to combat this in the digital age.

The World Health Organisation has found that loneliness is linked to serious health implications such as early death and dementia.

I applaud organisations here like Friendzone for making efforts to stave off these negative outcomes.

At a recent workshop for single LGBTQ people that I co-facilitated, the single most cited reason for participants wanting to find a date was companionship. I do not believe this would be very different for the heterosexual community, but the challenge may be amplified within minority communities.

More Singaporeans young and old are staying or becoming single, and are at risk of becoming more lonely as well.

I urge our health authorities to take a more active role and work with social organisations to address loneliness, as doing so could reduce negative health outcomes for a growing segment of the population.

James Ching