26/07/2021 (Agence Europe) – The share of 18-25 year olds reporting loneliness was four times higher in April-July 2020 than in 2016, the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) found in a report published on Monday 26 July. The trend is the same, although less pronounced, for other age groups. This is true across Europe, with reported levels of loneliness ranging from 22% to 26% across regions. “This is in contrast to pre-pandemic times”, the researchers note, when loneliness was lowest in Northern Europe, where 6% reported feeling lonely in 2016. “Loneliness and social isolation have harmful repercussions on mental and physical health”, the JRC said, but welcomed the increased public interest and media coverage of the issue. To view the report: https://bit.ly/36XGRYy (AC)