Loneliness Linked to 50% Higher Depression Risk, Warns Andorran Health Expert

Joan Soler Vidal, head of Mental Health and Addictions at Andorra's SAAS health provider, has warned of a direct connection between loneliness and depression, citing a large-scale study for evidence.

In comments to the Andorran News Agency, Soler Vidal explained that even people with a home, family, and solid employment can develop depression. He pointed to research published last summer in PLOS One, which followed 47,000 individuals over six years from 2016 to 2023. It showed that those who always felt lonely had a 50% greater chance of developing depression than the general population, while people who never felt lonely faced only a 7-8% risk. The study's size and duration make it particularly reliable, he added.

These remarks come as Andorra grapples with elevated mental health indicators. The latest AR+I barometer, produced with Unicef, found 32.6% of residents showing anxiety-like symptoms and 37.1% potentially affected by depression. Though slightly improved from last year, the numbers exceed pre-pandemic baselines. Notably, 10% of the population—especially younger people—report frequent or constant loneliness.

Soler Vidal called for a comprehensive view of mental health, given its many contributing factors. He highlighted social connections as key to prevention, noting that something as simple as meeting for coffee promotes physical activity and interaction, both essential to wellbeing.