International | All the lonely people

Loneliness is a serious public-health problem

The lonely are not just sadder; they are unhealthier and die younger. What can be done?

|BLACKPOOL, GJØVIK, AND TOKYO

LONDON, says Tony Dennis, a 62-year-old security guard, is a city of “sociable loners”. Residents want to get to know each other but have few ways to do so. Tonight, however, is different. Mr Dennis and a few dozen other locals are jousting at a monthly quiz put on by the Cares Family, a charity dedicated to curbing loneliness.

This article appeared in the International section of the print edition under the headline “Alone in the crowd”

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