Severe Loneliness in London – who’s most at risk, and why?

Wisdom has also been shown to protect against loneliness. If that idea sounds a bit abstract, in brain science, wisdom is often defined as empathy, compassion, emotional regulation, and self-reflection.26

If someone becomes chronically lonely, however, those same feelings of distress can compound and have the opposite effect, encouraging people to shut down and further isolate themselves.