Study Finds 4 in 10 Greater Jakarta Residents Suffer from Loneliness
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27 December 2023 22:08 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Public health advocacy group Health Collaborative Center (HCC) released its latest research on the level of loneliness among residents of Greater Jakarta or Jabodetabek. The study showed that four out of ten people living in Jakarta, Bogor, Depok, Tangerang, and Bekasi experience moderate to severe levels of loneliness, which can lead to mental health disorders, depression, self-harm, and even suicide.
Ray Wagiu Basrowi, the lead researcher and chairman of HCC, revealed several factors that trigger depression caused by loneliness. Based on clinical research, Ray said, feelings of loneliness have been shown to affect the neurotransmitter components in the person's brain.
“This disrupts the balance of several hormones that regulate emotions, such as serotonin and dopamine, and so resulting in anxiety,” he told Tempo on Wednesday, Dec. 27.
Other factors have also been proven by medical science. An individual who feels lonely can trigger an increase in excessive stress response activity, raising the level of stress hormones.
“So one of them will disrupt the function of the heart and blood vessels, which has the same bad effects as smoking 15 cigarettes a day,” Ray explained.
Based on his research, Ray said that another factor causing loneliness includes behavioral patterns. Among the behavioral factors that most trigger loneliness are a lack of quality social interaction, going through a life-changing period, and being in a non-inclusive environment.
“Life changes or life transitions include moving house, starting a new job, starting a new school, etc.,” Ray added.
This latest HCC research was conducted online and involved 1,229 respondents over the last three months. Ray went on to reveal that moderate loneliness among Greater Jakarta residents was most prevalent among migrants, those under the age of 40, unmarried people, and women.
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