We highlight the problem of loneliness, and argue that it is not only a public health issue but also an economic problem. We provide a brief review of findings from the key literature on the associations between loneliness, mental and physical health, and healthcare costs; and then present some evidence on its trends, the extent of socioeconomic inequalities and its links with health and healthcare usage, in Australia. We hope to encourage further economics research on loneliness, and related issues of social isolation and poor social support, to aid the design of policies and interventions to reduce loneliness.

中文翻译：

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在澳大利亚的经济方面的孤独感

我们强调孤独问题，并认为这不仅是公共卫生问题，还是经济问题。我们简要回顾了主要文献中有关孤独感，心理和身体健康以及医疗保健费用之间关系的研究结果；然后提供一些有关其趋势，社会经济不平等程度及其与健康和医疗保健使用之间的联系的证据。我们希望鼓励对孤独以及与社会孤立和社会支持差有关的问题进行进一步的经济学研究，以帮助设计减少孤独的政策和干预措施。