The elderly in Italy are increasingly lonely

Italy is an unwelcoming nation toward the elderly, especially when it comes to (unwanted) loneliness due to widowhood, retirement, physical problems and difficulties with movement. In fact, senior citizens living in the peninsula are left more alone than those in other countries of the Old Continent. A phenomenon that impacts mental health as much as physical health. Loneliness often serves as a prelude to depression, also increasing the risk of sleep disorders, dementia and cardiovascular disease (as well as suicide).