A noted psychiatrist from the SMS Medical Hospital and College here has warned that if a person doesn’t have a friend, he is susceptible to fall sick and face depression.

During an interaction with The Statesman, Dr Dayaram Swami said, “If you don’t have friends, you can fall sick, very sick because of loneliness.”

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Dr Swami, former principal psychiatry specialist, said, citing studies conducted on the topic that it has come to light that due to loneliness, the immune system in people weakens. They are also susceptible to Alzheimer’s, insomnia, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer.

He quoted a recent study conducted on Americans by the Center on American Life to arrive at the conclusion. The survey revealed that one out of five men doesn’t have a good friend. People struggling to cope with financial crises are not unduly bothered about friends. But later, they crave for friendship.

One out of five men doesn’t have a best friend.

In 1990, everyone used to have six good friends on average, by 2021 the number reduced by half. It is now down to three. It has also been found that loneliness among men is the cause of increased violence in society. One significant reason for them living alone is the inability to share their feelings with friends.

According to the survey, while 48 per cent of women shared their feelings with their friends, only 30 per cent of men could do the same. 41 per cent of women supported their friends emotionally, but only 21 per cent of men were able to provide emotional support to their friends.

Dr Swami further said that expressing love for friends is also essential. It is necessary to tell your friends how much you love them and how important they are in your life. In this respect too, men lag women. While only 25 per cent of men can express their love to their friends, 49 women told their friends that they are very important in their lives.

The psychiatrist says violent emotions are seven times stronger in men who live alone compared to women, and the prevalence of suicidal thoughts among men is twice more than that among women.

In 2020, 20 out of 10 lakh men committed suicide. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, only five out of 10 lakh women committed suicide, while during the same period, 20 men took their own lives.

Psychologist Ronald F Levant says men cannot express their emotions due to traditional mindset. He said: “One should never suppress their emotions because it creates a conflict in the person’s mind, and they become victims of depression. Medical science states that depression invites all diseases, according to similar studies.”