Long before the COVID-19 pandemic, loneliness was on the rise. But lockdowns, remote work, and digital socialization accelerated this trajectory into what many public health experts now call a "loneliness epidemic." According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 16% of the world's population is experiencing loneliness. And while loneliness affects all age groups, it is especially acute among young adults. In 2024, loneliness is not just a social concern. It is a public health crisis with significant clinical, emotional, and economic consequences.
Insurers cannot afford to treat loneliness as a minor issue. The long-term mental and physical health effects are well-documented, from increased risk of depression and anxiety to higher rates of cardiovascular disease and premature death. We have covered how lifestyle choices are influencing current healthcare in our blog post here. For a generation of digital natives navigating post-COVID depression, economic insecurity, and social disconnection, loneliness is a root cause and facilitator of youth mental illness. For insurers, this means rising claims, mounting costs, and the failure of reactive care models to address the actual drivers of poor health.
This article explores the growing mental health crisis linked to loneliness in young adults. We examine the clinical and financial impacts of untreated loneliness, preventative mental health strategies, and outline how insurers can play a central role in addressing this issue. Through practical examples and digital solutions, we demonstrate how moving upstream in mental health care not only improves outcomes but delivers long-term economic value.
Mental illness in young adults has reached historic levels. According to the WHO, depression, anxiety, and behavioral disorders are among the leading causes of illness and disability among adolescents worldwide. Nearly one in seven adolescents aged 10 to 19 experiences a mental disorder, and suicide is the fourth leading cause of death in this age group. In Europe, nearly 1 in 3 individuals aged 18 to 24 report symptoms of depression. Among these cases, loneliness is often the foundational issue, both a trigger and a sustaining condition.
What is especially alarming is that this demographic, long considered to be at relatively low clinical risk, is now exhibiting signs of early-stage mental illness, substance abuse, and suicidal ideation at increasingly high rates. These patterns suggest that traditional models of mental health intervention, those that prioritize late-stage, clinic-based care, are no longer adequate. Instead, there is a pressing need to redesign mental health frameworks to reach young people earlier, in more accessible, stigma-free contexts.
Current mental health infrastructures are designed to treat symptoms, not prevent them. It is a universal problem in healthcare that we covered in our blog post here! Preventative mental health, by contrast, recognizes loneliness as an upstream risk factor, one that can be addressed through proactive digital engagement, peer-based interventions, and early behavioral insights. Just as we track cholesterol to prevent heart disease, we must identify social disconnection as a measurable health risk.
The importance of preventative strategies lies in the broad and lasting effects that untreated mental health conditions impose. For example, adolescent depression is closely linked with poor academic performance, limited employment prospects, and increased risk of substance misuse. As these individuals age, the effects compound, leading to greater healthcare utilization, absenteeism, and long-term disability. By intervening early, particularly when loneliness is identified as a leading indicator, we can significantly reduce the burden of disease on both individuals and systems.
For insurers, this means investing in tools that monitor social and emotional wellbeing in real time, such as digital health platforms and wearable data. Programs that target at-risk individuals with early support, before symptoms become severe enough to require hospitalization, offer a clear return on investment. Moving mental health upstream is not just clinically prudent, it’s economically essential.
Behavioral signals offer a powerful window into a person’s mental health status. Tracking early deviations from normal routines such as increased screen time, disrupted sleep, reduced physical activity, or social withdrawal can serve as red flags. Insurers can use wearable devices, smartphone data, and ambient digital inputs to:
When embedded in care pathways, these signals help initiate support long before a crisis unfolds. Behavioral analytics give insurers the ability to intervene early and at scale. Check our blog post on how wearable data can be turned into long-term behavior change.
Peer-based programs address stigma and accessibility, two major barriers to mental health care among young people. By enabling supportive relationships with trained non-clinical peers, these networks offer:
Digital platforms have made these programs more scalable and flexible. Insurers can embed peer support into member portals or mobile apps, expanding coverage without relying solely on clinical providers.
dCBT combines the clinical rigor of traditional therapy with the scalability of digital technology. These self-guided modules help users:
dCBT can be personalized using real-time data and integrated seamlessly into digital care journeys. For insurers, it reduces reliance on overburdened therapists and provides a scalable, evidence-based intervention.
Maintaining mental health often hinges on daily habits. Personalized nudges, delivered via app notifications, emails, or SMS, can:
These nudges, informed by behavioral data, promote consistency in mental wellness practices. For insurers, this creates an opportunity to drive sustained engagement and reduce avoidable mental health claims.
By combining these strategies, insurers can move beyond reactive care models and instead support continuous, personalized, and scalable mental health support for young people.
The economics are clear: untreated loneliness leads to greater long-term costs. But there is also a moral imperative. Insurers, especially those serving younger populations, have a duty to move upstream, embedding mental health prevention into their broader care strategies.
Thryve enables insurers and digital health platforms to proactively monitor mental health by capturing continuous behavioral signals. Through wearables and connected health data, Thryve helps identify changes in sleep, movement, and engagement—early indicators of mental health risk. With our API, we provide:
With Thryve, insurers don’t need to wait for a crisis to act. They can build preventative mental health programs that scale, engage users meaningfully, and reduce long-term costs.
Book a demo with Thryve to build smarter mental health strategies.
