Perspectives on loneliness.
Text: Annika Rohrmoser, medical ethicist
Annika Rohrmoser is conducting research on loneliness. As part of her work, the doctoral student interviews people across Switzerland about their experiences. She describes the conversations as enriching.
After finishing school, I decided to study psychology because it’s a subject that unites many different disciplines. It offers the opportunity to work with people while also studying statistics and research methodology at university. My desire for variety, or perhaps not wanting to choose just one path, has stuck with me. Now, in my doctorate, I’m researching loneliness, an extremely multifaceted subject.
From a psychological or public health perspective, the primary focus is on questions of health and well-being, such as whether loneliness is also a sign of poor (mental) health and how to effectively reduce the experience of loneliness. In my work at the Institute for Biomedical Ethics, however, I also explore the subject from different perspectives. For example, in conjunction with questions of social alienation and marginalization, or justice and wealth distribution.
In the conversations with people around Switzerland that I conduct for our research project, I learn about their individual perspectives. Ultimately, everyone has experienced loneliness, and for some, it’s a major burden.
We’re faced with the question of what can be done to deal with the problem —not simply at the individual level, but on a national or societal scale. Others describe loneliness as a primal facet of the human condition that encourages us to grow. For me, this evokes existential philosophical questions. I find these conversations hugely enriching.
It’s not easy to reconcile the wide variety of perspectives. And still it’s very satisfying to work on such a universal topic that is relevant to so many people, and to explore which aspects can be addressed.
Although my doctorate certainly has hurdles in store for me, I’m not alone in facing them. I’ve got wonderful colleagues on the project and at the institute. Together, we’ve always managed to overcome the challenges with a generous dose of good humor.
More articles in this issue of UNI NOVA (May 2026).