An Overview of: “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory
on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community”
Loneliness and social isolation have been growing problems in the United States since at least the beginning of the 21st century and probably longer. As of recent polling, a full half of all American adults now report experiencing loneliness, with some of the highest rates among young adults (p.4, 9). “A 2022 study found that when people were asked how close they felt to others emotionally, only 39% of adults in the U.S. said that they felt very connected to others” (p.9).
Defining and Describing Loneliness
Loneliness and social isolation are more than just unpleasant conditions or fleeting inconveniences. The consequences of chronic loneliness can be dire, even life-threatening. Loneliness “…is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death. The mortality impact of being socially disconnected is similar to that caused by smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day, and even greater than that associated with obesity and physical inactivity” (p.4). “Loneliness and social isolation increase the risk for premature death by 26% and 29% respectively” (p.8). Lack of social connection increases the risk of developing anxiety, depression, and dementia, and may increase a person’s susceptibility to viruses and respiratory illness (p.8).
Loneliness is defined as “a subjective distressing experience that results from perceived isolation or inadequate meaningful connections, where inadequate refers to the discrepancy or unmet need between an individual’s preferred and actual experience” (p.7). A related, but different concept is social isolation. It is defined as “objectively having few social relationships, social roles, group memberships, and infrequent social interaction” (p.7). So, loneliness is the emotional state that result from experiencing too much social isolation/ disconnection.
If you are part of the half of Americans who struggle with loneliness and social isolation, you probably didn’t need any convincing that these experiences are problematic and need resolving. So, the big question is, HOW? The place to start is to evaluate the health of your current social connections. There are 3 key components to consider when it comes to evaluating the health of our social connections (p. 10):
- Structure: The number of relationships, variety of relationships (e.g., co-worker, friend, family, neighbor), and the frequency of interactions with others.
- Function: The degree to which others can be relied upon for various needs.
- Quality: The degree to which relationships and interactions with others are positive, helpful, or satisfying (vs. negative, unhelpful, or unsatisfying).
So, if your social connections are lacking, in one of these three areas, consider how you might deepen your current relationships, be the one to initiate more frequent contact with your current friends, or put yourself into situations where you might be able to make new friends who can better meet your needs.
Once you’ve evaluate the health of your current social connections and considered ways to improve/ increase them, then consider implementing these suggestions.
Things You Can Do to Increase Your Social Connection & Decrease Loneliness (p. 66)
- Invest time in nurturing your relationships through consistent, frequent, and high-quality engagement with others. Take time each day to reach out to a friend or family member. Think, ahead of time, about what you can say or ask in order to deepen the conversation and/or express care for and interest in the other person.
- Minimize distraction during conversation to increase the quality of the time you spend with others. For instance, don’t check your phone during meals with friends, important conversations, and family time. Really think about practicing active listening and attunement.
- Seek out opportunities to serve and support others, either by helping your family, co-workers, friends, or strangers in your community or by participating in community service. Turning our attention outside ourselves often has an antidepressant effect. Being of service can be a source of pleasure and self-esteem. Volunteering can also be a great way to find friends who care about others and are better able to both give and take in relationship.
- Be responsive, supportive, and practice gratitude. As we practice these behaviors, others are more likely to reciprocate, strengthening our social bonds, improving relationship satisfaction, and building social capital. These behaviors will both increase our own happiness and draw others to us.
- Actively engage with people of different backgrounds and experiences to expand your understanding of and relationships with others, given the benefits associated with diverse connections. This counteracts the forces in our society that tend to polarize us and encourage us to segregate into various in-groups. Diverse connections also help decrease our human tendency to fear others who are different than us.
- Participate in social and community groups such as fitness, religious, hobby, professional, and community service organizations to foster a sense of belonging, meaning, and purpose.
- Reduce practices that lead to feelings of disconnection from others. These include harmful and excessive social media use, time spent in unhealthy relationships, and disproportionate time in front of screens instead of people.
- Seek help during times of struggle with loneliness or isolation by reaching out to a family member, friend, counselor, health care provider, or the 988 crisis line.
- Be open with your health care provider about significant social changes in your life, as this may help them understand potential health impacts and guide them to provide recommendations to mitigate health risks.
- Make time for civic engagement. This could include being a positive and constructive participant in political discourse and gatherings (e.g., town halls, school board meetings, local government hearings). Consider running for a Home Owners Association board position or becoming a local poll worker. Write or call your local government officials about issues that matter to you.
- Reflect the core values of connection in how you approach others in conversation and through the actions you take. Key questions to ask yourself when considering your interactions with others include: How might kindness change this situation? What would it look like to treat others with respect? How can I be of service? How can I reflect my concern for and commitment to others? How can I express myself both effectively and in a way that shows my care and concern for the other person?
In conclusion, think about the small, concrete actions you can take to improve your social connection. “Answer that phone call from a friend. Make time to share a meal. Listen without the distraction of your phone. Perform an act of service. Express yourself authentically. The keys to human connection are simple, but extraordinarily powerful” (p. 5). We have everything to gain if invest in these connections. But, if we fail to attend to our own loneliness and social isolation, “…we will pay an ever-increasing price in the form of our individual and collective health and well-being. And we will continue to splinter and divide until we can no longer stand as a community or a country. Instead of coming together to take on the great challenges before us, we will further retreat to our corners—angry, sick, and alone” (p. 4).
Work Cited:
Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community
https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf
