Full Advisory here: Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation (hhs.gov)
Letter from the Surgeon General:
When I first took office as Surgeon General in 2014, I didn’t view
loneliness as a public health concern. But that was before I embarked
on a cross-country listening tour, where I heard stories from my fellow
Americans that surprised me.
People began to tell me they felt isolated, invisible, and insignificant.
Even when they couldn’t put their finger on the word “lonely,” time and
time again, people of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds, from
every corner of the country, would tell me, “I have to shoulder all of life’s
burdens by myself,” or “if I disappear tomorrow, no one will even notice.”
It was a lightbulb moment for me: social disconnection was far more
common than I had realized.
In the scientific literature, I found confirmation of what I was hearing.
In recent years, about one-in-two adults in America reported experiencing
loneliness.1-3 And that was before the COVID-19 pandemic cut off so
many of us from friends, loved ones, and support systems, exacerbating
loneliness and isolation.
Loneliness is far more than just a bad feeling—it harms both individual
and societal health. It 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,4 and even greater than
that associated with obesity and physical inactivity. And the harmful
consequences of a society that lacks social connection can be felt in
our schools, workplaces, and civic organizations, where performance,
productivity, and engagement are diminished.
Given the profound consequences of loneliness and isolation, we have
an opportunity, and an obligation, to make the same investments in
addressing social connection that we have made in addressing tobacco
use, obesity, and the addiction crisis. This Surgeon General’s Advisory
shows us how to build more connected lives and a more connected society.
If we fail to do so, 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.
Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community 5
We are called to build a movement to mend the social fabric of our nation.
It will take all of us—individuals and families, schools and workplaces,
health care and public health systems, technology companies,
governments, faith organizations, and communities—working together to
destigmatize loneliness and change our cultural and policy response to it.
It will require reimagining the structures, policies, and programs that shape
a community to best support the development of healthy relationships.
Each of us can start now, in our own lives, by strengthening our
connections and relationships. Our individual relationships are an
untapped resource—a source of healing hiding in plain sight. They
can help us live healthier, more productive, and more fulfilled lives.
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.
Each of us can start now, in our
own lives, by strengthening our
connections and relationships.
Loneliness and isolation represent profound threats to our health and
well-being. But we have the power to respond. By taking small steps
every day to strengthen our relationships, and by supporting community
efforts to rebuild social connection, we can rise to meet this moment
together. We can build lives and communities that are healthier and
happier. And we can ensure our country and the world are better poised
than ever to take on the challenges that lay ahead.
Our future depends on what we do today.
Full Advisory here: Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation (hhs.gov)
