Loneliness is emerging as a new epidemic in America, presenting challenges that cannot be addressed through conventional treatments, yet it bears severe and even fatal consequences. U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy is actively raising awareness about this pervasive issue in the hopes of providing remedies before it claims more lives.
While loneliness is often perceived as a negative emotion
Dr. Murthy emphasizes its broader implications for health, extending beyond mental well-being to impact physical health significantly. Loneliness is linked to an increased risk of heart disease, dementia, stroke, and premature death. With self-reported loneliness reaching unprecedented levels, public health leaders are collaborating to develop a framework aimed at tackling this epidemic.
According to Dr. Jeremy Nobel, founder of The Foundation for Art and Healing, loneliness has become a crisis with profound consequences. Loneliness is a subjective experience, encompassing psychological, social, and existential aspects. Psychological loneliness involves a lack of trust or confidants, societal loneliness stems from systemic exclusion, and existential loneliness arises from feeling disconnected from oneself.
Loneliness affects individuals throughout their lives and can be exacerbated by factors such as trauma, illness, aging, and the substitution of human interaction with technology. A 2020 Harvard survey revealed that 61% of adults aged 18 to 25 reported serious loneliness, emphasizing the impact on young people.
The prevalence of loneliness has risen in recent years, exacerbated by an aging population, chronic diseases, and modern conveniences. The COVID-19 pandemic further intensified loneliness, with a University of Michigan study showing a spike in loneliness among 50- to 80-year-olds from 27% in October 2018 to 56% in June 2020.
Social media has also played a role, contributing to increased loneliness among heavy users. Despite online interactions, the lack of genuine connections has led to a surge in loneliness, particularly among young adults.
Addressing loneliness is crucial due to its severe impact on mental and physical health. Loneliness increases the risk of premature death by 26% and the risk of isolation by 29%. It heightens the risk of heart disease by 29%, stroke by 32%, and has bidirectional ties with mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, addiction, suicidality, and self-harm.
Experts recommend individual and institutional efforts to combat loneliness. On a personal level, taking time to reach out to others, serving the community, and minimizing device use can help. Institutions, including schools, employers, and healthcare systems, can adopt strategies like social prescribing to address loneliness.
Dr. Murthy emphasizes the need for a collective approach involving all sectors of society to combat the loneliness epidemic. Strengthening the social fabric of communities is crucial for building resilience against this pervasive issue.
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