Loneliness presents
health
dangers as deadly as chronic smoking, U.S.
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy
warned Tuesday.
Calling it an ”
epidemic of loneliness and isolation
,” Murthy’s office released a
health advisory
about the human need for social connection and community.
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Social connection is an instinctual requirement for humans, Murthy told the Associated Press, noting, “It’s like hunger or thirst. It’s a feeling the body sends us when something we need for survival is missing.”
The report notes recent surveys showing about half of American adults experience loneliness, a trend more prominent in young adults, which can increase the risk of premature death by 26%.
For those ages 15 to 24, the amount of time spent with friends in person has declined by 70% in the last 20 years, a trend exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. In 2021, almost half reported having three or fewer close friends, which is up significantly from 1990 when only 27% reported the same. Nearly 90% who do not experience feeling lonely or isolated report having three or more close friends.
“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,” Murthy’s opening statement of the 82-page report says. “It is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death.”
As the public has
lost touch with religion
,
family
, and other community-creating institutions, rates of depression, anxiety, and feelings of despair have increased. In 2018, only 16% said they were very attached to their community, according to the report, and in 2020, only 47% said they belonged to a church.
“Communities with higher levels of social connection typically enjoy significantly better health outcomes,” the report says. “Religious or faith-based groups can be a source for regular social contact, serve as a community of support, provide meaning and purpose, create a sense of belonging around shared values and beliefs, and are associated with reduced risk-taking behaviors.”
According to the report, social connection can influence health biologically, psychologically, and behaviorally.
The report notes that biological factors related to the heart and immune system, among other things, are connected to social interaction and can influence disease development. Because biological systems often operate synchronously, “increases in blood pressure, circulating stress hormones, and inflammation may occur simultaneously, potentially compounding risk across several biological systems.”
Social connection can also help with one’s sense of meaning and motivation in life, which is associated with pursuing positive health goals as well as offering more profound support systems. These psychological benefits can also influence one’s behaviors.
Persons with more stable social networks are more likely to have healthier lifestyle behaviors, such as diet, sleep, and exercise. The report says that people are much more likely to exercise if their friend group also exercises.
While Murthy’s report will not release federal funding toward programs to combat social disconnectedness, he hopes to raise awareness of the issue and is encouraging workplaces, schools, parents, and community organizations to foster connections.
The public should reduce its reliance on technology because it “displaces in-person engagement, monopolizes our attention, reduces the quality of out interactions, and even diminishes our self-esteem,” the report states.
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“There’s really no substitute for in-person interaction,” Murthy said. “As we shifted to use technology more and more for our communication, we lost out on a lot of that in-person interaction. How do we design technology that strengthens our relationships as opposed to weaken them?”
Likewise, companies should reconsider their policies on allowing remote work because the practice can contribute to isolation by not allowing employees to build social connections with their coworkers.
