In May of last year, the Surgeon General issued an advisory raising alarm about the impact of the epidemic of loneliness and isolation in the United States. Even before the onset of the COVID pandemic, approximately half of U.S. adults reported experiencing measurable levels of loneliness.
Loneliness and isolation increase the risk for individuals to develop mental health challenges, and lacking connection can increase the risk of premature death to levels comparable to smoking daily. The physical health consequences of poor or insufficient connection include a 29% increased risk of heart disease, a 32% increased risk of stroke, and a 50% increased risk of developing dementia for older adults. In adults, the risk of developing depression among people who report feeling lonely often is more than double that of people who rarely or never feel lonely. While the epidemic of loneliness and isolation is widespread and has profound consequences for our individual and collective health and well-being, there is a medicine hiding in plain sight: social connection.
“Our epidemic of loneliness and isolation has been an underappreciated public health crisis that has harmed individual and societal health. Our relationships are a source of healing and well-being hiding in plain sight – one that can help us live healthier, more fulfilled, and more productive lives.” - U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy.
In response to this growing epidemic, the Surgeon General has developed the Surgeon General’s Advisory on Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation which lays out a framework for a national strategy to advance social connection. The advisory details recommendations that individuals, governments, workplaces, health systems, and community organizations can take to increase connection in their lives, communities, and across the country to improve their health. Explore the following features of five of the many recommendations for workplaces and individuals.
- Make social connection a strategic priority in the workplace at all levels (administration, management, and employees).
- Train, resource, and empower leaders and managers to promote connection in the workplace and implement programs that foster connection. Assess program effectiveness, identify barriers to success, and facilitate continuous quality improvement.
- Leverage existing leadership and employee training, orientation, and wellness resources to educate the workforce about the importance of social connection for workplace well-being, health, productivity, performance, retention, and other markers of success.
- Put in place policies that protect workers’ ability to nurture their relationships outside work including respecting boundaries between work and non-work time, supporting caregiving responsibilities, and creating a culture of norms and practices that support these policies.
- Consider the opportunities and challenges posed by flexible work hours and arrangements (including remote, hybrid, and in-person work), which may impact workers’ abilities to connect with others both within and outside of work. Evaluate how these policies can be applied equitably across the workforce.
Recommendations afforded to individuals:
- 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.
- Minimize distraction during conversation to increase the quality of the time you spend with others. For instance, do not check your phone during meals with friends, important conversations, and family time.
- 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.
- 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.
Explore the Surgeon General’s Advisory on Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation report to view the complete list of recommendations. It is a great resource for those wishing to develop greater awareness of this important social issue and develop ideas for improving our own capacity for social connection.
The University of Miami’s Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (FSAP) can also help in this regard. Whether you are a team wishing to arrange an FSAP group check-in meeting to foster connection with your colleagues, a manager wishing to consult with a professional FSAP counselor to discover ways to connect with your team, or an individual wishing to explore how to manage loneliness and establish a greater connection with the important people in your life, the FSAP team can help. Call 305-284-6604 to start your journey towards a greater connection with the important people in your life.
Sources:
Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services News
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