Surgeon General Research On Loneliness: Is Loneliness An Epidemic?

In May of 2023, the US Surgeon General released an official advisory to declare loneliness an epidemic in the United States. The advisory aims to explore the “healing effects of social connection and community” and outlines six steps to reducing the impacts of social isolation and loneliness on individuals and communities. 

Understanding this research and the advisory itself may allow you to understand how loneliness impacts Americans and how to find support if this challenge impacts you.

Research on loneliness: Surgeon General’s report on loneliness 

Dr. Vivek H. Murthy is the 19th and 21st Surgeon General of the United States and has worked for the United States Public Health Service for several years. In 2023, he released an advisory intending to spread the word about the impacts of loneliness on Americans. In the advisory, he explains how one out of every two Americans reported loneliness before the COVID-19 pandemic, worsened afterward due to more extreme social isolation. 

Rebuilding social connections: Movement on social isolation and loneliness

Dr. Murthy proposes a movement against loneliness and isolation that may require the effort of individuals, families, companies, faith groups, and communities coming together to make change. The 2023 report offers a sense of hope and asks all Americans to make positive choices each day to rebuild social connections in their personal relationships and communities.  

The initial report: Research and studies on loneliness and social connections

The Surgeon General sometimes releases a report when an epidemic, pandemic, or other health emergency occurs. These reports serve as a combination of information based on peer-reviewed studies and current research on the topics within. They are released with the general aim of educating the public on these crises and helping to mitigate them on a national scale.

In the 2023 report on loneliness, the Surgeon General discusses the impacts of loneliness based on research from sociology, psychology, neuroscience, political science, public health, and economics. The report tackles concepts like: 

• Social capital 
• Social cohesion 
• Social negativity
• Trust
• Social support
• Social norms
• Social networks
• Belonging
• Empathy
• Social connectedness

What the report’s research on loneliness found

The report mentions several key statistics. For example, it is noted that the risk of premature death increases by 26% for those experiencing loneliness compared to those who have quality social connections. In addition, the report recognizes three vital components of social connection that can be addressed in society to address this challenge of widespread loneliness: 

1. Structure: Household size, number of friends, partnership status, availability of social interactions, etc. 
2. Function: The amount that social relationships or social relations meets one’s belonging needs, support for crises, and emotional support 
3. Quality: The positive and negative aspects of close relationships, relationship satisfaction, and exclusion or inclusion in social situations 

Current trends and studies in perceived social isolation 

According to the Surgeon General’s report, Americans are becoming less socially connected as time passes. Based on a study that looked at trends in social isolation from 2003 to 2020, Dr. Murthy concludes that social connectedness has looked different in the 2010s than earlier in the 21st century. In addition, the studies found that men had fewer social connections than women and that low-income Americans were more socially connected than those with a higher income. 

The 2023 report on loneliness and social isolation concludes that some marginalized groups may also be at higher risk for loneliness. For example, people who face systemic barriers to social connection may struggle to form friendships or healthy relationships. The people most at risk include: 

• People in the LGBTQ+ community
• Ethnic and racial minority groups 
• Adults over age 65 
• Young adults 
• Rural residents 
• Survivors of domestic violence 
• People with disabilities 

If you or a loved one is experiencing abuse, contact the Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Support is available 24/7.

Is social isolation and loneliness an epidemic? 

According to the Surgeon General, loneliness is now a public epidemic. An epidemic is an unexpected increase in cases of a particular health challenge. Loneliness can directly impact physical and mental health, so it is often considered a health risk. 

Here are some of the risks and health outcomes outlined in the report: 

• Lacking social connection is as dangerous as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day. 
• A lack of social connection is tied to an increased risk for cardiovascular diseases. 
• Low social interaction is linked to dangerously high blood pressure. 
• Chronic loneliness can increase the risk of developing dementia by 60% in older adults. 
• Loneliness can increase the risk of chronic diseases. 
• Loneliness increases the risk of mental health conditions like depression and anxiety, as proven by a review of 63 studies within the report. 

Because of the impacts loneliness has on mental and physical health, Dr. Vivek Murthy believes all people in the US must prioritize building social connections in the same way they focus on other public health challenges, such as addiction and substance use disorders. The advisory aims to bring this issue to the forefront of public health and change how loneliness is viewed. It may be more difficult to combat isolation and start connecting when people stay silent and isolated. 

The Surgeon General’s six foundational pillars to combat loneliness and social isolation

As part of the plan to combat loneliness, the advisory posits six pillars that individuals, companies, and social groups can use to start combating the effects of loneliness. 

Pillar one: Strengthen social infrastructure in local communities

Governments and people in power who design community environments should promote social connection, with opportunities for the public to get together and interact. Community programs may be a part of this effort, such as group programs at a local library or frequent events at a local park during the summer. Involving local businesses and community leaders may make these events more attractive to the public. 

Pillar two: Enact pro-connection public policies 

Government sectors, businesses, and individual groups can enact policies with social connections in mind. Creating policies that reject disconnection and ensure cross-departmental leadership can be essential. Ensuring a democratic approach and offering employees and community members the opportunity to share their voices can ensure one person or a group isn’t in charge of all decisions involving the community’s well-being. 

Pillar three: Mobilize the health sector 

Mobilizing the health sector can mean training health providers on the impacts of loneliness and how to spot signs of loneliness in patients. It can also mean supporting patients in finding resources that connect them to social interventions, such as support groups, case management, etc. 

Pillar four: Reform digital environments 

Those in the government and other sectors that work with digital information and data can start combating loneliness by establishing safety standards, supporting pro-connection technologies, and requiring data transparency. 

Pillar five: Deepen knowledge

The US Office of the Surgeon General aims to coordinate a national research agenda against loneliness, accelerate research funding, and increase public awareness. Part of this step is releasing the advisory and sharing it more publicly with all Americans, not just those keeping up on reports. 

Pillar six: Cultivate a culture of connection

Individuals, groups, families, and companies can work together to share a culture of connectedness, kindness, empathy, respect, and service to one another. One way to do so is by modeling connection values as a community leader and encouraging connection in local efforts to combat loneliness. 

Mental health matters: How to address loneliness as an epidemic

If you’re experiencing loneliness in your life, you’re not truly alone. Millions of Americans live with this challenge, which has become an epidemic due to multiple risk factors. However, despite these statistics, there is hope. Below are a few ways to combat loneliness on an individual level. 

Reach out to loved ones or build new connections for your mental health

When experiencing loneliness, it can be essential to connect with loved ones. However, if you don’t have people in your life with whom you are close, it might seem impossible to receive support. In these cases, you might consider meeting new people through community activities like the following: 

• Support groups 
• University clubs
• Skills classes, such as language courses or a cooking class 
• Therapy groups 
• Local meetups, like a writer’s group 

Finding one or two people in whom you can confide and support can be essential. If you have people in your life already but aren’t as close to them as you used to be, consider reaching out to meet up or have a conversation. You don’t necessarily need to talk about deep or challenging subjects to combat loneliness. Having fun, laughing, and smiling have also been proven to reduce stress. 

Find meaning in daily life 

In some cases, loneliness might come from a desire to put all your energy into relationships, neglecting other areas of life. If you aren’t in a healthy or meaningful relationship, don’t have friends, or struggle to connect with family, life might seem meaningless. 

In these cases, it may be possible to find meaning in smaller daily activities like: 

• Going on a daily walk with your dog or children 
• Playing a fun video game 
• Singing songs in the shower 
• Looking at beautiful plants in the street or at a park 
• Spending time in nature 
• Enjoying the smells of cooking 
• Having a hot bath or shower and pampering yourself 
• Cuddling with your pets 
• Partaking in a hobby 
• Exploring your emotional and cognitive processes by journaling

Social connection can be essential to reducing loneliness, but you can connect with yourself, too. Finding comfort in being alone and learning who you are can be one way to combat loneliness while you try to build new relationships or fix existing ones. 

Check in on others 

Part of reducing loneliness is having mutually beneficial relationships. If you usually go to others for support, consider offering support to those you love instead. Showing love, kindness, and empathy can communicate to those in your life that you care about them outside of what they do for you. 

It can also offer an opportunity to connect on a more profound level. When you help someone who has been there for you in the past, you’re exchanging care with each other, which offers a sense of connection and closeness that you might not feel otherwise. 

Connect with a professional 

In some cases, loneliness is a symptom of an underlying condition or challenge. For example, loneliness may be a symptom of depressive disorders or anxiety, as it can arise when someone socially withdraws or struggles to reach out for help. If you think loneliness may impact your life negatively, consider contacting a therapist. 

If loneliness or social withdrawal makes it difficult to talk to a provider in person, you can also try online therapy through a platform like BetterHelp. Online platforms allow clients to match with a therapist with experience in their unique challenges. In addition, clients can meet with their therapist from home using phone, video, or live chat sessions. 

Study: online therapy for loneliness

Studies also support the effectiveness of internet-based interventions. According to one study, internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (ICBT) was more effective than interpersonal therapy in treating loneliness in clients. The treatment led to a significant increase in quality of life and reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety that were maintained at follow-up.