MedCity News October 3, 2022
In order to make an impact and improve physical and mental health, we need to recognize the need to approach loneliness as a condition. Building connections through social intervention is the most direct way to affect change.
Loneliness is more than a state of being. It can make the difference between health and sickness, even between life and death. Among people aged 60 and older who regularly feel alone — what I would call the condition of “chronic loneliness” — 45 percent have an increased risk of dying sooner than their socially-connected peers. Just this month, the American Heart Association highlighted the risks between cardiovascular disease and loneliness and social isolation. And a new study from the University of Michigan...