Surgeon General Advisory Raises Alarm About the Devastating Impact of Loneliness and Isolation in the United States

On May 3, the United States Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy released a new Surgeon General Advisory calling attention to the public health crisis of loneliness, isolation, and lack of connection in our country. Even before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately half of U.S. adults reported experiencing measurable levels of loneliness. Disconnection fundamentally affects our mental, physical, and societal health. In fact, loneliness and isolation increase the risk for individuals to develop mental health challenges in their lives, and lacking connection can increase the risk for premature death to levels comparable to smoking daily. 

The physical health consequences of poor or insufficient connection include a 29 percent increased risk of heart disease, a 32 percent increased risk of stroke, and a 50 percent increased risk of developing dementia for older adults. Additionally, lacking social connection increases risk of premature death by more than 60 percent.

The Surgeon General’s Advisory lays out a framework for the United States to establish a National Strategy to Advance Social Connection. One of the tenets of the outlined strategy is to “mobilize the health sector” to assess patients for risk of loneliness and to intervene.