Let’s Connect!

“Loneliness is far more than just a bad feeling—it harms both individual and societal health.”  US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, MD, MBA

How connected do you feel to those around you, particularly at work?  Do you often feel like a “parallel private corporation” rather than a “partner” with your clinical colleagues, too busy to even think about creating any meaningful relationships?

If that at all describes you, you are not alone … but you likely are feeling lonely.  That’s according to the research by Shawn Achor and colleagues at BetterUp, who found that as a profession, we physicians tend to be a lonely group, right up there with our legal colleagues.  In their words: “Graduate degree holders … reported higher levels of loneliness and less workplace support than respondents who had only completed undergraduate or high school degrees.  Professional degrees (law and medical degrees) were the loneliest by far, scoring 25% lonelier than bachelor’s degrees, and 20% lonelier than PhDs.”   

It gets worse.  More recent surveys indicate that loneliness among adults in the US has reached epidemic proportions with approximately half of adults surveyed experiencing significant  loneliness, with some of the highest rates among young adults.  Yet less than 20% of those who often or always feel lonely or isolated recognize it as a major problem.

As a response, in May of 2023, at the same time that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) was declaring the end of the COVID-19 emergency, the US Surgeon General’s office under the leadership of Vivek Murthy, MD, published an advisory titled “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation.”  The advisory summarized the unprecedented levels of loneliness, disconnection, and isolation being experienced within our communities, and laid out a roadmap forward.

The Surgeon General’s advisory indicated that loneliness is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death.  Data indicate the mortality impact of being socially disconnected is estimated to be similar to that caused by smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day, and even greater than that associated with obesity and physical inactivity.

Dr. Murthy provides some personal encouragement in his introductory letter for the report:  “Loneliness and isolation represent profound threats to our health and well-being.  Each of us can start now, in our own lives, by strengthening our connections and relationships. Our individual relationships are an untapped resource—a source of healing hiding in plain sight. They can help us live healthier, more productive, and more fulfilled lives.  Answer that phone call from a friend.  Make time to share a meal. Listen without the distraction of your phone.  Perform an act of service. Express yourself authentically.  The keys to human connection are simple, but extraordinarily powerful.”

Or, he could have simply said, “Find a buddy and share the journey together.”  The data are quite clear and very concerning.  No one should care alone ….

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