Loneliness

Newsweek -  The U.S. is battling an "epidemic of loneliness that affects both our emotional well-being and our physical health," the U.S. Surgeon General has warned. Dr. Vivek Murthy, who previously declared loneliness a public health crisis, has spoken out about "growing isolation" and "the stigma attached to loneliness."

He told Newsweek: "Loneliness is not merely the absence of company; it's a profound, invisible epidemic that affects both our emotional well-being and our physical health. As a society, we must recognize that the strength of our social connections is just as important as diet and exercise. Building meaningful connections is not a luxury — it's a necessity for our survival."

Some 30 percent of adults said they experienced feelings of loneliness at least once a week in the year leading up to early 2024, according to January's Healthy Minds Monthly Poll from the American Psychiatric Association (APA). Meanwhile, 10 percent of the 2,200 adults questioned between January 10 and 12 by Morning Consult, said they were lonely every day.

Loneliness was defined to them as "feeling like you do not have meaningful or close relationships or a sense of belonging."

Indeed, the average time spent alone has increased from 285 minutes a day (142.5 hours a month) in 2003 to 333 minutes a day (166.5 hours a month), Dr. Murthy said in his report Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation last year. Likewise, the amount of time people engaged with friends socially and, in-person, declined from 60 minutes a day (30 hours a month) in 2003 to 20 minutes a day (10 hours a month).