In May 2023, US Surgeon General Dr. Murthy released an advisory about a public health crisis of loneliness, isolation, and lack of connection in our country. Approximately half of U.S. adults reported experiencing measurable levels of loneliness, and he noted that such disconnection negatively affects our mental, physical, and psychological health.
When health experts talk about loneliness, the focus is generally on older folks and their physical health. For instance, deficiencies in being socially connected to others have health consequences for older adults that include an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and developing dementia. Poor social connection also increases the risk of premature death comparable to smoking daily. How about loneliness in younger generations? True, the negative consequences may not show up as drastically, but the mental and psychological strains of social isolation are often notable. Loneliness and social isolation in children and young adults increase the risk of depression and anxiety—both immediately and well into the future. And with the incidence of mental illness among both young and old in the U.S., addressing loneliness and isolation becomes critical in order to fully address mental health in America.
While the epidemic of loneliness and isolation is widespread and has profound consequences for individual and collective health and well-being, there is a “medicine,” a treatment for solitude hiding in plain sight: “social connection,” or what is more commonly called “social prescription.” Social prescribing has its origins in the national health services of the United Kingdom, and its principles are also becoming a part of health care in other countries, including America.
Social prescribing is exactly what it sounds like: prescribing a treatment for psychological problems based on establishing connection to others. Formal social prescribing is performed by medical professionals who refer clients to community-based interventions to help them deal with their loneliness using available collective resources. For example, a social prescription for an older adult with limited mobility might use home-based activities and established telephone-based companionship programs available in the local community. Social connection programs have been found to be beneficial for both client health and the community. Increasing social connection can help reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, dementia, and depression; furthermore, communities where residents are more connected with one another score higher on measures of population health, community safety, and community resilience when natural disasters strike.
Regular readers of this blog should not be surprised at these findings. A theme that runs through many of our posts is that coping with stress is particularly effective when it is based on productive interaction with others in a context of humility and empathy. Whereas it is true that a lot of coping can be done privately—such as relaxation exercises and keeping a daily diary—coping should not be done exclusively in private; confronting self-preoccupation and denial is more likely to be successful when there are also social connections based on trust, openness, empathy, and caring. Social prescribing also illustrates other important aspects of coping: it empowers clients to take control of their health and well-being; it focuses on practical, everyday social, and emotional needs that impact health; and, it bridges the gap between medical and social models of health, emphasizing holistic well-being and individual strengths. In short, it’s a formal pathway where health providers “prescribe” social connections to improve mental health outcomes.
Psychology and Stress 