Surgeon General Urges Action on Loneliness as Public Health Crisis

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy has warned that loneliness poses a profound public health threat akin to smoking and obesity. Half of U.S. adults experience loneliness, which has consequences for mental and physical health, including a greater risk of depression, anxiety, heart disease, stroke, and dementia. Murthy's advisory calls for a collective effort to "mend the social fabric of our nation," including teaching children how to build healthy relationships, talking more to relatives, friends, and co-workers, and spending less time online and on social media if it comes at the expense of in-person interactions. The risk of premature death posed by social disconnection is similar to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day and even greater than obesity and physical inactivity.