Mental Health Moment 4/1/2025
Loneliness
The number one mental health issue I deal with at work is not a diagnosable condition. It is not trauma or eating disorders or something that can be treated with medication. The number one issue I hear about at work is loneliness. Simply put, too many people are lonely and isolated and do not know what to do about it.
Loneliness is more than just a mental and emotional experience. We have known for a long time that people who experience high levels of loneliness and isolation tend to have poorer physical health outcomes, although we do not know why. In 2022, the American Medical Association identified loneliness as a public health issue, especially for adolescents, that is linked to impaired sleep, symptoms of depression, and overall ill health, similar to the impact of smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
Treating loneliness will take more than just one person responding in the group chat or signing up for a new club or activity. Resolving this loneliness and helping people become more attached and invested in each other will need a global adjustment from thinking about the individual to thinking about the group and/or groups of us. But, if you do not feel ready or skilled at changing or challenging the global consciousness just yet, you can try reaching out to just one person. Judging by the conversations I have with my clients, I can almost promise you that that other person is feeling just as shy and awkward as you do.
