Loneliness: A Public Health Crisis

 While Valentine’s Day focused on love and connections, for many people, it was a day that only emphasized feelings of loneliness. From seeing others post on social media, to being surrounded by happy couples and families, it was difficult time to talk about feeling alone, but loneliness is becoming a real problem. 

In fact, in May of 2023 U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy urged governments to prioritize strategies to promote social connection. Japan and the U.K. have appointed national ministers to address loneliness in their countries, and one California county recently declared loneliness an official public health crisis.

The combination of social media, stress, lingering impacts of isolation during COVID and people moving farther away from their families has created what some experts say might be one of the loneliest times in human history. 

And it’s impacting not just our mental and emotional wellbeing, but physical health.

Dr. Zachary Keller, who focuses on youth psychiatry at CHI Health Richard Young Outpatient Clinic in Kearney, and Dr. Harmit Singh, who specializes in adult psychiatry at CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs were featured on a call to talk about how loneliness is affecting our health, simple steps we can take to connect with others and answer any questions.

Hear the complete audio portion of the conversation.