"Social isolation has been rising in the United States for the past two decades, which was only exacerbated by the COVID pandemic. This has long been a growing public health concern (Office of the Surgeon General, 2023). The strength of social connection has been shown to be a strong short- and long-term predictor of mental and physical health (OSG, 2023)."
"Structure refers to the physical and behavioral factors at play in determining who one connects with, and how. This can include things like who one lives with, how many people they know, and how often they engage with those people. Function refers to the need this connection fulfills in your life: Are they a friend? Mentor? Do they provide emotional support, or maybe knowledge and guidance?"
"Spending more time alone and engaging less with our community means that for many people, there are fewer chances for us to meet new people or expand our existing social networks. The result is that we have fewer relationships available to serve important and necessary functions, like social or emotional support, which are not only closely linked to health and well-being (Uchino, 2004), but can also be crucial for personal development and quality of life."
Social isolation has increased in the United States over the past two decades and was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, creating a growing public health concern. Social connection functions as a strong short- and long-term predictor of mental and physical health. Social connection includes structure (who one connects with and how), function (what needs those connections fulfill), and quality (how those relationships feel). Increased solitary time and reduced community engagement decrease opportunities to form or expand social networks, reducing availability of social and emotional support. Online engagement and remote work have sometimes substituted for in-person interactions, contributing to loneliness and elevated risks for depression and anxiety.
Read at Psychology Today
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