The Cost of Loneliness Project™ catalyzes a national imperative to spark commitment to,
and investment in, combating loneliness and its devastating emotional, physical, and economic consequences.
"Loneliness is personal, and it is also political. Loneliness is collective… We are in this together, this accumulation of scars… What matters is kindness; what matters is solidarity."
Olivia Laing
Loneliness is often defined as the distressing feeling generated by a lack of meaningful, intimate, and reciprocal interactions. One might describe it as emotional isolation. Exacerbated by its gross under-recognition, loneliness is rapidly emerging as the great public health crisis of our time. Academic research and an onslaught of headline news reveal that loneliness is to suicide, addiction, bullying, obesity, gastro-intestinal disease, metabolic syndrome, type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hematological conditions, and more, as poor hygiene is to infection. While loneliness is not the only cause of these and other consequences, it is a highly significant one. Loneliness can be, in a word, deadly. Just as the loss of millions of lives to infection in the 14th and 19th centuries required combating terrifyingly poor hygiene, today we must battle loneliness to prevent a public health catastrophe, both economically and personally. While many organizations throughout our country are deeply dedicated to preventing and battling the consequences of loneliness and supporting our communities, The Cost of Loneliness Project™ seeks to provide a unifying voice to recognize and combat loneliness across all demographics. It is our current healthcare imperative.
"Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty."
Mother Teresa
The last 20 years have arguably seen the most rapid transformation to our social health in the history of humankind. We must take a collective deep breath and evaluate the impact of these socially disruptive changes, such as: excessive social media use, decreased organizational memberships, fewer and delayed marriage/partnership, increased working from home, unemployment, a surging senior population, limited outside play and experiences with nature, and reduced time to build meaningful relationships. Each of these drivers impact feelings of community and belonging, sense of individual purpose, and reciprocal intimacy in harmful ways. As naturally social beings, humans may find the impact of these drivers devastating; in turn, increasing loneliness, stress, and physical and emotional outcomes. We must pause now and plan our future to maximize these feelings of community, sense of purpose, and overall intimacy.
Loneliness is one of, but not the only, cause of such devastating outcomes as: suicide, substance abuse, and major depressive disorder. Imagine if reducing loneliness could reduce the striking costs, both societally and individually, of these and other consequences.
"We live in a society bloated with data yet starved for wisdom. We're connected 24/7, yet anxiety, fear, depression and loneliness is at an all-time high. We must course-correct."
Elizabeth Kapu'uwailani Lindsey
The Cost of Loneliness Project™ will connect, convene, and catalyze to identify challenges and research needs; to innovate, share, and leverage solutions; to serve as a resource repository on loneliness; to increase awareness of the costs of loneliness with a goal of destigmatizing this devastating condition; and to create a platform for sharing ideas and solutions. The project will accomplish this through the following mechanisms (not all inclusive): relationship building, advocacy group support, ambassador outreach, personal outreach, a robust website, podcasts, education, speaking engagements, annual summits, working salons, newsletters, and recognition.
Launching with a diverse coalition of influential experts and a compelling multimedia strategy, our goal is to transform the cultural mindset from treatment of the symptoms and outcomes to prevention of the cause.
"Loneliness is my least favorite thing about life. The thing that I’m most worried about is just being alone without anybody to care for or someone who will care for me."
Anne Hathaway
SELECTED EXAMPLES
CDC: Health Effects of Social Isolation and Loneliness
CIGNA: Signs and Symptoms of Chronic Loneliness
HHS: Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation
AMA: What doctors wish patients knew about loneliness and health
CNN: Study finds 1 in 8 Americans struggles with alcohol abuse
USA TODAY: Boys and men are lonelier than ever. What can we do about it?
THE HARVARD GAZETTE: Stroke Risk Higher for Chronically Lonely
CIGNA: The Loneliness Epidemic Persists: A Post-Pandemic Look at the State of Loneliness among U.S. Adults
FORBES: Loneliness Is Crippling Workplace Productivity: Here’s The Leadership Prescription
WHARTON: No Employee Is an Island: How Loneliness Affects Job Performance
THE ATLANTIC: To Prevent Loneliness, Start in the Classroom
CHAMPION: Loneliness at Work: 5 Ways to Support Employees
TIME: Why Loneliness May Be the Next Big Public-Health Issue
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Researchers Confront an Epidemic of Loneliness
THE BOSTON GLOBE: The Biggest Threat Facing Middle-Age Men Isn’t Smoking or Obesity. It’s Loneliness.
VOX: Loneliness Actually Hurts Us on a Cellular Level
THE NEW YORKER: Suicide, A Crime of Loneliness
THE HUFFINGTON POST: Together Alone: The Epidemic of Gay Loneliness
FORBES: Loneliness Might Be a Bigger Health Risk Than Smoking or Obesity
FORTUNE: Chronic Loneliness is a Modern Day Epidemic
THE NEW YORK TIMES: Loneliness Can Be Deadly for Elders; Friends Are the Antidote
AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION: So Lonely I Could Die
THE WASHINGTON POST: Is America Getting Lonelier?