A Nation Turns Its Lonely Eyes to You

Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community." 1You probably heard about it in the news, perhaps said to yourself, "yes, there definitely is a loneliness epidemic," and then went off to finish your charts or complete other administrative, clinical, or academic tasks like I did.Just another complex, overwhelming problem, with causes beyond our control and societal solutions mostly above our pay grade.Across the lifespan, the prevalence of loneliness is remarkably high, with recent estimates illustrating that nearly onehalf of Americans are lonely, 2 with underrepresented racial groups, people of lower income, and young adults especially hard hit.Loneliness has significant physical and mental health consequences and is associated with significant increases in heart disease, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, cognitive function, cancer, emergency department visits, hospitalization, depression, anxiety, and suicidality.