Loneliness, Lack of Social and Emotional Support, and Mental Health Issues — United States, 2022

Loneliness and isolation are indicators of social disconnection that can lead to poor mental and physical health outcomes, including increased risk for heart disease, stroke, dementia, type 2 diabetes, depression, anxiety, and premature mortality (1-3).Although these risks are well documented, a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of loneliness and lack of social and emotional support on mental health-related outcomes is needed, particularly among persons experiencing the most social disconnection, such as those who do not identify as heterosexual and cisgender.Sexual and gender minority (SGM) data are often not collected in research, resulting in a lack of data on and evidence-based interventions for loneliness and lack of social and emotional support among these groups (4,5).The objectives of this study were to assess the association between social connection and mental health among U.S. adults and to determine the prevalence of loneliness, lack of