U.S. Surgeon Gen: Loneliness Can Lead to Health Issues, Premature Death

Listen: John Sovec, MA, LMFT, a Psychotherapist

Widespread loneliness in the U.S. poses health risks as deadly as smoking a dozen cigarettes daily, costing the health industry billions of dollars annually, the U.S. surgeon general said Tuesday in declaring the latest public health epidemic. About half of U.S. adults say they’ve experienced loneliness, Dr. Vivek Murthy said in an 81-page report from his office.

The U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy calling attention to the public health crisis of loneliness, isolation, and lack of connection in the United States which he says increases the risk for premature death to the same levels as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day. According to the report, insufficient social connection has also been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, anxiety, depression and dementia