Combatting the Loneliness Epidemic Through Social Connectedness

While loneliness profoundly affects mental health at every stage of life, adolescents today face unprecedented challenges finding meaningful social connections. Social media is a contributing factor that can improve the structure of relationships; however, function and quality are often impaired which significantly impacts connectedness. Lifestyle medicine clinicians can address the loneliness epidemic by promoting ways for adolescents to increase their connectedness to peers, school, and family. Specifically, clinicians can support the development of connectedness by recommending ways in which youth can build social-emotional skills. Using these concepts in all age groups is likely to be an important area for clinicians to focus with their patients.