Social Isolation and the Loneliness Epidemic

Summarizes and explains important trends and cultural, economic, and demographic factors that drive feelings of social isolation and loneliness among Americans at every stage of life.

Well-documented increases in social isolation and loneliness in American society are not limited to any one demographic group.

To the contrary, rising feelings of loneliness and isolation are evident in every socioeconomic sector and age group and raise important questions. What is the relationship between feelings of social isolation and other health issues such as depression, anxiety, and heart disease? How do feelings of social isolation vary across different races, ethnicities, and socioeconomic groups? What differences can be seen in how men and women (and boys and girls) experience and respond to social isolation? What positive and negative impacts has the online world had on loneliness and social isolation across America? What types of programs and reforms are most effective in reducing feelings of social isolation and loneliness for people at different life stages? This book provides answers to all these questions and many more.