Panel, Conference Presentation
Loneliness as a Risk Factor: Making Connections to Improve Health
Milken InstituteLisa Marsh Ryerson, Lynn Goldman, Sachin Jain, Jeremy Nobel, Anand Parekh, Brian Van Buren, Phyllis Foxworth, Satya
- Social isolation is projected to increase annual Medicare spending by approximately $7 billion, with loneliness anticipated to continue rising, potentially preceding formal epidemiologic recognition as an epidemic.
- Longitudinal trends suggest individuals experiencing loneliness at a younger age face increasing risks of social isolation throughout life, while sporadic and inconsistent national statistics from the CDC currently make these trends difficult to quantify.
- Without interventions, upward trajectories in suicide, substance abuse, and depression rates on college campuses are expected to lead to a troubling future, and blocking social skill development through excessive screen time in young children may prevent effective treatment in adulthood.
- CareMore anticipates long-term healthcare cost savings by investing in social connection programs for currently unseen patients, with expectations to scale across all of Anthem's Medicare patients and achieve a 75% increase in engagement against a control group, pending validation of early results.
- Ride-sharing credits provided to seniors without stipulations are expected to show early data indicating improved health and well-being, while human-centered design is considered essential for interventions serving vulnerable populations distinct from the general public.
- Volunteerism is viewed as a treatment for loneliness, with research indicating weekly volunteers have a 16% higher chance of being happy, and a partnership with the American Red Cross aims to create programs for learning to volunteer and connect with the community.
- Interventions are planned to target three tiers of a "vulnerability pyramid": humanizing the issue at the base, supporting the middle tier facing precipitating events through screening and emotional engagement, and preventing premature death at the tip where unscreened conditions like diabetes and colorectal cancer contribute to "deaths of despair."
- Effective programs for the Unlonely Project are expected to meet criteria of effectiveness, scalability, and sustainability, though it is acknowledged that current capabilities for measuring, scaling, or sustaining these specific interventions remain undefined.
- Lay-led support groups, such as 12-step programs, are expected to be scalable sources of connection where mental health professionals are insufficient, and a collective commitment by 100 attendees to connect with one person could solve the problem for 100 individuals.
- The failure to address social isolation and loneliness is expected to put the American Dream at risk, as individual attainment is viewed as impossible without social connection, while early data on social programs requires further validation to confirm efficacy.