It will come as no surprise to most of you that loneliness continues to be a significant public and personal health problem in our country, as new data from Gallup reports the ongoing significance of the problem. According to a just-released survey as part of the Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index, the loneliness rate in the United States recently edged up to 20% of the population, a slight rise from the rate of 17-18% for the last several quarters. During the pandemic, that rate was as high as 25% of the population (no pre-pandemic surveys were conducted on this issue). It’s estimated that 52 million Americans struggle with loneliness and Axios recently reported where in the United States loneliness is the most prevalent. According to information from the US Census Bureau, states with the highest levels of loneliness are Alaska, Oregon, and Virginia, while states with the lowest levels are Iowa, Delaware, and Wisconsin. 

These numbers not only represent real suffering among millions of Americans but also reflect the potential for serious health consequences, as loneliness correlates with many significant health problems. In fact, a new study published in Nature Mental Health connects feelings of loneliness with an increased risk for Alzheimer’s, vascular dementia, and cognitive impairment. According to this research, the toll of loneliness on the aging brain is such that loneliness is linked to a potential increased risk of 31% for developing a form of dementia. This connection between loneliness and dementia held firm even after controlling for the presence of depression or social isolation. It’s not entirely clear what the connection is, though it’s thought that those who are lonely may experience significant stress, immune system dysfunction, or engage in unhealthy behaviors. For more on this study, click here. While the good news is that loneliness constitutes one of the potentially modifiable risk factors for dementia, there are other health problems associated with loneliness that can arise. The Cleveland Clinic recently posted a range of health problems that are linked to loneliness, including cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and depression. And a brand new study published in The Journal of Psychology suggests that even in our sleep, loneliness can affect us. The study reports that loneliness is linked with an increased risk of nightmares, thus disrupting the ability of a person to have restorative sleep. While it’s not clear that loneliness is the actual cause of all of these health problems, its association is concerning. Further research needs to clarify whether reducing feelings of loneliness could improve some of these health markers.

Of course, that is the $64,000 question: How do you reduce feelings of loneliness? Obvious strategies would include increasing your social engagement or connection to others, whether through volunteering, joining community or faith groups, or even striking up conversations with those you casually meet. But of course, if that was easy to do, many would have already done so. It is possible to stay in touch through strategies used during the pandemic, either with phone calls, social media, zoom, or some other internet method. However, as a recent study published in The Journals of Gerontology found, in-person contact appears to lower feelings of loneliness in ways that more remote methods of connection do not. The study found that even if the in-person contact was with someone with weak ties it was still more influential in reducing loneliness than a call or text with a loved one.

That’s not to say that the potential for other sorts of contact could not also be helpful. As we’ve previously described, there are efforts underway to utilize artificial intelligence to lower feelings of loneliness among older adults. A recent article in The Wall Street Journal written by Harvard Business School Professor Julian De Freitas describes ongoing research demonstrating that sophisticated “AI companions” are now capable of interacting with lonely older adults in meaningful and authentic ways, such that the seniors studied believe they experienced a reduction in their feelings of loneliness when interacting with these AI programs. In fact, one company, CareYaYa, has developed a free AI companion service (called QuikTok) that does not require the user to have a smartphone or even a computer, and which can initiate and remember conversations, interact and offer advice, and even play brain games with the user. So before you despair about your lack of an in-person human connection, consider an AI companion as a worthy option to lessen your loneliness.