Approximately half of U.S. adults reported experiencing loneliness, even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The issue recently moved U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy to around the "loneliness epidemic" in America.
Soon after, ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Senator Chris Murphy that would launch an Office of Social Connection Policy, and fund CDC research to "better understand the epidemic of social isolation and loneliness."
While on The Colin McEnroe Show in July, Murphy said the move was "part of a broader exploration for me of what is eating in America... I have come to the conclusion that there's a lot of new and unique things that are hurting Americans and making them feel unhappy today," chief among them loneliness or "aloneness."
This hour, we explore how loneliness, isolation and social disconnection are being addressed where we live. Deb Bibbins and Gary Sekorski founded , and more recently, the , to help bolster and centralize resources.
How does loneliness or isolation affect you?
GUESTS:
- Deb Bibbins: Co-Founder and Chair, ; Co-Founder,
- Gary Sekorski: Co-Founder and Chair, For All Ages; Co-Founder, ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Collaborative to End Loneliness
- Connie Malone: Canton Resident
- Siri Palreddy: Senior at Amherst College
- Chief of Geriatric Medicine, Hartford Hospital
Cat Pastor contributed to this episode which originally aired September 18, 2023.
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