Social connection

Social connection describes how people relate to and interact with each other. It has three dimensions: structure (the number and types of relationships and roles, and how often and how long people interact); function (the type and amount of support exchanged); and quality (whether interactions are positive – loving, satisfying – or negative – strained, conflictual, or violent).

Social isolation, a form of social disconnection, is the objective state of having too few roles, relationships, and interactions with others. It can be easily counted and measured. 

Loneliness, another form of social disconnection, is a subjective, distressing feeling that arises when there is a gap between the social connections one has and those one wants or needs. 

The best data available relates to loneliness, a form of social disconnection. New estimates from the report of the WHO commission on social connection show it is a widespread global issue:

• Approximately 1 in 6 people globally (15.8%) report feeling lonely.  
• Loneliness affects all regions and age groups, but some groups are more affected than others:  
  • Young people, especially adolescents, report the highest rates – 21% say they are lonely. Rates generally decrease with age.
  • Loneliness is more common in lower-income countries: 24.3% of people in low-income countries report feeling lonely compared to 11% in high-income countries.
• Rates are similar for males and females.

Loneliness and social isolation can be driven by many factors including:

• Poor physical or mental health such as chronic illness, anxiety, depression.
• Marginalization (e.g., people with disabilities, LGBTIQ+ individuals, migrants, refugees).
• Low levels of education and income.
• Living alone or without a partner.
• Major life changes such as moving, job loss, relationship breakups, retirement or bereavement.
• Weak community resources such as lack of transport, parks, or leisure spaces.
• Excessive or harmful use of digital media, especially among younger people.

The impacts of social disconnection are serious and widespread yet often overlooked.

• New WHO estimates show loneliness causes 871 000 deaths each year.
• Social isolation and loneliness harm physical health (e.g., higher risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes) and mental health (e.g., increased depression and anxiety).
• They also affect education and work:
• Students who feel connected perform better in school.
• Lonely people may struggle at work, earn less, and face job instability.
• Communities and economies suffer too:
• Strong social ties make communities safer and more resilient.
• At the national level, loneliness costs billions in lost productivity and health care.

Promising strategies to reduce loneliness and isolation include:

1. Advocacy and campaigns, which raise awareness, shift social norms, and build networks to coordinate actions across societies. These efforts can help drive change at national and community levels.
2. Policies, which integrate social connection into government priorities, systems and funding. They can help coordinate action across sectors, support research and ensure proven interventions reach those most in need.
3. Community-based strategies, which improve “social infrastructure” such as parks, libraries, public transport, while also supporting local groups and services that bring people together.
4. Individual and relationship strategies, which offer psychological therapies such as social skills training and therapies (like cognitive behavioural therapy) to help people build and maintain connections.
5. test
6. teaew
7. te
8. atea
9. eatea
10. atea
11. tea
12. ta
13. we

Launched in November 2023, under the leadership of 11 world-respected thought-leaders and policymakers, the Commission aims, over its three-year tenure, to

1. Increase the global priority of social connection
2. Position the issue as a genuine, and serious, public health concern that affects all ages and regions
3. Scale cost-effective solutions

Key reasons include:

• Growing scientific evidence shows that a lack of social connection can significantly harm health and is linked to higher mortality rates.
• The COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions highlighted the importance of social connection to health and wellbeing.
• The growing concerns about the impact of social media on mental health and relationships.
• More local and national initiatives, particularly in high-income countries, are being implemented to address loneliness and promote social connection.