Physicians are calling for primary care doctors to ask patients about loneliness and social isolation at routine health checks and when managing chronic diseases as emerging research suggests it could be just as important as checking blood pressure, heart health and lifestyle factors for health outcomes.
About half of all U.S. adults experience loneliness.Loneliness and social isolation: What to know and how to help promote social connection
Loneliness and social isolation can lead to a number of negative mental and physical health problems, according to research, and doctors say it's important to discuss this topic in routine health visits and when managing chronic diseases."I think loneliness should be incorporated into healthcare and into primary care, because of how much it affects health," Dr.
Loneliness has been linked with higher rates of depression, anxiety and suicide, according to the CDC. "If we can prevent or intervene early in loneliness, we may see a really nice downstream effect in terms of people's overall mental health," Dr. Jen Brull, president-elect of the American Academy of Family Physicians, told ABC News.
Doctors say people can do their own self-assessment by asking questions like, "how often do you speak to someone outside of the home, are those meaningful conversations, do you feel fulfilled by your social interactions or do you think there is a gap in your social interactions and do these interactions impact your satisfaction with your current life situation," Massart said.
Community resources that involve group activities, therapy, or aid in transportation may already be in place in many areas that can mitigate social isolation and loneliness but these tools may miss some resources in more rural areas and doctors say this is where local health clinics may help the most.
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