Loneliness epidemic

The loneliness epidemic is an ongoing trend of loneliness and social isolation experienced by people in the United States and across the globe. The uptick began in the 2010s and was exacerbated by the isolating effects of social distancing, stay-at-home orders, and deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In May 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy published a United States Department of Health and Human Services advisory on the impact of the epidemic of loneliness and isolation in the United States. The report likened the dangers of loneliness to other public health threats such as smoking and obesity. In November 2023, the World Health Organization declared loneliness a "global public health concern" and launched an international commission to study the problem.