Definitions & Prevalence
True or False: there is no difference between isolation and loneliness.
What is false?
Loneliness is the distressing feeling of being alone or separated. Social isolation is the lack of social contacts and having few people to interact with regularly. You can live alone and not feel lonely or socially isolated, and you can feel lonely while being with other people.
People who are lonely often crave _______, but their state of mind and self-defeating thoughts make it more difficult to form connections with other people.
What is human contact?
Loneliness increases the risk of high ________ pressure.
What is blood?
Loneliness is a serious public health issue and has only _________ during the pandemic.
What is increased?
The following strategies are correlated with ______ feelings of isolation and loneliness: time outside in sunlight, regular exercise, humor, good sleep, and engaging in activities that bring purpose and meaning.
What is lower?
Loneliness is a perceptual state that depends more on the quality of a person's relationships than on the _______ of their relationships.
What is quantity?
This type of media is designed to make us feel more connected, but for many it has the opposite effect.
What is social?
For instance, one study found that young adults who spend more time with social media actually feel more socially isolated than their peers who spend less time online.
Research has consistently shown that loneliness increases susceptibility to this very common illness.
What is the common cold?
This public health practice of staying home and keeping at least 6 feet apart from each other in public has reduced the spread of the virus, but has also increased people's sense of disconnection.
What is social distancing?
Building new connections is important, but _____________ current or previous relationships can also help combat loneliness.
What is strengthening?
A recent study has concluded that ___% of all Americans experience “serious loneliness,” a number which has only gone up since the pandemic began.
a) 16% b) 36% c) 86%
What is b) 36%
Social scientists agree that the huge increase in recent years of people living ____________ may be contributing to the rise in loneliness and isolation.
What is alone?
Social isolation is associated with a _____ percent increased risk of dementia later in life?
a) 50% b) 15% c) 99%
what is a) 50%
Most reviewed studies reported negative _____ effects including post traumatic stress symptoms, confusion, and anger after extended periods of isolation during the pandemic.
What is psychological?
The group of friends, family, peers, and coworkers who you can turn to during times of need. Having one of these is strongly correlated with psychological wellbeing.
What is your social support network?
A 2021 report found that 61% of _______ feel “serious loneliness.”
a) children b) older adults c) young adults
What is c) young adults
True or False: Research into the effects of social media are mixed. In general, people who use it in moderation to strengthen existing relationships have more positive outcomes than those who use it as a substitute for face-to-face interactions.
What is true?
Researchers have found that chronic loneliness is just as lethal as smoking 15 cigarettes per day! Lonely people are ______ percent more likely to die prematurely than those with healthy social relationships.
What is 50%?
Surveys during the pandemic consistently show that:
a) older b) younger c) middle aged
people are most vulnerable to increased psychological distress during quarantine, perhaps because their need for social interactions are stronger.
What is younger?
Solid nightly rest strengthens our body’s defenses leading to a more effective _________ which, in turn, helps us ward off illness.
What is an immune system?
A 2020 Cigna study which surveyed 10,000 adults across the United States found generational differences in levels of loneliness with this generation having the highest level at 73%.
What is Generation Z?
Research shows that meaningful in-person connection reliably wards off loneliness, but also requires us to be our authentic selves. Conversations held via text or social media may be cordial, but they often leave us feeling empty because they lack ____________.
What is depth or intimacy?
One study found that those with fewer than ____ people they could confide in and count on for social support were more than twice as likely to die from heart disease than those with more confidants.
What is 3?
The field of psychoneuroimmunology studies the effects of psychological factors on the body's response to infection. This has implications for how people's mental health can impact the effectiveness of what critical tool in fighting COVID 19?
What is vaccination?
A 2018 study of 20-somethings concluded that cutting down this activity led to “significant reductions in loneliness and depression" over a 3 week period when compared to the control group.
What is social media usage?