In recent years, the importance of social connection has been highlighted through research that explored the impact of loneliness and isolation. Loneliness isn’t just about not being alone – it’s about the feeling of being alone. You could still have a lot of social contact with those around you, but you don’t feel understood or seen. Social isolation is different to this. It’s a lack of social connections entirely. Nonetheless, both loneliness and social isolation have significant health outcomes. Some of the recent research demonstrates that social isolation increases a person’s risk of premature death from all causes. When social isolation is compared with other life-limiting risk factors, such as smoking, it’s on par with the impact it can have on a person’s length and quality of life. If you have ever experienced loneliness or social isolation, you probably already know and have felt its impact on not only your physical health but also your mental health. A big part of our role as...