Wellness Policies Can Combat Loneliness

By Tonia Callender, GWI research fellow

Too often, those who experience loneliness and isolation suffer in silence and hesitate to ask for help. Physicians and psychologists have raised growing concerns about the lasting consequences of this trend. Last month, the World Health Organization (WHO) Commission on Social Connection released its global report, From Loneliness to Social Connection, which highlights the rising rates of loneliness and disconnection and offers solutions to this growing problem.

Loneliness and isolation have been linked to cardiovascular disease, stroke, anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders.¹ In fact, loneliness can increase the risk of premature death by more than 25%.² The WHO report estimates that loneliness impacts 1 in 6 people worldwide, connecting it with over 871,000 deaths a year.³

Feeling connected is essential for our mental wellness, and it is a significant determinant of health and wellbeing.⁴ To create more connected communities, mental wellness policies need to promote positive social interactions for everyone, regardless of their age, background, identity, or geographic location. There are many options to do so – from social prescribing to community care and support models – but success depends on the commitment, resources, and collaboration of governments, employers, community care systems, nonprofits, spiritual organizations, and families.

GWI supports a holistic approach to strengthen connection in communities based on 6 key actions:

Raise awareness of the dangers and costs of loneliness.
Prioritize social support for vulnerable and marginalized groups.
Strengthen connections through social, cultural, and arts engagement programs.
Use the built environment to connect people and foster social interaction.
Utilize digital infrastructure to promote connections and strengthen social supports.
Leverage collaboration and community care resources.

For more information about creating social connections via policy actions, see GWI’s Wellness Policy Toolkit: Mental Wellness.

1 Meta-analyses estimate that loneliness and isolation increase dementia risk by 50%. Donovan, N.J., and Blazer, D. (2020). Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults: Review and Commentary of a National Academies Report. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 28(12), 1233-1244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jagp.2020.08.005.

2 Office of the U.S. Surgeon General (2023). Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf.

3 WHO Commission on Social Connection, 2025. From loneliness to social connection: charting a path to healthier societies. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2025. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO

4 Waldinger, R., and Schulz, M. (2023, Jan. 19). What the longest study on human happiness found is the good life. (2023). The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/01/harvard-happiness-study-relationships/672753/.