Americans are just as lonely today as they were during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A new survey published in the JAMA Open Network shows that more than a third of Americans aged 50 to 80 suffer from a disturbing sense of loneliness, and almost as many feel socially isolated.
A team from the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation conducted the survey, which found that many older adults, especially those with poor physical or mental health, feel the most lonely.
Dr. Preeti Malani, the lead author of the study, said that personal loneliness and social isolation are among the most important health problems.
She added that we should pay the same attention to them as we would any other medical problem.
