Advancing social connection as a public health priority in the United States

Abstract

A robust body of scientific evidence has indicated that being embedded in high-quality close relationships and feeling socially connected to the people in one's life is associated with decreased risk for all-cause mortality as well as a range of disease morbidities. Despite mounting evidence that the magnitude of these associations is comparable to that of many leading health determinants (that receive significant public health resources), government agencies, health care providers and associations, and public or private health care funders have been slow to recognize human social relationships as either a health determinant or health risk marker in a manner that is comparable to that of other public health priorities. This article evaluates current evidence (on social relationships and health) according to criteria commonly used in determining public health priorities. The article discusses challenges for reducing risk in this area and outlines an agenda for integrating social relationships into current public health priorities. (PsycINFO Database Record

Figure 1

Benchmarking social connection with leading health indicators on (A) decreased odds for mortality; and (B) prevalence in the population.

Figure 2

A) The state of relationships and health science embedded in a social ecological model. Text boxes are positioned in their respective levels of analysis (individual, relationship, organization/community, society/policy) and some boxes span multiple levels (i.e., individual and relationship). B) Recommendations for researchers, government agencies, health care providers and associations, and public/private health care funders to integrate social relationships into current public health priorities.