Connectedness: The Updated and Expanded Pillar of Lifestyle Psychiatry and Lifestyle Medicine

Abstract

The field of Lifestyle Psychiatry aims to prevent, treat, and sometimes reverse chronic physical and mental health conditions through evidence-based interventions. The foundational pillars of this field are physical activity & exercise, nutrition, restorative sleep, stress management, toxic exposure reduction, and connectedness. Connection has been defined as "feeling part of something larger than yourself, feeling close to another person or group, feeling welcomed, and understood." Within Lifestyle Psychiatry, however, we emphasize that connectedness encompasses not only our relationships with other individuals but also our connection to ourselves and with the world at large. We have identified these three relationships as three core or pivotal needs. Similarly, we have expanded our previous model of connectedness to include six domains: (1) Happiness, (2) Purpose in Life & Meaning-Making, (3) Empathy & Compassion, (4) Social Connection & Community, (5) Nature, and (6) Spirituality & Religion. In this paper, we present psychological and scientific data supporting the necessity of the six domains of connectedness. By combining the six domains with the three core needs, practitioners of lifestyle psychiatry can develop impactful and sustainable interventions that promote connectedness, decrease negative health outcomes, and promote psychological growth through increasing resilience, emotional development, and the ability to be alone without loneliness.

Keywords: connectedness; empathy and compassion; happiness; life purpose and meaning-making; social connection; spirituality.

Figure 1.

Merlo Model of Connectedness: Six domains of connectedness addressing the three core psychological needs. The six domains include (1) Happiness (2) Purpose in Life & Meaning-Making (3) Empathy & Compassion (4) Social Connection & Community (5) Connection to Nature (6) Spirituality and Religion. These domains address the three core psychological needs: connectedness to self, others & community, and the world at large. Used with permission, Gia Merlo, Restack, Three Degree Publishing, Oct 2024.