Key points

Rates of loneliness are increasing, with a third of U.S. adults having no close personal relationships.

Loneliness carries mental and physical health consequences.

Investing in existing relationships, being productive, and healthy lifestyle changes may combat loneliness.

Loneliness alert: A third of adults in the United States have no close personal relationships (Cigna, 2021), and the rates of loneliness are on the increase, with 49 percent of U.S. adults reporting having three or fewer friends, a percentage that’s doubled since 1990 (Cox, 2021). Why does this matter?

Depression : Research demonstrates that lonely individuals are significantly more likely to be clinically depressed (Mann et al., 2022). Loneliness is associated with self-harm (Shoib et al., 2023) and p

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