In a move to acknowledge the health effects of loneliness and isolation, San Mateo County in the San Francisco Bay Area is the first county in the nation to declare loneliness a health emergency.
The county’s Board of Supervisors passed a resolution on Tuesday, Jan. 30, declaring the crisis and pledged to explore policies promoting social connection throughout the county.
“There is an epidemic of loneliness in the United States, and lacking connection can increase the risk for premature death to levels comparable—if you can imagine this—to smoking 15 cigarettes a day,” said San Mateo Fifth District Supervisor David Canepa.
Mr. Canepa, who introduced the resolution, quoted data from the U.S. Surgeon General’s 2023 Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community. The advisory “calls attention to the importance of social connection for individual health as well as on community-wide metrics of health and well-being, and conversely the significant consequences when social connection is lacking.”
The advisory noted that loneliness and social isolation raise the risk of early death by 26 percent and 29 percent, respectively.
“In addition, poor or insufficient social connection is associated with increased risk of disease, including a 29% increased risk of heart disease and a 32% increased risk of stroke,” the advisory warned. Additionally, isolation and loneliness increase the risk of anxiety, depression, and dementia and can put a person at higher risk of contracting viruses and respiratory illnesses.
Lack of social connection is a costly burden to the individual, community, and society, the advisory continued. Medicare alone accrued $6.7 billion in costs associated with social isolation. Additionally, in the United States, stress-related absenteeism cost employers $154 billion.
“The impact of social connection not only affects individuals, but also the communities they live in,” the advisory noted. “Social connection is an important social determinant of health, and more broadly, of community well-being, including … population health, community resilience when natural hazards strike, community safety, economic prosperity, and representative government.”
County Commits to Creating a ‘Rich Social Network’
San Mateo’s resolution didn’t commit any funds for programs to reduce loneliness but signals the county’s commitment to the crisis.
“In San Mateo County alone, 45 percent of residents reported experiencing difficulty with isolation and loneliness with certain demographic groups facing heightened challenges in accessing social support networks,” Mr. Canepa said. “Addressing these disparities is crucial as we develop solutions to combat loneliness and isolation.”
According to the board resolution, 35.2 percent of San Mateo residents were born outside of the country, highlighting the county’s diversity.
“National search underscores that older immigrants who relocate to another country are particularly susceptible to loneliness, attributed in part to shifts in language, cultural norms, social networks and experiences of racism and/or discrimination,” the resolution reads.
Mr. Canepa pointed to the six pillars outlined in the Surgeon General’s advisory as inspiration for the county to create a comprehensive approach, which could include: “strengthening social infrastructure; enacting pro-connection public policies; mobilizing the health sector; reforming digital environments; deepening knowledge …; and cultivating a culture of connection.”
Phaedra Bell, program lead at the University of California–San Francisco Memory and Aging Center, presented to the San Mateo Board of Supervisors, saying that loneliness can affect people across the life course.
She suggested the county can invest in programs that bring people together in meaningful ways.
It’s not just about contact, Ms. Bell said, it’s about creating “a rich social network.”
Examples Ms. Bell included were art programs promoting creativity. She also noted that all county departments can participate in the effort. Infrastructure can have a powerful impact on loneliness, Ms. Bell said.
The resolution received affirmation from Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy on the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter. Dr. Murthy wrote, “When I released my Surgeon General’s Advisory on loneliness, I outlined what localities can do to promote connection. Grateful to San Mateo County for becoming the first county in America to recognize loneliness as a public health emergency.”