Is There Hope For Our Loneliness Post Covid-19?
Apple Market, Covent Garden (Photo by Hoberman Collection/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) Universal Images Group via Getty Images  The Covid-19 pandemic shone a harsh light on the inequities, ills, and frailties of our society, with loneliness being one of them. The last year and a half of social distancing and isolation left many people craving a hug from loved ones, coffee with co-workers, or a backyard project with neighbors. Even before the pandemic, loneliness was already considered an epidemic in the U.S. Three in five Americans report feeling lonely, compared to more than half in 2018. Among older adults, one in three is lonely. If society hopes to reduce our epidemic of loneliness, it will require taking a hard look at the role privilege and resilience play in our feelings of loneliness. For example, those of us slowly emerging from social isolation know that the last year and a half required mental, physical, and emotional fortitude or resilience. According to the American Psychologists Association, resilience is defined as the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or significant sources of stresssuch as family and relationship problems, serious health problems, or workplace and financial stressors. Resilience is the will and ability to try and try again. However, the resilience needed to overcome the trauma recently experienced by our friends and neighbors cannot be taken for granted. For the less privileged who regularly grapple with poverty, discrimination, and other challenges, the expectation for resilience can seem like an added burden, leaving many to remain in isolation. We will all need resilience to move forward from the pandemic, and being part of a community is part of that. But some of us will need to extend patience and kindness to our neighbors who may be slower to adapt to the new normal. In other words, we may need to expand our view of resilience. As a society, we often praise people for surviving adversity, said Dr. Kayse Maass, an industrial engineer who leads the Operations Research and Social Justice lab at Northeastern University. But we do not acknowledge ways systems within our society need to change to promote resiliency or lessen the need for it in the first place. Creating a sense of belonging is critical to reducing loneliness, especially for less resilient people and those lacking the privilege of community. Loneliness often leads to stress, which is a risk factor for mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. Still, most lonely people are not depressed, so let us be careful not to medicalize the issue, Dr. Carla Perissinotto told journalists at Columbia's 2021 Age Boom Academy in early May. Perissinotto is a geriatrician at the University of California, San Francisco. Loneliness and social isolation continue to pose a serious threat to our health. One study suggests that loneliness and social isolation are as much a threat to our health as obesity and smoking. Another study found that loneliness is associated with accelerated cognitive decline in older adults and premature death. Since loneliness cuts across class, race, gender, ability, and age, solving it will involve every facet of society to build resilience on both an individual and community level. Research has shown that resilience is a learned skill, and our society encourages us to build resilience. But according to experts, building resilience can be a challenge, leaving some of us feeling exhausted. Many people have a strong ability to adapt and find ways to move through challenges in life, said Dr. Maass. But resilience should not just be a responsibility we place on individuals. Communities can improve resilience by ensuring robust support systems are in place to meet the needs of the community members and help people recover from adversity at their own pace. Communities can also decrease the need for resilience by investing in accessible, equitable support systems that help prevent people from adversity and lessen the negative impacts when adversity does happen. Rural areas especially need more counseling centers, food banks, and visiting nurses, making the transition and recovery process easier and more effective. SOUTH SULAWESI, INDONESIA - SEPTEMBER 30, 2020: Residents pedal bicycles in the Nipah Mall area in ... [+] Makassar City. The bicycle pedaling program in the mall is a form of socialization of bicycles as a means of healthy and environmentally friendly transportation. - PHOTOGRAPH BY Indra Abriyanto / Opn Images/ Barcroft Studios / Future Publishing (Photo credit should read Indra Abriyanto / Opn Images/Barcroft Media via Getty Images) Barcroft Media via Getty Images  Developing inclusive and resilient systems for loneliness can enhance well-being and improve the quality of life of communities and their residents. But living in a community with high quality of life may also promote resilience, buffer the negative impact of stressful events, and improve health throughout the life course, as cited in Health Affairs. Still, resilient societies must stress the complexities and nuances of loneliness since it affects how we develop social connections. Since privilege and resilience can predict loneliness, solutions should also consider our unique lived experiences. If not, such solutions will only address loneliness on a surface level. It did not get easier; it just got different, said Dr. Christina Wyman, an adjunct professor at Michigan State University who experienced the devastating effects of chronic loneliness for five years. When all we have left is the crippling feeling of loneliness, when all we can do is endure, our level of resilience can make or break us. Because in the end, resilience is a privilege.