Julianne Holt-Lunstad, Brigham Young University – Creating a More Connected, Resilient, and Thriving Society

Relationships are important to our health, so how do we foster them?

Julianne Holt-Lunstad, Scientific Leadership Council Chair and Board Member, Foundation for Social Connection, and Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience and Director of the Social Connections Lab at Brigham Young University, details how to get connected.

Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad is the founding scientific chair and board member for the U.S.-based Foundation for Social Connection and the Global Initiative on Loneliness and Connection. She is also a professor of psychology and neuroscience and director of the Social Connection & Health Lab at Brigham Young University.

Dr. Holt-Lunstad is an international scientific expert whose research has been seminal in the recognition of social isolation and loneliness as risk factors for early mortality, and protective effects of social connection. As the lead scientific editor for a US Surgeon General’s Advisory and Framework for a National Strategy, her work also focuses on translating evidence into practice and policy. She serves as a scientific advisor and regularly consults for organizations across sectors aimed at addressing this issue. Her work has been widely recognized within her discipline, including several awards, and is regularly highlighted in major media outlets.

Creating a More Connected, Resilient, and Thriving Society

Social connection is defined by the size and variety of our social networks, our ability to rely on others for support, and the quality of our relationships and interactions. It’s essential to our health, communities, institutions, society, and planet. 

There’s a vast body of evidence showing how relationships “get under our skin” to influence our quality and length of life and health. My research has shown how social connection increases the likelihood of survival by 50%. On the other hand, my research has found that lacking social connection carries a health risk similar to smoking up to 15 cigarettes per day.

Unfortunately, over the past two decades, Americans are spending more time alone and less time with family, friends, and others. As participation in religion, volunteering, and civic engagement has declined, distrust of others has grown. We’re facing a “public health crisis” in the U.S., and we’ve seen how this relates to other current societal challenges such as mental health, substance abuse and sociopolitical issues. 

In our research, I, along with the Foundation for Social Connection’s Scientific Leadership Council, point to the need for the rigorous, collaborative, systematic study of effective solutions for strengthening social connection. 

Researchers from diverse scientific fields must coordinate to uncover effective, cross-sector approaches that address the root causes of this crisis. And together with industry, government and philanthropy, we can translate these findings into scalable and proven strategies, closing the gap between research and practice, to create a more connected, resilient, and thriving society.

Read More:
[Wiley] – The need for scientific leadership and collaboration to enhance social connection: A call to action