Perhaps by now, you have heard the statistic that people who lack meaningful social connections are at the same level of risk for premature death as those who smoke 15 cigarettes daily. Loneliness also was associated with higher rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide. In fact, over 100 years of research indicate that social isolation is the most reliable predictor of suicidal ideation, attempts, and lethal suicidal behavior across a variety of demographics and clinical cohorts.
In the workplace, stress-related absenteeism due to loneliness reportedly costs employers an estimated $154 billion annually while loneliness and isolation are associated with worse work performance. Given these statistics, the odds are that a percentage of your employees or coworkers currently face loneliness either persistently or intermittently.
The good news is that other data clearly show how social connection can increase survival odds by 50%. Social connection is especially protective against suicide in men.
If you are an employer, you have the power to play a significant role in helping increase those survival odds. And you don’t have to do it from scratch: there are more resources available to you now than ever.
More than one-third of U.S. adults aged 45 and older have reported feeling lonely, according to a 2020 report by the National Academies of Science and Medicine (NASEM). This is often because they are more likely to live alone, have suffered the loss of family or friends, and are experiencing chronic illness and/or hearing loss. The NASEM report also found that other older adults among the immigrant, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) populations, minorities, and victims of elder abuse were at higher risk for loneliness.
While research into the risk factors and mechanisms of loneliness in each demographic is still nascent, evidence-based suicide prevention strategies that also address loneliness do exist.
Investing in workplace suicide prevention programs is a cornerstone of the Biden Administration’s National Strategy. The Strategy leans heavily on fostering community and deepening connections between people, especially where they spend a lot of time, such as in the workplace where groups are most likely to be found. The Strategy explicitly calls upon employers to “integrate pro-social norms and behaviors as part of their culture and values through comprehensive suicide prevention planning efforts.”
To help combat loneliness, the U.S. Surgeon General recommends that employers prioritize making social connectivity in the workplace at all levels of the company structure. This includes training and empowering managers to implement programs that foster connection while continually identifying barriers to success and facilitating continuous quality improvement.
But don’t stop there! Having policies that protect workers’ ability to nurture their relationships outside work is also important. This includes respecting boundaries between work and non-work time, supporting caregiving responsibilities, and creating a culture of norms and practices that support these policies, according to the Surgeon General.
And while today’s remote, hybrid, and flexible work schedules can help support work-life balance, they also pose challenges when it comes to connecting with coworkers. If you’re an employer, keep in mind how these are impacting your workforce as you implement your strategies for promoting community in your organization.
For more information on how to create and sustain a resilient and socially vibrant workplace, check out my podcast Headspace for the Workplace.
Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas
Footnotes:
1 Holt-Lunstad J, Robles TF, Sbarra DA. Advancing social connection as a public health priority in the
United States. Am Psychol. 2017;72(6):517-530
2 https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25663/social-isolation-and-loneliness-in-older-adults-
opportunities-for-the
3 Van Orden KA, Witte TK, Cukrowicz KC, Braithwaite SR, Selby EA, Joiner TE, Jr. The interpersonal
theory of suicide. Psychol Rev. 2010;117(2):575-600.
4 United States Department of Health and Human Services. The U.S. Surgeon General’s Framework for
Workplace Mental Health and Well-being. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, Office of the U.S. Surgeon General; 2022
5 Bowers A, Wu J, Lustig S, Nemecek D. Loneliness influences avoidable absenteeism and turnover
intention reported by adult workers in the United States. Journal of Organizational Effectiveness:
People and Performance. 2022;9(2):312-335.
6 Holt-Lunstad J, Smith TB, Layton JB. Social relationships and mortality risk: a meta-analytic review.
PLoS Med. 2010;7(7):e1000316
7 Shaw RJ, Cullen B, Graham N, et al. Living alone, loneliness and lack of emotional support as predictors
of suicide and self harm: A nine-year follow up of the UK Biobank cohort. J Affect Disord. 2021;279:316-
323.
8 NASEM
9 national-strategy-suicide-prevention.pdf (hhs.gov) goal #5U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS),
National Strategy for Suicide Prevention. Washington, DC: HHS, April 2024.
10 surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf (hhs.gov)
11 surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf (hhs.gov)