The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds loneliness costs the U.S. economy around $406 billion a year, along with an estimated $6.7 billion a year in Medicare costs for socially isolated older adults. Photo by Adobe Stock.

By Joe Ulery
Indiana News Service

INDIANA — As festive as the holidays can be, isolation and loneliness peak at this time of year for some Hoosiers.

A 2022 survey found 55% of Americans experience increased loneliness and sadness around the holidays, which can tinge the new year with anxiety. The feelings may be prompted by not having been around loved ones, seasonal depression and grief.

Deb Bibbins, founder and CEO of For All Ages, a nonprofit group working to make connections between people of different generations, said images of togetherness at this time of year play a role in the problem.

“These images represent an unachievable possibility of connection for many people,” Bibbins pointed out. “Which can lead to feelings of sadness that they won’t be able to achieve the level of happiness portrayed, which, in turn, results in a disinterest in being social and finally, results in loneliness.”

She advised reaching out for positive social connections — calling friends or visiting family — can have tremendous effects, including better health. Making a plan for other options, like volunteering in the new year, can give people a sense of purpose and help eradicate loneliness, too.

But one of the hardest steps for leaving holiday-related loneliness behind is the first one: acknowledging it. It can enable people to move forward, and go beyond feelings of inadequacy. Bibbins noted isolation and loneliness can have health effects.

“Loneliness is a root cause of anxiety, of depression,” Bibbins explained. “It can be a root cause of substance abuse and even suicide. And, for older adults, loneliness increases the probability of having a stroke, of developing heart disease, and even developing dementia.”

Anyone experiencing suicidal thoughts should contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline online or by phone at 988, or find local mental health treatment options. Outside the holidays, the U.S. is experiencing an epidemic of loneliness and isolation.

Part of the National Strategy to Advance Social Connection includes strengthening social infrastructure in local communities and reforming digital environments.