How Would Alfred Adler View America’s Loneliness Epidemic? Reflections by His Biographer

ABSTRACT: U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy (2023) has declared that America is experiencing an “epidemic” and “health-care crisis” related to loneliness. Although Alfred Adler is not alive to respond to this dismaying situation, his life and writings offer a vital direction for understanding the nature of this epidemic and reacting appropriately. As Adler’s biographer, I focus on four relevant causal factors concerning chronic loneliness among adolescents and young adults today: intrapsychic, familial, pedagogic, and wider societal forces. Relevant interventions are then discussed.