A Letter to Governor Newsom and the California State Legislature on the Loneliness Epidemic and How to Confront It

We are experiencing an epidemic of loneliness in the United States, with our youth and elderly being the most affected populations. The best solution for loneliness is relational connection. While loneliness is subjective and will never be eradicated, the most serious consequences can be reduced significantly. The approach here focuses on determining what constitutes a healthy, close relationship and how to go about promoting that in order to improve overall relational health in the community. The policy options assessed include increased counseling and therapy, community building events such as neighborhood gatherings, teaching conflict resolution and communication skills, providing “Gateway Services” such as transportation and technology, and increased involvement of the medical community through assessments and referrals. This article finds that for youth, teaching conflict resolution and communication skills would be the most effective option to address loneliness, while community events would be most effective for the elderly. Funding from state and federal programs should support these programs.