In May of 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General released a report titled, “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation.” It turns out that even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, people were already experiencing high levels of loneliness. Add in a global pandemic, loss of a job or loved one, social isolation, increased digital media usage, and the feelings of loneliness amplify.
Even people who may have once had community have experienced new losses through death or major life changes. Some people simply forgot how to engage.
This past year, as the Schweitzer Care Team ministered to our church and community, the topic of loneliness kept rising to the surface. These conversations often echoed what Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy shared during an online interview.
“In the last few decades, we’ve just lived through a dramatic change of pace. We move more, we change jobs more often, we are living with technology that has profoundly changed how we interact with each other and how we talk to each other,” Murthy shared adding,
“You can feel lonely even if you have a lot of people around you, because loneliness is about the quality of your connections.”
This fall, Peggy Zimmer and Bob Lunn will lead a book study based on the book, “The Path Out of Loneliness” by Dr. Mark Mayfield. We’ll discuss loneliness, social isolation, and solitude.
We’ll also spend time discussing God’s original plan to be in a relationship with others.
This will be an encouraging study if you are experiencing loneliness or want to better understand this topic in our culture today. Sign up for this 4-week class.
Jenn Brown is the editor of the Schweitzer Spark and serves on staff as the Director of Communications. When she’s not in the office, you can find Jenn out exploring in nature, playing music around town, and working on more writing about various topics including grief, fashionable dogs, and traveling adventures.