Loneliness crisis sweeping America could be as deadly as smoking, surgeon general warns

Credit it to the rise of technology, political polarization or even the pandemic, but loneliness is on the rise. It's an epidemic with consequences so severe that Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy warns they could be deadly.

"We now know that loneliness is a common feeling that many people experience. It's like hunger or thirst. It's a feeling the body sends us when something we need for survival is missing," Murthy said, per The Associated Press. 

"Millions of people in America are struggling in the shadows, and that's not right," he continued. "That's why I issued this advisory to pull back the curtain on a struggle that too many people are experiencing."

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According to Murthy's 81-page advisory on the topic released Tuesday, approximately half of all U.S. adults experience loneliness.

"Loneliness is far more than just a bad feeling—it harms both individual and societal health. It is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death. The mortality impact of being socially disconnected is similar to that caused by smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day," the report reads.

Murthy's report adds that the repercussions of loneliness also exceed those associated with obesity and lack of exercise. 

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The report called for addressing the epidemic similarly to obesity, tobacco usage and the addiction crisis – all issues surgeon generals have historically addressed – tacking on a warning that, if left unaddressed, social isolation may worsen the societal rift that currently exists.

"If we fail to do so [address the loneliness epidemic], we will pay an ever-increasing price in the form of our individual and collective health and well-being. And we will continue to splinter and divide until we can no longer stand as a community or a country. Instead of coming together to take on the great challenges before us, we will further retreat to our corners—angry, sick, and alone," Murthy's report continued.

Statistics indicated that declines in community involvement, including church activities, clubs or other social groups could partially be to blame for the devastating decline.

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Specifically, in the religious community, the number of research participants across various outlets who regularly attended a house of worship dipped below 50% for the first time in 2020, seeing an over 20% drop from 70% in 1999.

While the change in community plays an important role, technology does as well.

The report lists the ever-changing tech landscape, including social media, remote work, artificial intelligence and virtual reality simulations as other culprits behind the distance between individuals.

Combined with the forced isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, these social circumstances have spelled disaster for those seeking connection with others.

To help combat the crisis, Murthy's report calls for increasing awareness of the need for social connection, engaging with the local community, engaging with people who belong to different background and have different experiences, reaching out when help is needed and minimizing distractions during conversations, among others.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.