In today's hyper-connected world, a paradox has emerged: Loneliness is everywhere, yet often invisible.
That's according to a new study from Cigna Healthcare that reports 57% of Americans feel lonely.
The study explains that loneliness is not just about being physically alone; people can feel isolated even when surrounded by others.
"We understand that we're made up of individuals, but ultimately, this is a public health issue, and it needs to be solved at a community level," said Dr. Marco Vitiello, medical senior director and market medical executive for South Florida at Cigna Healthcare.
And the lack of belonging can seep into every part of life, affecting relationships, work performance and overall well-being.
People with higher levels of isolation and loneliness have a higher risk of developing depression and chronic illnesses like heart disease, hypertension, cancer and even premature death.
Florida has one of the lowest rates of loneliness in the study, 37.1%, but in Miami, people who experience it say it's because of the city's transient nature and cultural differences between residents.
"People fly in here as a gateway to other places," Vitiello said. "There's a tremendous amount of social anxiety, partly driven by the vast cultural differences."
To understand what loneliness means in South Florida and some of the common signs to watch for, WLRN's Ammy Sanchez spoke with Vitiello. The conversation was edited for length and clarity.
What are some of the signs of loneliness?
Typically, you have a feeling like you can't connect deeply with other people. You may have a lot of acquaintances, but no real best friend. That type of thing is usually the first and foremost thing that comes out of somebody's mouth. But if you dig a little deeper, a person will say,"I don't think anybody really understands me or gets me. I have an overwhelming feeling of being isolated. I have a tremendous amount of self-doubt and feel worthless." These are the common complaints that people have. And, in fact, when you put 'em in social environments, they get exhausted. They feel drained of the chemistry. Although they can present in other ways as well, even with physical complaints. In medicine, we call it a conversion reaction, but you can see people with headaches or abdominal pain.
Why do you think loneliness has become such a persistent and growing public health concern?
We've been collecting data as early as 2018 based upon 7,500 people who were questioned. And over 57% of adults are suffering from a sensation of loneliness. I do think that social media is a contributing factor, and as a person trained in chemistry, I believe it has [a] chemical basis. But those are the two groups suffering the most and the most severe consequences. We have so many competing forces for our attention that it actually creates a lot of social anxiety.
What can employers, especially in South Florida, do to help address loneliness in the workforce?
It has to do a lot with the culture at the workplace. So we have been recommending employers to promote a proper work-life balance. Having an inclusive culture at work, relate to the individual employee and provide some of those benefits like a behavioral health resource. That's what employers should be doing, and frankly, many of them are because they need to retain employees and they need a productive workforce. I can tell you that if you're an employee, first of all, you have about a 50% chance of reporting being lonely, which is pretty high. And what ends up happening is you miss work. You frequently switch jobs. You perform poorly at work, so you're not good to yourself or to your employer. So that work-life balance actually can improve by tenfold your vitality.
South Florida is known for its vibrant social life, yet loneliness is still common here. What is driving it in this region?
Florida has one of the lowest rates of loneliness in our survey, 37.1%, but if you wanna get specific to Miami, some of the things that were called out as a result of the report [were] that it's a transient city. People fly in here as a gateway to other places. There's a tremendous amount of social anxiety, partly driven by the vast cultural differences. Even within the Hispanic population, there are a number of subgroups. So that is one of the causes of anxiety. But those issues actually make it very hard to form deep connections. And without deep connections, you now have this loneliness factor.
Many immigrants leave behind family and close-knit communities. What unique challenges do they face when trying to build new connections in a more individualistic U.S. culture?
People coming from a community that is less individualistic than the United States' way of thinking [have] a particularly difficult transition. One can feel lost, and this is an especially vulnerable group. But that being said, one of the ways to deal with it is — small steps. If you take little baby steps in terms of getting culturally adapted, one can achieve a lot when you look back and see how many steps you've actually covered. And some of the ways to do that are ways that you feel comfortable with, such as maybe a creative outlet like writing or art. We understand that we're made up of individuals, but ultimately, this is a public health issue and it needs to be solved at a community level. So some of the strategies that can help mitigate [those] concerns are getting involved in things that are community-oriented.
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