FINDING A CURE FOR LONELINESS TOGETHER
OUR SURVIVAL AND WELL-BEING DEPEND ON OUR COLLECTIVE ABILITIES, NOT OUR INDIVIDUAL MIGHT.
TOGETHER WE HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO FIND A CURE FOR LONELINESS.
WHAT IS LONELINESS?
LONELINESS IS A discrepancy between what you have and what you expect from a social relationship with a significant other
CASE AGAINST SOLITARY
CONFINEMENT
(Scientific American, Nov. 9, 2018)
“We see solitary confinement as nothing less than a death penalty by social deprivation,” said Stephanie Cacioppo
BACKGROUND
From an evolutionary perspective, we are born to form social relationships. Our social environment includes relationships to others and to the groups to which we belong, our neighborhoods, the organization of our workplace, and the policies we create to order our lives. In these groups, we sometimes form a special bond with a specific individual with whom we might have our own family and continue our genetic legacy. However, despite the fact the world population offers a gigantic pool of people with whom we could form a special bond, there are only a limited number of individuals with whom there is a reciprocated wish to establish a partnership. When meaningful, close, and healthy pair-bonds are sustained, the health benefits are immense. This myriad of beneficial effects for health takes place through different pathways e.g., neuronal, hormonal, cellular, and cardiovascular. The key to a successful, lasting interpersonal relationship with a significant other (work partner, confidant, spouse, and/or best friend) is, however, often elusive. Dr. Stephanie Cacioppo's ultimate goal is to identify the biomarkers of successful interpersonal dynamics and to develop predictive models of pre-conscious information processing in mental health and disease.
WHAT ARE THE SOLUTIONS?
COMMON SENSE INTERVENTIONS (LIKE SOCIAL SUPPORT, SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT) DO NOT WORK.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BEST WAYS TO REDUCE LONELINESS, CONTACT US
