Loneliness Resource Center
Wellness & SelfcareMental HealthLoneliness

Loneliness

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Loneliness is a complex and often painful feeling of isolation, sadness, and disconnection from other people. Treatment can involve addressing the underlying causes through therapy, social skills training, and building supportive relationships. Lifestyle factors, such as engaging in social activities and practicing self-compassion, are crucial in combating loneliness.

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FAQ

What are the main causes of loneliness?

Social isolation, life changes, and mental health conditions.

Loneliness can lead to depression, anxiety, and increased stress.

Yes, excessive use of social media can replace meaningful in-person interaction with others.

Engage in social activities and build strong connections.

Yes, many people experience loneliness at some point.

Meet Our Experts In Loneliness
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Everyday Health’s team of board-certified physicians and health professionals contribute to the creation and review of content, ensuring that the information is useful, up to date, and accurate.
seth-gillihan-bio

Seth Gillihan, PhD

Medical Reviewer
Seth Gillihan, PhD, is a licensed psychologist in private practice in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, who helps people find personal growth by making important changes in their thoughts and habits. His work includes books, podcasts, and one-on-one sessions. He is the the host of the Think Act Be podcast and author of multiple books on mindfulness and CBT, including Retrain Your Brain, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Made Simple, and Mindful Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

He completed a doctorate in psychology at the University of Pennsylvania where he continued as a full-time faculty member from 2008 to 2012. He has been in private practice since 2012.
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Dr. Allison Young

Allison Young, MD

Medical Reviewer
Member of American College of Lifestyle Medicine

Allison Young, MD, is a board-certified psychiatrist providing services via telehealth throughout New York and Florida.

In addition to her private practice, Dr. Young serves as an affiliate professor of psychiatry at Florida Atlantic University Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine. She previously taught and mentored medical trainees at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. She speaks at national conferences and has published scientific articles on a variety of mental health topics, most notably on the use of evidence-based lifestyle interventions in mental health care.

Young graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown University with a bachelor of science degree in neurobiology and theology. She obtained her doctor of medicine degree with honors in neuroscience and physiology from the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. She continued her training at NYU during her psychiatry residency, when she was among a small group selected to be part of the residency researcher program and studied novel ways to assess and treat mental distress, with a focus on anxiety, trauma, and grief.

During her psychiatry training, Young sought additional training in women’s mental health and cognitive behavioral therapy. She has also studied and completed further training in evidence-based lifestyle interventions in mental health care, including stress management, exercise, and nutrition. She is an active member of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, through which she helps create resources as well as educate physicians and patients on the intersection of lifestyle medicine and mental health.

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Resources
  1. Loneliness. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.