PULSE POINTS BY KIRSTEN CLODFELTER
Loneliness , Isolation and Their Impact on Health
“ OC Tanner ’ s 2022 Global Culture Report concludes that one third of global employees reported feeling disconnected from leadership at their place of work .”
PROLONGED LONELINESS AND SOCIAL ISOLATION 1 have major physical and mental health impacts — a fact that ’ s only been exacerbated by the global COVID-19 pandemic . Even before the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus altered the way we live , work and socialize , individuals across the United States were reporting their feelings of loneliness at an all-time high . Leaders across the hospitality industry should be prepared to factor the far-reaching effects of loneliness and isolation into the other changes and adaptations on the horizon for 2022 — not only for their staff , but for themselves too .
How critical of an issue has loneliness become ? According to a 2018 national Cigna survey with 20,000 adult participants , more than half ( 54 percent ) said they felt like no one knew them well , while nearly half ( 46 percent ) reported feeling “ sometimes ” or “ always ” alone .
Respondents additionally expressed feeling like they lacked companionship “ sometimes ” or “ always ” ( 43 percent ), feeling isolated ( 43 percent ) and believing their relationships with others weren ’ t as close or meaningful as they desired ( 39 percent ). Taken as a collective alongside other studies and reporting , these percentages were large enough for researchers and health professionals to label loneliness as an epidemic .
Since 2018 , the numbers regarding loneliness and isolation have grown even more alarming . And as the toll of
1
EDITOR ’ S NOTE : To learn more about the impact of loneliness and isolation on public health , see Pulse ’ s Q & A with Adam “ Smiley ” Poswolsky on page 16 of this issue , and be sure to attend Smiley ’ s session at the 2022 ISPA Conference at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas May 2 – 4 , 2022 .
52 PULSE ■ FEBRUARY / MARCH 2022