What is this about?

This just-released 2 page summary infographic and 57 page full report based on a national sample of 10,000 U.S. employees surveyed in 2019 focuses on their perceptions of loneliness and social isolation.  Conducted by the large market research firm Ipsos and funded by Cigna, this landmark report involves the use of the UCLA Loneliness Scale that uses a 20-item online survey.

A few of the major findings contained in these two documents include:

• 61% of employees surveyed reported…”feeling lonely.”
• The 2018 survey found that 54% of those surveyed reported …”feeling lonely”, which when compared to the 2019 results is a 13% proportionate increase.
• 24% of employees surveyed say their mental health is “fair” or “poor.” (CDC reports that 20% of Americans will experience a mental illness in any given year.)
• Americans reporting “good mental health” is down 5-percentage points from 2018 (76% vs. 81%).
• Younger generations are lonelier than older generations. Nearly eight in 10 Gen Zers (79%) and seven in 10 millennials (71%) are lonely, vs. half of boomers (50%).
• Men (46.1%) are lonelier than women (45.3%).
• People who report that they don’t have good relationships with their coworkers (53.7%) are 10 points lonelier than those who do (43.7%).

Why is this important?

These 2 reports provide a credible picture of an emerging national health problem.  Often referred to as the “loneliness epidemic” is has contributed to a renewed interest in employee mental health among U.S. employers. This information is important because it highlights a newly emerging wellness need of U.S. employees and because it has a variety of productivity, job performance and health cost implications.

What can you do with this document?

• First, skim the 2-page infographic summary and create a separate document for emailing.
• Next, determine what individuals and groups you should send the infographic to and who should receive the full report.
• Then, share this information with your HR and benefits staff.
• Then, look for an opportunity to address loneliness and social isolation in your wellness program.
• Then, decide how else you can use this information to help employees and management staff understand the needs of employees and their family members.

In summary, this document contains a useful summary infographic and the full report of a major survey of U.S. employees focused on loneliness and social isolation. This area represents a newly emerging challenge for employee health and well-being initiatives.