March 29, 2022
In the Media
AgeLab Director Joseph F. Coughlin writes in Forbes:
Where we live, and the nearby neighborhood places that offer opportunities to connect with others, are critical to our wellbeing across the lifespan. When planning where to live we typically think about our idea of home, affordability, proximity to work, schools, access to stores, healthcare, etc. How many of us, young adult or retiree, inventory the places where we might ‘hang out’ and connect with others we have yet to meet?
With searing clarity, the pandemic has shown what isolation can do to our happiness and wellbeing at any age. Mental health problems, such as anxiety, sadness, and depression, were on the rise long before the pandemic, but accelerated in its wake. Research by Julianne Holt-Lunstad and others has shown that social isolation and loneliness might have the physical health impact of smoking 15 cigarettes a day.