Global Lessons on Addressing Social Isolation and Loneliness

This episode features a conversation between Reginald Williams II, Vice President of International Health Policy and Practice Innovations at the Commonwealth Fund, and Matt Pantell, MD, MS, a pediatric hospitalist, assistant professor of pediatrics at UCSF, and SIREN researcher. This session is the third in a series focused on health care sector efforts to provide Assistance to patients to reduce their social risks. Reggie and Matt define social isolation and loneliness and explore different approaches used in the UK, Norway, and elsewhere to mitigate loneliness and social isolation.

Recommended references:

• Tung E, De Marchis E, Gottlieb L, Lindau S, Pantell M. Patient experiences with screening and assistance for social isolation in primary care settings. J Gen Intern Med. 2021 Feb 2;1-7.  
• National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults: Opportunities for the Health Care System. Washington, DC: National Academies Press; 2020.
• National Institute on Aging. Social Isolation and Loneliness Toolkit - An outreach toolkit to reduce social isolation and loneliness. Webpage.
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - National network of local crisis centers that provides emotional support to people in emotional distress or crisis. Telephone: 1-800-273-8255; Website: https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org 
• Friendship Line: Serves as both a crisis intervention hotline and a warmline for non-emergency emotional support calls for adults 60 years and older. Telephone: 1-800-971-0016; Web site: https://www.ioaging.org/services/all-inclusive-health-care/friendship-line 
• National Alliance on Mental Illness Helpline: Hotline that provides resources and support to people living with mental health conditions as well as their family and caregivers. Telephone: 1-800-950-NAMI (6264); Web site: https://nami.org/help