Prioritising Social Connection as a Cornerstone of Public Health

We really enjoyed this paper (linked below) which argues there should be a greater prioritisation of social connection within public health.

Despite the existence of numerous widely acknowledged social determinants of health, the role of social interconnectedness (such as social capital, social support, social isolation, and loneliness) is often overlooked.

The author presents a Systemic Framework of Cross-Sector Integration and Action Across the Life Span (SOCIAL) which aims to facilitate and accelerate progress within public health. By integrating the concept of social connection across various sectors, the framework unveils a roadmap that could potentially reshape the health of populations on a grand scale.

By embracing the principles of the SOCIAL framework, the potential for transformative change in the field of public health comes into sharp focus—a change underpinned by the inherent power of human connections to not only extend life but to enrich its essence.

Holt-Lunstad, J. (2022). Social connection as a public health issue: The evidence and a systemic framework for prioritizing the “social” in social determinants of health. Annual Review of Public Health, 43, 193-213