The Role of Primary Care in the Social Isolation and Loneliness Epidemic

Article Figures & Data

Table 1.

Opportunities for Primary Care Clinicians to Address Social Isolation and Loneliness

US Surgeon General Health Care Sector Recommendations (Pillar 3)	Opportunities for Primary Care
Train health care providers	Provide and encourage opportunities for the current primary care workforce to learn about importance of SIL and practical ways to assess and address SIL in patients
	Educate trainees in residency programs and medical schools on SIL
Assess and support patients	Screen patients for loneliness (eg, using 3-item UCLA Loneliness Screener¹³) and social isolation (eg, using Berkman-Syme Social Network Index¹⁴)
	Incorporate questions and information about SIL in chronic disease management care plans
	Implement psychological interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy to address loneliness
	Implement social interventions such as referrals to community-based organizations and other social activities to improve connections
Expand public health surveillance and interventions	Leverage system-wide capacity to identify SIL and promote partnerships to address SIL
	Foster partnerships and cross-sector collaborations to address SIL between primary care, public health, and community organizations
	Develop infrastructure to support partnerships and collaborations