According to research data, loneliness increases the risk of premature death by 26% to 50% and has health effects comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes daily, raising the likelihood of heart disease and stroke. 

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Some scary facts:

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Isolation and Marginalization of Women​, Ethnic Groups, Veterans, and LGBTQIA+ Communities 

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• Isolation and Marginalization of Women

  • 1 in 3 women globally experience physical or sexual violence in their lifetime, according to the WHO (2021). This often leads to isolation due to stigma or controlling behaviors by perpetrators.

  • Survivors of violence are 50% more likely to develop depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which contribute to social withdrawal.

  • Women globally earn 77 cents for every dollar earned by men (ILO, 2020).

  • Women are twice as likely as men to experience anxiety disorders (NIMH, 2021), partly due to societal expectations and caregiving roles.

• Isolation and Marginalization of Ethnic Groups​

  • Among marginalized communities, only 34% of African Americans and 27% of Hispanic Americas with mental illness receive treatment compared to 50% of White Americans (NAMI, 2023).

  • Language barriers lead to 32% of Hispanic Americans reporting difficulty accessing healthcare due to lack of culturally competent providers (KFF, 2022).​

  • Ethnic minorities in the U.S. have higher rates of chronic illnesses like diabetes and hypertension, partly due to lack of access to healthcare (CDC, 2023).

• Isolation and Marginalization of Veterans

  • ​65% of veterans with PTSD also meet criteria for substance use disorders (National Center for PTSD, 2022). Substance use can isolate veterans from their families and communities.

  • Veterans with PTSD are 3-5 times more likely to experience significant social isolation compared to their peers (National Center for PTSD, 2021).

  • Depression is prevalent in 25% of veterans, and those affected are more likely to withdraw from social activities (American Psychological Association, 2022).

  • Veterans are 1.5 times more likely to die by suicide than non-veterans (VA, 2023).

• Isolation and Marginalization of LGBTQIA+ communities

  • LGBTQIA+ individuals are 2.5 times more likely to experience depression and anxiety (American Psychiatric Association, 2022).

  • 40% of transgender adults report attempting suicide, compared to 4.6% of the general population (The Trevor Project, 2023).

  • Rejecting family behaviors increase the risk of depression and substance use by up to 600% for LGBTQIA+ youth (Family Acceptance Project, 2022).

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This data highlights the urgency to build community and connection as a means to improve overall health outcomes. 

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