US county becomes first in country to declare loneliness a public health emergency

Loneliness is officially a health emergency in the US state of California's San Mateo County, which is located in the San Francisco Bay Area and includes part of Silicon Valley, NBC News reported.

The county's Board of Supervisors passed a resolution that declared loneliness a public health crisis, and it pledged to explore measures that promote social connection in the community.

It’s the first county in the US to make such a declaration.

The resolution doesn’t directly set aside funds for programs to reduce loneliness; rather, it signals the county's commitment to addressing the issue and validates residents' experiences, said David Canepa, the Board of Supervisors’ vice president, who introduced the legislation.

Canepa added that the measure was partly inspired by efforts in the UK. and Japan, which have each appointed national ministers to address loneliness. He was also influenced by conversations with his staff about the links between loneliness and smoking and diabetes, as well as an advisory from Surgeon General Vivek Murthy in May that urged governments to prioritize strategies to promote social connection.

Around 17% of U.S. adults in a Gallup poll in February 2023 said they had experienced loneliness the day prior. Canepa said the rate in San Mateo is higher, pointing to a county-led survey in 2022—the latest data available—which found that 45% of residents were struggling with loneliness and isolation.

An abundance of research has outlined serious health consequences associated with loneliness, including an increased risk of dementia, depression, anxiety, heart disease, and stroke.

Canepa said San Mateo has a large share of older residents, many of whom became especially isolated during the pandemic. People ages 65 and up make up more than 18% of the county's population, compared with the state average of 16%.