The following expert commentary can be used by journalists and media organizations in their own publications and news coverage. Please attribute all quotes to Jason Burnett, PhD.
The holiday season is almost here, bringing more gatherings with friends and family and reasons to celebrate. While the coming months represent a season of joy for many, it’s also a time to highlight the importance of social connection and how it impacts our health.
What is social connection, and why is it an important part of our well-being?
Social connection is about more than simply being around other people. It’s not just a numbers game. We often think about social isolation in terms of how many people someone interacts with or how often those interactions happen. But what matters just as much—if not more—is the quality of those connections and whether they meet our social and emotional needs.
Think about it: Do the people in our lives offer emotional comfort, listen when we need to talk, or give us someone to share the good and bad moments with? Or are those interactions mostly practical, like checking to make sure we’ve taken our medications, eaten a meal, or followed our doctor’s advice? The latter interactions are certainly important, but they don't always provide the sense of connection we need. When we think about helping people stay socially connected, we need to focus not just on how often they interact with others, but on whether those relationships bring meaning, comfort, and a genuine sense of belonging.
The reality is that we can be surrounded by people and still feel lonely. Simply having people in our lives doesn't necessarily mean we feel understood, valued, or emotionally connected to them. And when those deeper social needs go unmet, loneliness can take hold, even when we're rarely alone.
Why should we think of social connection as part of our health, rather than simply a social or emotional issue?
This distinction matters because growing evidence shows that both social isolation and loneliness can have serious consequences for our physical and mental health. Social isolation and loneliness are linked to increased stress responses, which over time increase risk of heart disease, cognitive and functional decline, metabolic diseases, stroke, and mortality. Mental health impacts include a higher risk of suicidal ideation.
For someone who feels disconnected or is struggling to find meaning or purpose, what are some realistic ways to begin building stronger connections?
Addressing social isolation and loneliness isn’t always easy or straightforward. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution. To truly help someone feel more connected, we need to understand why they feel isolated or lonely in the first place.
For some, the problem may be practical, like not having reliable transportation to visit friends, attend social gatherings, or participate in community activities. For others, the challenges may be more personal and complicated. Think about an older adult who lost contact with their children, is struggling with family conflict, or lost someone they were deeply connected to. Simply encouraging that person to get out more or meet new people may do little to address what is really missing in their life.
These situations are very different, and the ways we help need to reflect those differences. What works for someone facing transportation barriers may not work for someone struggling with the loss of a meaningful relationship. That’s why addressing loneliness and social isolation starts with listening, understanding what matters most to the person, and finding ways to help them build or restore the kinds of connections they need. Some evidence-based ways to reduce isolation and loneliness are volunteering in the community, attending community-center programs, mentoring others, and engaging in social calling programs as a caller or recipient.
How is UTHealth Houston addressing social connection?
At McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, we’ve created the Connections for Healthy Aging Collaborative, bringing together faculty and students from different health professions who share a common goal: helping people feel more socially connected. Our work focuses on adults ages 18 to 64 living with disabilities and adults 65 and older across Texas who may be experiencing social isolation or loneliness.
Through programs like Step-Up Connections Texas, the Harris County Social Reassurance Program, the Medical School BlueBook Course, and Precinct 2 Talk2gether, we connect future healthcare professionals with people who could benefit from meaningful social interaction. These programs go beyond simply making a phone call or checking in on someone. They create opportunities for genuine conversations, shared experiences, and relationships that help people feel connected, while also providing education and connections to helpful community resources.
Just as importantly, these experiences teach our students something that can't always be learned in a classroom: the importance of listening, showing empathy, and understanding the social and emotional needs of the people they will one day care for. Ultimately, our goal is simple but powerful. We want people who are feeling disconnected to know that they matter and to feel seen, heard, valued, and understood. In doing so, we hope to prepare a future healthcare workforce that recognizes social connection as an essential part of health and well-being.
Jason Burnett, PhD professor of geriatric and palliative medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, gerontologist, director of the Social Connection Program at UTHealth Houston, and lead of the Elder Mistreatment Core at the UTHealth Houston Institute on Aging. All quotes should be attributed to him.
