Weekend Reading: Some News, Someone To Talk To, Something To Talk About, Something Good

Weekend Reading: Some News, Someone To Talk To, Something To Talk About, Something Good

Weekend Reading: Some News, Someone To Talk To, Something To Talk About, Something Good 2402 1601 AEPC Health

Three years ago, on January 20, 2020, the first U.S. case of COVID-19 was diagnosed in in Snohomish County, WA. As the virus began its initial spread across that country, the preexisting conditions of the U.S.healthcare system became clear for all to see – the risks of linking healthcare insurance to employment, years of underinvestment in public health and deep-rooted health care disparities. In addition,loneliness, which impacts both mental and physical, became part of the public discourse.

Loneliness was identified as a public health problem years before the pandemic. In 2017, the current United States Surgeon General, Vivek Murthy, said the country was experiencing an “epidemic of loneliness.” A 2019 study commissioned by Cigna, found that 61% of adults reported experiencing loneliness. The results from their December 2021 survey were consistent, with 58% of adults considered lonely.

Loneliness is not merely missing out on some of the joy of life. Loneliness is associated with increased risk of health conditions such as dementia, heart disease, stroke, and premature death. A frequently referenced study by professor by Julianne Holt-Lunstad of Brigham Young University compared the risk effects of loneliness, isolation, and weak social networks to smoking 15 cigarettes a day. Loneliness is estimated to costs U.S. businesses more than $154 billion annually in lost productivity. Check out Someone to Talk To for more information on loneliness!

This Weekend Reading series begins with Some News, with some of the stories making the healthcare headlines. Next check out Someone to Talk To with articles on the impact of loneliness and strategies to address the problem. In Something to Talk About explore articles on creating a caregiving plan, nutritional myths, and more! Finally, do not miss Something Good and my person favorite – Farmer dies; town learns he secretly paid strangers’ pharmacy bills!

I hope you enjoy the following:

1. Some News

2. Someone to Talk To

3. Something to Talk About

4. Something Good

Enjoy your weekend!

Best,
Suzanne
Suzanne Daniels, Ph.D.
AEPC President
P.O. Box 1416
Birmingham, MI 48012
Office: (248) 792-2187
Email: [email protected]

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