TY - JOUR T1 - A New Pandemic of Loneliness JF - The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine JO - J Am Board Fam Med SP - 593 LP - 596 DO - 10.3122/jabfm.2022.03.210461 VL - 35 IS - 3 AU - Mary Lonergan-Cullum AU - Stephanie A. Hooker AU - Robert Levy AU - Jason Ricco Y1 - 2022/05/01 UR - http://www.jabfm.org/content/35/3/593.abstract N2 - Loneliness is the subjective feeling people experience when they feel less socially connected to others than they desire. Beyond the impact to mental health and well-being, loneliness is linked to detrimental health outcomes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing and isolation requirements likely exacerbated the prevalence of loneliness, which was reported by 1 in 5 American adults before the pandemic. Whether it be through in-person or virtual visits, primary care clinicians have tools and expertise to screen patients for loneliness, provide them supportive consultations, and refer persons with loneliness to helpful resources. As the societal changes from the pandemic continue to evolve, we recommend that primary care providers include loneliness screens as part of their standard workflow and consult with patients about effective interventions to reduce loneliness. ER -