OPINION: Everyone is vulnerable to isolation and loneliness – and that reveals a fundamental human need
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Public health in Scotland at a local level is part of the NHS in health boards. In other countries the model is different.
In England, public health sits within local councils. Wales and Northern Ireland have public health agencies that work across the nation or province, as well as locally. In the Republic of Ireland there is no national health service, but public health still works at a local level.
Further afield in the USA, national public health has close links with the military. This goes back to the care of sick sailors and the control of tropical diseases like yellow fever. These days it may not be too significant. However, one implication of this is that the most senior health professional in the US is called the Surgeon General and will often appear in uniform.
The way public health is set up in different countries may vary, but the challenges we face and the opportunities for improving our health are often very similar. So, I would like to highlight what the US Surgeon General recently said about loneliness and isolation. He emphasised that loneliness is not simply a bad feeling, but it is something that increases anxiety and depression.
It has effects on our physical as well as mental health increasing our risks of heart disease, dementia and stroke by between a quarter and a half. Isolation can have big effects at the level of society too.
Meeting and interacting with a range of different people from varied backgrounds and with varied opinions will help solve problems and avoid the polarisation that can come from isolation.
Young people as well as older people are vulnerable to isolation and loneliness. We have seen this through Covid and how lockdown has affected the ability and confidence for young people to interact with others. The pandemic has highlighted the importance of connecting with each other, but it will continue to be a fundamental issue for all of us. Some people have suggested that connection with others is actually the most important of all human needs.
The Surgeon General made recommendations for how the US can tackle loneliness and isolation and we can consider those for policy within Scotland. We can also consider what we can do ourselves. This can be to get us more connected as well as helping others.
Individual actions may be small such as checking on a neighbour or phoning someone who has not been in contact for a while. There may be opportunities to get together over long summer days. These actions may be small by themselves but can add up to help us get more connected, happier and healthier communities.
Dr Tim Allison is NHS Highland’s director of public health and policy.
