Frontiers in Health & Happiness Podcast Series
Welcome to the Frontiers in Health & Happiness Podcast, your passport to the forefront of positive health and happiness research! From unraveling the complexities of the loneliness epidemic to highlighting innovative new mental health interventions, each episode is a journey into the heart of happiness science.
Hosted by Center Communications Coordinator Ayla Fudala (pictured right), our podcast features enlightening conversations with experts at the forefront of health promotion and social change. The first six episodes of the podcast will explore the interconnections between loneliness and well-being, and will feature a diverse array of experts.
Loneliness and Well-being
Even prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, roughly half of American adults reported experiencing loneliness, according to U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. This is a serious public health issue because loneliness is a major risk factor for mental health conditions, such as depression, addiction, and suicidality, as well as for physical illness. Negative physical health effects include increased risk for heart attack, stroke, type 2 diabetes, dementia, and Alzheimer’s. Studies show that loneliness is associated with a staggering 26% increase in the risk of premature death. “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community” posits that the mortality impact of lacking social connection is akin to that of smoking up to 15 cigarettes per day, surpassing even the risks associated with obesity and physical inactivity.
The Center chose to address this critical issue by inviting loneliness experts from across the country to visit us at the Harvard Chan School and asking them to share their insights and perspectives. The scholars featured in our Loneliness and Well-being podcast series are engaged in cutting-edge research into the problem of loneliness, as well as into possible solutions– methods for promoting social connection and bringing people together.
Throughout the six-episode Loneliness and Well-being Series, new episodes will be released every two weeks. Subscribe to Frontiers in Health & Happiness on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or Pandora; or catch new episodes on our YouTube channel.
Listen to the Podcast Trailer Featuring Director Viswanath
Get a sneak peek into the new podcast! In this podcast trailer, Center Director Dr. K. “Vish” Viswanath shares the Center’s mission and how this podcast aims to bring cutting-edge research directly to you.
Episode One: Finding Connection Through Creativity with Dr. Jeremy Nobel
The first episode in our Loneliness and Well-being theme featured world-renowned scholar Jeremy Nobel, MD, MPH. Dr. Nobel is a primary-care physician, public health practitioner, and award-winning poet with faculty appointments at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Harvard Medical School. He is the founder and president of The Foundation for Art & Healing, whose signature initiative, Project UnLonely, addressing the personal and public health challenges of loneliness and social isolation, has gained national visibility. In this episode, Dr. Nobel discusses his recently published book, Project UnLonely: Healing our Crisis of Disconnection, which serves as a guide to using the arts to address loneliness on both individual and societal levels.
Episode Two: Loneliness and the Need for Belonging and Trust with Dr. Louise Hawkley
The second episode in the Loneliness and Well-being Series features loneliness expert Dr. Louise Hawkley, a Principal Research Scientist at the National Opinion Research Center. In this episode, Dr. Hawkley discusses the profound impacts of loneliness on mental, physical, and social health, particularly among older adults; and offers actionable strategies to foster meaningful social connections in our communities.
Episode Three: Loneliness and Health Equity with Dr. Koichiro Shiba
The third episode of Frontiers in Health & Happiness features Dr. Koichiro Shiba, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at Boston University. Tune into learn about the significant effects of social isolation on mental, physical, and cognitive health, particularly among marginalized communities; and how promoting social connectedness can also promote health equity.
Episode Four: Loneliness and Social Media with Dr. Jeffrey Hall
Is there a connection between social media use and loneliness? In the fourth episode of Frontiers in Health & Happiness, which will be released on Tuesday, November 26th, we will explore this question with Dr. Jeffrey Hall, a Professor of Communication Studies at the University of Kansas, and former Visiting Scholar at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at the Harvard Law School.
Episode Five: Social Connection and Equity with Dr. Ichiro Kawachi
In the fifth episode of Frontiers in Health & Happiness, we speak with Dr. Ichiro Kawachi, John L. Loeb and Frances Lehman Loeb Professor of Social Epidemiology here at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, where he has taught for more than 30 years. Dr. Kawachi discusses the correlation between loneliness and socioeconomic status and race, his involvement with the World Health Organization’s new Commission on Social Connectedness, and his advice for finding happiness.
Episode Six: From Loneliness to Social Connection with Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad
In the final episode of our Loneliness and Well-being Series, we speak with Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience and Director of the Social Connection & Health Lab at Brigham Young University. She is also the founding scientific chair and board member for the US Foundation for Social Connection and the Global Initiative on Loneliness and Connection. Dr. Holt-Lunstad shares her work with the US Surgeon General and the WHO in uniting efforts to combat loneliness, emphasizing the importance of social connections for well-being and resilience, especially in crises. She calls for collective action to enhance social connectivity and improve societal health.