Being socially disconnected or perceiving the absence of companionship and support can have a large effect on health and mortality risk for adolescents. This presentation will explore factors that lead to social isolation and loneliness; will determine how both physical and emotional health can be influenced; and will discuss ways to improve social integration and support in order to improve outcomes and life satisfaction for adolescents.
In a culture where individual achievement is valued above the welfare of the group, isolation and loneliness will be prevalent. Human beings are troop primates by nature. When we are faced with prolonged loneliness, it goes against our primitive survival impulses to be a part of a group. Loneliness is both complex and multi-determined.
