Loneliness is more than a personal experience, it is a public concern with profound implications for the health and vitality of our communities. Capita has been exploring the impacts of loneliness and social disconnection on youth and families in North Carolina since 2021. Our research revealed a troubling reality. There are limited opportunities for social interaction and deep connection. Young people are lonely, are under immense pressure to perform academically and socially, and feel disconnected from sources of meaning and purpose. Roughly 1 in 3 parents also report feeling lonely, often due to exhaustion and poor work-life balance, limited access to supportive resources, and a lack of community.
Last week, Capita and NC Child hosted a roundtable discussion to explore how to address the loneliness epidemic. Child and family policy experts, community and business leaders, health professionals, and philanthropic leaders came together to discuss their perspectives on loneliness and identify the biggest obstacles to fostering connection. They also discussed how education and housing systems may be reinforcing disconnection and shared promising interventions, policy ideas, and the directions where they see the most momentum.
In the coming weeks, we will share key takeaways from this conversation. In the meantime, Capita and NC Child have developed a memo to leaders and stakeholders across North Carolina with potential solutions to build more connected and supported families and communities across the state. These include both recommendations for broad, society-wide shifts and localized reforms, particularly in schools. This must be an ongoing conversation. We invite others to join us in addressing this epidemic with care, collaboration, and urgency.
