San Mateo County 1st in US to Declare Loneliness a Health Emergency

County supervisors echoed concerns addressed in the Surgeon General’s 2023 advisory citing a 26 percent increased risk of early death due to loneliness.

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In a move to acknowledge the health effects of loneliness and isolation, San Mateo County in the San Francisco Bay Area is the first county in the nation to declare loneliness a health emergency.

The county’s Board of Supervisors passed a resolution on Tuesday, Jan. 30, declaring the crisis and pledged to explore policies promoting social connection throughout the county.