One thing he noted was that loneliness wasn’t just a problem on its own, it was also a problem that made other problems worse. What surprised him was just how widespread this problem was. In community after community, I met lonely people who felt homeless even thought they had roof over their heads.

It is to share a sense of common ground, common interests, pursuits, and values with others who truly care about you. They missed the foundation of home that is genuine connection with other people. But the sense of being “at home” remained elusive. They worked in open-office settings and went to happy hours. Many had joined social organizations and moved to new neighborhoods. Many people described what they were feeling as a lack of belonging. This was true across all segments of our society: men and women, young and old, across all professions. He then spends some time introducing some of the people he met and some of the things they were facing, and how during the interview sessions the problem of loneliness came up often. He talks about some of his own personal struggles with loneliness at different times in his life. When people feel they belong to each other, their lives are stronger, richer, and more joyful. While loneliness engenders despair, and ever more isolation, togetherness raises optimism and creativity. In these instances and in many others, I could see the vital role that social connections can play when individuals, families, and communities face difficult problems. What surprised him was the prevalence of people who told him they were lonely. citizens what kinds of health problems they were facing. Monica Webb Hooper, NIMHD deputy director.This preface starts with Vivek Murthy describing how, when he was beginning his role as Surgeon General of the United States, he started on a “listening tour” to find out from citizens of the U.S. Rena D’Souza, director of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, followed by a conversation between the two panelists, moderated by Dr. The event will feature an introduction from Dr. Dave Chokshi, former New York City commissioner of health, recognizing his leadership in addressing public trust, mental health, misinformation and health disparities among Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities. Hosted by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) and the NIH chapter of the Federal Asian Pacific American Council, the event celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and honors Murthy, the 19th and 21st U.S. Murthy Distinguished Lecture Series on Public Health Leadership is set for Wednesday, May 17 at 1 p.m.

The third annual fireside chat in the Vivek H.

Together by Vivek H. Murthy