Loneliness has long been known to have negative physical and mental health consequences. Research shows isolation can increase a person’s risk of depression, anxiety, heart disease, diabetes and dementia, among other conditions.
A new report, which was funded by Rutland Regional Medical Center's Bowse Health Trust, indicates a lack of social connections can also negatively impact a community.
According to the report, the Rutland region has strong community assets including cultural events, collaborative initiatives and strong civic engagement with 72.9% voter participation.
Despite this, the report states 32% of residents report feeling socially isolated and 15.7% of adults aged 18 and older report experiencing 14 or more days of poor mental health each month.
The report stems from a three-year project that aimed to "raise awareness, deepen understanding, and facilitate intentional and meaningful social connection projects throughout Rutland County," according to Jeanette Langston, who co-authored it with research specialist Ella Kenney.
Langston is founder and executive director of the Social Tinkering Project, a nonprofit that would hold monthly “gather togethers” and other events to foster community and help people meet in what she described as safe, inclusive and low-cost ways.
Rutland County's aging, mostly rural population has fewer transportation and broadband options, which Langston said can make it harder for people to connect.
“I think a lot of people think when you talk about isolation, loneliness, it's immediately, people start talking about friends, whether they have friends or not … but it goes so much deeper than that,” explained Langston.
While social isolation doesn't always have negative impacts — and can in fact be used as a self-care tool — when it's tied to feelings of loneliness, it can cause harm.
The report points to studies that have shown social isolation and loneliness can increase risk of early death, "comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day."
Langston said people who feel like they don’t belong in their community may struggle to hold a job, feel less able to manage family responsibilities or turn to substance abuse. They might also move somewhere else.
“So these things impact our economy, because it impacts a person's ability to work and be successful and thrive in that work," Langston said. "Whether they can afford a house, whether they can afford their rent and keep paying for food for their family, that all trickles down.”
The report finds Rutland County reflects national data that shows older adults and people with disabilities, people of color and members of the LGBTQ+ community are at higher risk for isolation.
Langston herself tried to help solve the problem when she founded the Social Tinkering Project in 2021.
“From our experience, participants have described our social connection events as life-saving, both literally and figuratively,” the report notes.
But Langston said the nonprofit's mission was a challenging one and ultimately wasn't financially sustainable. The group announced it would end operations at the end of 2025.
Langston said she hopes the report will encourage Rutland's other community groups to do more to tackle loneliness.
"As a community we need to think about how is this showing up in our spaces? And why is it showing up in our spaces? Who isn't here, and why aren't they here? And how do we talk to them to find out why?" she said.
