On May 16, the Naomi Ruth Cohen Institute for Mental Health Education at The Chicago School (NRCI) convened its 24th Annual Community Mental Health Conference at Evanston Township High School. This year’s theme was “Alone Together, Confronting Loneliness Across the Lifespan.”
The theme of the conference coalesced around ideas regarding loneliness. Discussions centered around defining loneliness, identifying its reach, determining the harmful effects, and seeking ways of addressing them. While loneliness can create profound health challenges, the reality that loneliness is defined by an individual’s relationship with others makes identifying and addressing the problem difficult. Additionally, the correlation between social isolation and loneliness is complicated, as it is possible to feel alone in a crowd and content in isolation.
The degree to which we, as a culture, depend on online communication is also a complicating factor. On one hand, the negative effects of technology upon human interaction have been widely decried. On the other, connectivity is a lifesaver for a broad range of people experiencing social isolation.
In opening remarks, NRCI founder Larry Cohen reflected on his daughter Naomi’s experience with mental illness and the ways loneliness can exist even in the presence of strong support systems. Although Naomi was surrounded by family, friends, and professional care, Cohen described what he called a form of “emotional isolation,” the feeling of being unable to fully express or share one’s inner struggles. His reflections underscored one of the conference’s central themes: that loneliness is not simply a matter of being alone, but can also arise from feeling unseen, misunderstood, or disconnected from others.
Echoing the conference’s focus on connection and belonging, Michele Nealon, Psy.D., president of The Chicago School, was unable to attend but recorded a video message for attendees. “We are living in a time of ultra connectivity, yet many are experiencing a profound sense of isolation,” Dr. Nealon said. “This paradox is defining our time. This is why NRCI’s work matters.”
Toward an Understanding of Loneliness
Alisha DeWalt, Ph.D., dean of the College of Graduate and Professional Studies at The Chicago School moderated a panel discussion in which three speakers examined the intersection between loneliness and mental health. The first was Nell Compernolle, Ph.D., senior research scientist at The Bridge at NORC at the University of Chicago. Dr. Compernolle uses survey data to map and understand the extent and impact of loneliness in American society. “At the most important level, loneliness is part of this wonderful, messy, complex continuum of social connection,” she said.
Dr. Compernolle identified the various components of social interactions. She explained that people vary in how much social interaction they need, how much they get, and how satisfied they feel. In this way, Dr. Compernolle explained, loneliness is subjective, reflecting the perceived discrepancy between one’s desired social relationships and the extent to which those desires are met. Dr. Compernolle went on to explain that surveys reveal a U-shaped trend line, with levels of loneliness diminishing in middle age, then spiking among the elderly.
Citing a theory advanced by a colleague at the University of Chicago, Dr. Compernolle suggested that the detrimental mental health effects of loneliness are evolutionary, explaining that humans evolved as social creatures. “We need others to survive and thrive,” she said.
Loneliness as a Health Epidemic
The second speaker was Sarah Bier, PMHNP-BC, who is a certified nurse midwife and a psychiatric nurse practitioner whose practice, Psychiatry Studio, provides services that integrate mental and physical approaches to wellness. Bier sees loneliness as a stress upon both our physical and emotional selves, one that is heavily influenced by shifting circumstances.
“From emotional lows to physical exhaustion, the expression is also very different,” Bier said. “The signs of loneliness are as diverse as our lived experiences.”
One of the stresses that is contributing to the loneliness epidemic is the fragmentation of multigenerational families, according to Bier. These have historically been sources of stability within communities.
“We think about families living close together, cousins being raised in the same streets,” Bier said. “Now, people may not know first cousins or may not have relationships with grandparents. These relationships may be a lot looser, and the effects can cascade.”
Bier added that individuals in any number of typically marginalized groups, such as the LGBTQ+ community, those of low socioeconomic status, and people with disabilities and mobility issues are all more affected by loneliness.
Often, Bier explained, loneliness manifests as chronic stress. It can increase blood pressure, cause inflammation, and put people more at risk for chronic illnesses. Physical symptoms may include changes in sleep, changes in appetite, malaise, stomach aches, headaches, and chronic pain.
Losing and Regaining Connection
Each year, NRCI includes on its panel a member of the community who has personal experience with the conference topic. Erin Arnheim, founder of Lense Advisory, first experienced loneliness in fourth grade when her family moved from her childhood home in Pittsburgh to a nearby suburb. Arnheim described feeling loneliness for the first time, describing her experience not as sadness or mental illness but simply the absence of felt belonging over time.
Arnheim went on to describe continuing to wrestle with experiencing loneliness through various life experiences and circumstances into middle age. “The loneliness wasn’t dramatic,” she said. “It was ambient. Days blended together without human texture.”
Sometimes feeling understood and sometimes feeling like a stranger among other people, Arnheim said the lesson she’s learned is, “Loneliness is not a failure of resilience; it’s a signal pointing towards connection. Joy is worth protecting, belonging is worth choosing, and sometimes the most radical act of self-care is deciding that your life must include real human connection.”
Breaking Down the Challenges
Attendees, including mental health professionals and community members, attended breakout sessions in which practitioners and educators further explored topics delving into aspects of loneliness. These sessions included “Alone at Work: Why Organizational Systems Must Confront Workplace Loneliness,” “Social Isolation and Loneliness Late in Life,” and “Recognizing Concerning Patterns: Isolation Within the Pathway to Violence.”
One attendee reflected on the experience, saying, “This conference reframed how I think about loneliness, not as a personal failing but as a public health issue that deserves attention. Hearing from researchers, clinicians, and people with lived experience made the scale of this issue impossible to ignore. I came in thinking about loneliness in narrow terms and left with a broader understanding of how it shows up across every stage of life.”
In his introduction to this year’s conference, NRCI founder Larry Cohen told the audience that next year’s conference will be the 25th. “We’re going to try to make it a special conference in which we review where we’ve come in the 25 years,” Cohen said, “and where we’re going in removing, or trying to eradicate, the stigma that’s attached to mental illness.”