GLOBAL HEALTH AGING

Even before the pandemic, loneliness was already considered an epidemic in the U.S.

Here’s our latest article about loneliness in Forbes!

The Covid-19 pandemic shone a harsh light on the inequities, ills, and frailties of our society, with loneliness being one of them. The last year and a half of social distancing and isolation left many people craving a hug from loved ones, coffee with co-workers, or a backyard project with neighbors. Even before the pandemic, loneliness was already considered an epidemic in the U.S. Three in five Americans report feeling lonely, compared to more than half in 2018. Among older adults, one in three is lonely. If society hopes to reduce our epidemic of loneliness, it will require taking a hard look at the role privilege and resilience play in our feelings of loneliness.

For example, those of us slowly emerging from social isolation know that the last year and a half required mental, physical, and emotional fortitude or resilience. According to the American Psychologists Association, resilience is defined as the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats, or significant sources of stress—such as family and relationship problems, serious health problems, or workplace and financial stressors. Resilience is the will and ability to try and try again.

However, the resilience needed to overcome the trauma recently experienced by our friends and neighbors cannot be taken for granted. For the less privileged who regularly grapple with poverty, discrimination, and other challenges, the expectation for resilience can seem like an added burden, leaving many to remain in isolation. Read more here!

What we’re learning about resilience

Join us for an upcoming talk!

Make sure to check out Black in Gerontology supporting and amplifying Black voices in the fields of Gerontology & Geriatrics. Black in X virtual conference is held from June 29-July 3. Register for FREE at blackinx.org/conference

In other news, we expanded our interview series!

Our latest interview is with Vanessa Muwanga, a Ph.D. student in clinical science and immunology at the South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative (SATVI). We are grateful for her answers, especially her goal toward having a balanced life! If you didn’t know, our Q&A interview series, Five Questions With, features personal conversations about longevity and healthy aging. The series helps empower longevity by exploring what it means to live and age well. If you are also interested in what aging researchers are doing in different nations, follow the hashtag #GHASeries. A big thank you to our guests for sharing their expertise, insights, and perspectives on living longer, healthier lives.

Recipes of HOPE

We are excited about this collaborative project with humanKINDER, an award-winning company that shines a light on untold stories of human resilience, ideas, and solutions for systems change. The project, Recipes of Hope, tells the story of one family’s 16K mile journey around Europe, cooking in The Welcome Tent, an ex-army catering tent repurposed for peace. Recipes of HOPE focuses on the lives of refugees, migrants, and asylum-seekers, and we’re proud to provide editorial support for the book. We can’t wait to share it with you!

If you’d like to work with us, please send us a message!

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