doc 5
www.kentuckydoc.com | Fall 2021 | Kentucky
PHYSICIAN HEALTH AND WELLBEING
The Epidemic of Stress and Loneliness WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER Despite widespread electronic social media, many people feel isolated.
By John A. Patterson MD, MSPH, FAAFP US public health officials are alarmed by a growing mental health epidemic of stress, anxiety, depression, loneliness, substance abuse and suicide. Britain has created a Minister of Loneliness to tackle this ‘sad reality of modern life’ and its $3.5 billion annual drain on UK employers. Vivek Murthy MD is the 21st US Surgeon General. He was also the 19th Surgeon General under president Obama. He is focused on loneliness and stress as public health priorities, saying ‘loneliness is associated with a reduction in lifespan similar to that caused by smoking 15 cigarettes EPIDEMIC Continued on Page 7
