Emily Bell
May 20, 2025
Bream Health Inc.
Loneliness isn’t just a rough patch—it’s a biological stressor now deemed as harmful to longevity as smoking 15 cigarettes a day, according to the U.S. Surgeon General. Yet that risk is reversible: a 2024 BASIL+ trial found that eight weeks of caring, phone-based coaching cut older adults’ loneliness by 21 percent, while New York’s “StoryRx” storytelling circles report that more than 90 percent of participants feel supported and meet weekly with new friends. Together these findings reveal a hopeful reality: with small, structured doses of human connection, we can turn companionship into medicine—fast-acting, sustainable, and wonderfully side-effect-free.
Before: 400+ adults 65 + with multiple chronic conditions reported high “emotional loneliness” after months of COVID-19 shielding.
Intervention: Eight weekly phone calls from trained lay counselors used behavioral activation—setting tiny, meaningful activities and checking progress.
After 12 weeks: Loneliness scores fell 21%—and the improvement held three months later, well past the final call. Depression scores dropped, too, prompting researchers to call social connection “as powerful as medication” for some participants.
Loneliness is as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day—so a 21 % cut matters.
Why it worked: frequent touchpoints, purpose-oriented “homework,” and the comfort of voice-to-voice conversation—all doable from home.
Before: Doctors referred 108 older New Yorkers who felt isolated to a free weekly storytelling circle—online or in person.
Intervention: Small-group sessions where members share life memories, guided by prompts and a trained facilitator.
After 6 months:
Why it worked: storytelling sparks dopamine and oxytocin; shared laughter creates psychological safety; and “social prescribing” connects health care with community assets.
Regular, scheduled contact (weekly calls or circles): Builds habit loops that stick.
Structured purpose (goal-setting or story prompts): Shifts focus from “I need friends” to “I have something to share.”
Warm facilitation: Creates safety for vulnerability, the fast track to real bonds.
Which micro-step speaks to you this week—scheduling a five-minute “check-in call,” swapping life stories with a neighbor, or setting a shared goal with a walking buddy? Jot down one action and put it on your calendar today.
Ready for guided challenges and friendly faces 24/7? Join the Bream Community and turn science-backed connection into your favorite form of self-care.