IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v22y2025i3p363-d1603259.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

What Is Social Connection in the Context of Human Need: An Interdisciplinary Literature Review

Author

Listed:
  • Kyla L. Bauer

    (Department of Health Systems, Management and Policy, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA)

  • Rachel Johnson-Koenke

    (College of Nursing, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA)

  • Meredith P. Fort

    (Department of Health Systems, Management and Policy, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA)

Abstract

The U.S. Surgeon General made an impactful declaration in the 2023 advisory on America’s loneliness and social isolation epidemic that social connection, or human relationships, is a human need equivalent to water, food, and shelter. After witnessing the impact of social isolation measures during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a global urgency to better understand social connection in public health responses. However, meaningfully effective interventions for social isolation or loneliness have yet to be identified, and the consensus that social connection is an equivalent human need is unclear. To understand what social connection, oxygen, water, food, and shelter have in common regarding population health, we conducted an interdisciplinary literature review between September 2021 and October 2024, seeking to find commonalities between research literature advocating social connection as a human need critical to survival and key concepts across population health disciplines that explain how oxygen, water, food, and shelter function as human needs. We integrated the concepts of evolution, resource, environment, ecosystem, exposure science, embodiment, homeostasis, allostatic load theory, and interdisciplinary from 44 core publications to develop a unified conceptual model and definition for social connection as a human need. We believe a holistic understanding of social connection within the shared context of oxygen, water, food, and shelter can better support health researchers across a variety of disciplines to find common ground in developing evidence-based interventions within public health.

Suggested Citation

  • Kyla L. Bauer & Rachel Johnson-Koenke & Meredith P. Fort, 2025. "What Is Social Connection in the Context of Human Need: An Interdisciplinary Literature Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 22(3), pages 1-22, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:22:y:2025:i:3:p:363-:d:1603259
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/22/3/363/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/22/3/363/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Krieger, N., 2016. "Living and Dying at the Crossroads: Racism, Embodiment, and Why Theory Is Essential for a Public Health of Consequence," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 106(5), pages 832-833.
    2. Roger O’Sullivan & Annette Burns & Gerard Leavey & Iracema Leroi & Vanessa Burholt & James Lubben & Julianne Holt-Lunstad & Christina Victor & Brian Lawlor & Mireya Vilar-Compte & Carla M. Perissinott, 2021. "Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Loneliness and Social Isolation: A Multi-Country Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-18, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Youlai Zeng & Jiahui Zhang & Jiaxin Wei & Shunyu Li, 2022. "The Impact of Undergraduates’ Social Isolation on Smartphone Addiction: The Roles of Academic Anxiety and Social Media Use," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-16, November.
    2. Matylda Sierakowska & Halina Doroszkiewicz, 2022. "Psychosocial Determinants of Loneliness in the Era of the COVID-19 Pandemic—Cross-Sectional Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-15, September.
    3. Amy Hillier & Bing Han & Theodore S. Eisenman & Kelly R. Evenson & Thomas L. McKenzie & Deborah A. Cohen, 2016. "Using Systematic Observations to Understand Conditions that Promote Interracial Experiences in Neighbourhood Parks," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 1(4), pages 51-64.
    4. David Victorson & Gretchen Doninger & Scott Victorson & Gwen Victorson & Lars Hall & Carly Maletich & Bradley R. Corr & Kathy Scortino & Zachary Burns & Lori Allen & Ian Rosa & Kelley Quirk & Adekunle, 2021. "Psychosocial and Biological Outcomes of Immersive, Mindfulness-Based Treks in Nature for Groups of Young Adults and Caregivers Affected by Cancer: Results from a Single Arm Program Evaluation from 201," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(23), pages 1-16, November.
    5. Robert J Cramer & Sarah L Desmarais & Kiersten L Johnson & Tess M Gemberling & Matt R Nobles & Sarah R Holley & Susan Wright & Richard Van Dorn, 2017. "The intersection of interpersonal and self-directed violence among general adult, college student and sexually diverse samples," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 63(1), pages 78-85, February.
    6. Amy Hillier & Bing Han & Theodore S. Eisenman & Kelly R. Evenson & Thomas L. McKenzie & Deborah A. Cohen, 2016. "Using Systematic Observations to Understand Conditions that Promote Interracial Experiences in Neighbourhood Parks," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 1(4), pages 51-64.
    7. Borde, Elis & Hernández-Álvarez, Mario, 2022. "Fractured lives in fractured cities: Towards a critical understanding of urban violence in the context of market-driven urban restructuring processes in Bogotá and Rio de Janeiro," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 298(C).
    8. Andrew Wormald & Eimear McGlinchey & Maureen D’Eath & Iracema Leroi & Brian Lawlor & Philip McCallion & Mary McCarron & Roger O’Sullivan & Yaohua Chen, 2023. "Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Caregivers of People with an Intellectual Disability, in Comparison to Carers of Those with Other Disabilities and with Mental Health Issues: A Multicountry Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-14, February.
    9. Jacoby, Sara F. & Dong, Beidi & Beard, Jessica H. & Wiebe, Douglas J. & Morrison, Christopher N., 2018. "The enduring impact of historical and structural racism on urban violence in Philadelphia," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 199(C), pages 87-95.
    10. Bruno Arpino & Christine A. Mair & Nekehia T. Quashie & Radoslaw Antczak, 2022. "Loneliness before and during the COVID-19 pandemic—are unpartnered and childless older adults at higher risk?," European Journal of Ageing, Springer, vol. 19(4), pages 1327-1338, December.
    11. Yannis Yan Liang & Mingqing Zhou & Yu He & Weijie Zhang & Qiqi Wu & Tong Luo & Jun Zhang & Fujun Jia & Lu Qi & Sizhi Ai & Jihui Zhang, 2024. "Observational and genetic evidence disagree on the association between loneliness and risk of multiple diseases," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 8(11), pages 2209-2221, November.
    12. Angie Campbell & Victoria Chanse & Mirjam Schindler, 2024. "Developing a Conceptual Framework for Characterizing and Measuring Social Resilience in Blue-Green Infrastructure (BGI)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(9), pages 1-32, May.
    13. Aina Gabarrell-Pascuet & Helena García-Mieres & Iago Giné-Vázquez & Maria Victoria Moneta & Ai Koyanagi & Josep Maria Haro & Joan Domènech-Abella, 2023. "The Association of Social Support and Loneliness with Symptoms of Depression, Anxiety, and Posttraumatic Stress during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Meta-Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-25, February.
    14. Aleksandra M. Rogowska & Patrycja Libera, 2022. "Life Satisfaction and Instagram Addiction among University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Bidirectional Mediating Role of Loneliness," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(14), pages 1-20, July.
    15. Gianluca Ciuffreda & Sara Cabanillas-Barea & Andoni Carrasco-Uribarren & María Isabel Albarova-Corral & María Irache Argüello-Espinosa & Yolanda Marcén-Román, 2021. "Factors Associated with Depression and Anxiety in Adults ?60 Years Old during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-17, November.
    16. Houghton, Lauren C. & Troisi, Rebecca & Sommer, Marni & Katki, Hormuzd A. & Booth, Mark & Choudhury, Osul A. & Hampshire, Kate R., 2020. "“I'm not a freshi”: Culture shock, puberty and growing up as British-Bangladeshi girls," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 258(C).
    17. Niloufar Benam & William C. Miller & Gordon Tao & W. Ben Mortenson & Julia Schmidt, 2022. "Anxiety and Social Support Are Associated with Loneliness among Adults with Disabilities and Older Adults with No Self-Reported Disabilities 10 Months Post COVID-19 Restrictions," Disabilities, MDPI, vol. 3(1), pages 1-11, December.
    18. Jill J. Juris & Erin D. Bouldin & Katherine Uva & Christopher D. Cardwell & Anastacia Schulhoff & Nicole Hiegl, 2022. "Virtual Intergenerational Reverse-Mentoring Program Reduces Loneliness among Older Adults: Results from a Pilot Evaluation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(12), pages 1-11, June.
    19. Andrea Principi & Davide Lucantoni & Sabrina Quattrini & Mirko Di Rosa & Marco Socci, 2022. "Changes in Volunteering of Older Adults in the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Motivations," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-17, November.
    20. Lidia Mierzejewska & Kamila Sikorska-Podyma & Marta Szejnfeld & Magdalena Wdowicka & Bogusz Modrzewski & Ewa Lechowska, 2023. "The Role of Greenery in Stress Reduction among City Residents during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(10), pages 1-19, May.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:22:y:2025:i:3:p:363-:d:1603259. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.