Uploaded April 2020 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
BYU psychology professor Julianne Holt-Lunstad, who has conducted extensive research on how social connections and relationships impact health, talks about the need to watch out for each other and stay connected during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a recent study of 3.4 million adults (conducted before the COVID-19 crisis), Holt-Lunstad's research showed that loneliness and social isolation can have dramatic consequences for health (increasing the risk of premature mortality by 26%), but that perceptions of social support can increase the odds of survival by 35%.
"So we have this opportunity now to really make a difference, to show that we are in this together, that we can help each other out and to really find solidarity in this. Wouldn't it be wonderful if instead of feeling more isolated than ever, that we felt more connected than ever just by really connecting to each other to get through this together?" said Holt-Lunstad.
BYU psychology professor Julianne Holt-Lunstad, who has conducted extensive research on how social connections and relationships impact health, talks about the need to watch out for each other and stay connected during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a recent study of 3.4 million adults (conducted before the COVID-19 crisis), Holt-Lunstad's research showed that loneliness and social isolation can have dramatic consequences for health (increasing the risk of premature mortality by 26%), but that perceptions of social support can increase the odds of survival by 35%.
"So we have this opportunity now to really make a difference, to show that we are in this together, that we can help each other out and to really find solidarity in this. Wouldn't it be wonderful if instead of feeling more isolated than ever, that we felt more connected than ever just by really connecting to each other to get through this together?" said Holt-Lunstad.
