Exploring the Third Dimension to Our Well-Being: “Social Health”

Episode description:  

Everywhere we look these days we’re bombarded by talk: social media, TV news and opinion shows, podcasts, blogs, emails, texts. And yet, we’re living in an age where social isolation and loneliness are on the rise, leading many to call this an epidemic. More than one-third of Americans over the age of 45 report feeling lonely, with prevalence especially high among those under 25 and over 65 years old. While this alarming trend has grown, so has the understanding and evidence of its impact: Social connection significantly affects the health of all of us. In today’s episode, Kasley Killam, a leading expert in social isolation and loneliness, talks about the need to go beyond our traditional thinking that physical and mental health are all that matter. There’s a third dimension to well-being, Kasley points out, that is related to social health—the dimension to well-being that comes from our relationships, our connection and community. Kasley, the Founder of Social Health Labs, will explain how over a decade of studying, sharing and applying the science of human connection has led her to elevate the idea of social health to help individuals, organizations and communities become more socially healthy.  She’ll describe the evolution of many key components of social health, such as the role of  healthy community design in significantly addressing major societal problems, including health disparities and climate change. Kasley will describe an array of compelling programs and initiatives, such Connect+Conversations, an event series created by Social Health Labs and the Foundation for Social Connection that convened 26 experts and over 2,500 community members from 55 countries to discuss how to reduce and prevent loneliness. And not only will Kasley explain why all this matters, she’ll offer steps each of us can take to strengthen our social health in our day-to-day life.

Guest description:

Kasley Killam, MPH, is a leading expert in social health. Drawing from over a decade of studying, sharing, and applying the science of human connection, Kasley elevates the idea of social health as a writer and speaker and helps individuals, communities, and organizations become more socially healthy as an advisor and founder. Kasley leads the nonprofit Social Health Labs, whose programs have connected and inspired thousands of people across the US and globe since launching in 2020. A social scientist by training, Kasley earned her master’s at the Harvard School of Public Health with a focus on solutions for widespread loneliness. In the past, she oversaw a national community engagement strategy and partnerships for Verily (Google Life Sciences), conducted research on mental health at Queen’s University and positive psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, and developed a campaign to promote empathy and kindness that won an award at Stanford University. Kasley serves on the Board of Directors for the nonprofit Community Living Campaign, on the Advisory Board for the startup SecureSeniorConnections, and as Chair of the Public Awareness Committee for the Massachusetts Taskforce to End Loneliness & Build Community. Her expertise is regularly featured in outlets like Scientific American, New York Times, Health Affairs, Washington Post, and Boston Globe and she pens the Social Health Blog for Psychology Today. Kasley frequently gives talks for companies, conferences, and podcasts. For her dedication and impact, Kasley has been recognized as a World Economic Forum Global Shaper, Encore Public Voices Fellow, Columbia University Age Boom Fellow, and Mind & Life Institute Visiting Scholar, and she was invited to the White House during the Obama presidency. Learn more and join her monthly newsletter at kasleykillam.com.

Contact: kasley@socialhealthlabs.com

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kasleykillam/

            Twitter: @KasleyKillam

             Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kasleykillam/

Website: https://www.kasleykillam.com/

               https://www.socialhealthlabs.com/

Here is a sampling of Kasley Killam’s thought-provoking articles: https://www.kasleykillam.com/articles