AHS18

Our modern society makes it easier to connect with people than ever before. Between improved transportation and the wide variety of communication via phone, email, text and social media we have little to stand in our way of reaching out to people and maintaining relationships. And yet, ironically, we also face an “epidemic”, so to speak, of loneliness. Loneliness, social isolation, and rejection are associated with a multitude of physical as well as psychological consequences. We are social creatures, and this “broken tribe” has serious repercussions on not just our adolescent and elderly populations, but on our population as a whole. This presentation will explore the meaning and importance of social connection, contributions of a broken tribe to depressive disorders and ways we can address certain aspects of depression by finding our tribe.