#socialconnection — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #socialconnection, aggregated by home.social.
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DATE: September 6, 2026 at 08:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Rising loneliness among US veterans is closely tied to psychiatric burden and suicide risk
New research indicates that loneliness is a widespread and worsening issue among United States military veterans, with more than one in five reporting frequent feelings of isolation. The study, published in J Clin Psychiatry, provides evidence that higher levels of loneliness are strongly linked to increased risks of psychiatric disorders and suicidal thoughts. These findings suggest that addressing social disconnection could be an important target for improving veteran mental health and preventing suicide.
The research was led by Robert H. Pietrzak, a professor of psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine and professor of public health at the Yale School of Public Health. He and his team aimed to update our understanding of how social disconnection affects former military personnel. Loneliness is generally defined as the subjective feeling of being left out, isolated, or lacking in companionship. It is not just about being physically alone, but rather experiencing a painful gap between the social connections a person wants and the ones they actually have.
“Loneliness was already highly prevalent among U.S. veterans in 2019–2020, but the demographic composition of the veteran population and broader social environment have changed since then, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic,” Pietrzak told PsyPost. “We wanted to provide updated national estimates of the prevalence of loneliness and determine whether it is independently associated with psychiatric disorders and suicide-related outcomes after accounting for a broad range of sociodemographic, military, trauma, health, and social factors.”
Data from 2019 and 2020 showed that more than half of U.S. veterans experienced at least moderate loneliness, with nearly one in five feeling lonely on a frequent basis. Since then, the social landscape has shifted considerably. The researchers noted that the veteran population has been changing, with an increasing proportion of younger, female, and racially diverse individuals transitioning out of the military. This demographic shift is an important detail, as a study covered by PsyPost in 2015 found that younger generations of military personnel tend to experience lower levels of social integration, making them more vulnerable to mental health struggles and suicide.
In addition to these demographic changes, the lingering social effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and broader societal stressors may have worsened feelings of isolation. Because loneliness often co-occurs with serious mental health conditions, the researchers wanted to explore exactly how current levels of loneliness correspond to specific psychiatric burdens. For instance, research covered by PsyPost in 2018 highlighted that veterans battling both post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, and depression face an exceptionally high risk of suicidal thoughts. Pietrzak and his team sought to determine if loneliness was acting as a similar, widespread risk factor that spans multiple psychiatric conditions.
To investigate these trends, the researchers analyzed data from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study. This nationally representative survey gathered responses from 2,612 U.S. veterans between December 2025 and January 2026. The participants were drawn from a large, probability-based panel designed to reflect the broader U.S. household population. By weighting the data, the researchers ensured their findings could be generalized to the entire population of living U.S. veterans.
The survey measured loneliness using a standard three-item questionnaire. Participants were asked how often they felt left out, how often they felt isolated from others, and how often they felt they lacked companionship. Based on their responses, the veterans were placed into one of three categories: hardly ever lonely, moderate loneliness, or frequent loneliness. The researchers also collected data on a variety of mental health indicators, including symptoms of major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, PTSD, alcohol and drug use disorders, and various measures of suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
The results indicated that loneliness is highly prevalent among veterans. Overall, 58.7% of the respondents reported experiencing at least moderate loneliness. When broken down further, 36.3% fell into the moderate loneliness category, while 22.4% reported frequent loneliness. When compared to the estimates from 2019 and 2020, the prevalence of moderate loneliness remained relatively stable. However, the rate of frequent loneliness increased from 19.7% to 22.4%. The researchers estimate that this percentage increase translates to roughly 460,000 additional veterans experiencing frequent loneliness across the country.
“Loneliness is not simply an unpleasant feeling—it is a major public health concern,” Pietrzak explained. “Prior work has found that chronic loneliness is associated with an increased risk of premature mortality comparable to the risk associated with smoking as many as 15 cigarettes per day.”
The study also provides evidence of a strong relationship between the severity of loneliness and mental health struggles. Veterans in the moderate loneliness group had notably higher odds of meeting the screening criteria for depression, anxiety, PTSD, hazardous alcohol use, and suicidal thoughts over the past year, compared to those who were hardly ever lonely.
For veterans experiencing frequent loneliness, the psychiatric burden was even heavier. Compared to the hardly ever lonely group, frequently lonely veterans were much more likely to screen positive for six of the eight mental health measures assessed, excluding only drug use disorders and lifetime suicide attempts. The differences were stark when looking at suicidal ideation. Only 3.8% of veterans who were hardly ever lonely reported having suicidal thoughts in the past year. That figure jumped to 14.8% for moderately lonely veterans, and soared to 32.3% for those experiencing frequent loneliness.
When the researchers compared the frequently lonely group directly to the moderately lonely group, the risks were still elevated. Frequently lonely veterans showed much higher odds of facing almost all the measured mental health challenges, with particularly high associations for depression and future suicidal intent. These associations held up even after the researchers accounted for other potential influencing factors, such as age, sex, income, combat experience, physical health conditions, and history of childhood trauma.
“The magnitude of the associations among frequently lonely veterans was particularly striking,” Pietrzak noted. “Even after extensive adjustment for sociodemographic, military, trauma, health, and social factors, frequently lonely veterans had 32 times the odds of screening positive for depression compared with veterans who were hardly ever lonely; they also had substantially greater odds of having attempted suicide relative to less lonely veterans.”
As with all research, there are some caveats to consider. The study relied on self-reported survey data, which means the results depend on the participants’ willingness and ability to accurately describe their feelings and symptoms. Additionally, the researchers used a cross-sectional design, capturing a snapshot of the veterans’ experiences at a single point in time. Because of this, the study cannot determine the direction of the relationship between loneliness and mental health.
“Because the study was cross-sectional, it cannot establish that loneliness causes psychiatric disorders or suicidality; these associations are likely bidirectional and mutually reinforcing,” Pietrzak explained. “The findings also should not be interpreted to mean that every lonely veteran has a mental disorder or is suicidal, but rather that loneliness may be an important marker of elevated vulnerability that warrants further assessment and support.”
There is also a possibility that by statistically adjusting for certain psychiatric conditions, the researchers might have understated the direct relationship between loneliness and suicide-related outcomes. Despite these limitations, the findings indicate that loneliness is a growing issue that requires ongoing attention from mental health professionals.
“An important next step is to use longitudinal data to clarify how loneliness and mental health measures influence one another over time and to identify veterans at greatest risk for persistent or worsening loneliness,” Pietrzak told PsyPost.
The researchers suggest that loneliness represents a key target for future prevention and treatment efforts. Because social isolation is something that can be modified, initiatives like peer support programs, community engagement activities, and social prescribing, where healthcare providers connect patients with community groups and social activities, could play a major role in improving veteran well-being. By focusing on helping veterans build stronger social connections, health systems might be able to reduce the broader psychiatric burden and lower the risk of suicide.
“Loneliness is modifiable, which makes these findings concerning but also actionable,” Pietrzak said. “Routine assessment of loneliness, followed by efforts to connect veterans with appropriate clinical, peer, and community resources, may provide an additional avenue for improving mental health and strengthening suicide-prevention efforts.”
The study, “A Growing Epidemic of Loneliness Among US Military Veterans: National Trends, Psychiatric Burden, and Suicide Risk,” was authored by Robert H. Pietrzak, Ian C. Fischer, and Peter J. Na.
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #LonelinessAmongUSVeterans #VeteranMentalHealth #SuicidePrevention #PTSD #Depression #Anxiety #SocialConnection #MentalHealthAwareness #VeteransSupport #PublicHealthImpact
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DATE: September 6, 2026 at 08:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Rising loneliness among US veterans is closely tied to psychiatric burden and suicide risk
New research indicates that loneliness is a widespread and worsening issue among United States military veterans, with more than one in five reporting frequent feelings of isolation. The study, published in J Clin Psychiatry, provides evidence that higher levels of loneliness are strongly linked to increased risks of psychiatric disorders and suicidal thoughts. These findings suggest that addressing social disconnection could be an important target for improving veteran mental health and preventing suicide.
The research was led by Robert H. Pietrzak, a professor of psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine and professor of public health at the Yale School of Public Health. He and his team aimed to update our understanding of how social disconnection affects former military personnel. Loneliness is generally defined as the subjective feeling of being left out, isolated, or lacking in companionship. It is not just about being physically alone, but rather experiencing a painful gap between the social connections a person wants and the ones they actually have.
“Loneliness was already highly prevalent among U.S. veterans in 2019–2020, but the demographic composition of the veteran population and broader social environment have changed since then, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic,” Pietrzak told PsyPost. “We wanted to provide updated national estimates of the prevalence of loneliness and determine whether it is independently associated with psychiatric disorders and suicide-related outcomes after accounting for a broad range of sociodemographic, military, trauma, health, and social factors.”
Data from 2019 and 2020 showed that more than half of U.S. veterans experienced at least moderate loneliness, with nearly one in five feeling lonely on a frequent basis. Since then, the social landscape has shifted considerably. The researchers noted that the veteran population has been changing, with an increasing proportion of younger, female, and racially diverse individuals transitioning out of the military. This demographic shift is an important detail, as a study covered by PsyPost in 2015 found that younger generations of military personnel tend to experience lower levels of social integration, making them more vulnerable to mental health struggles and suicide.
In addition to these demographic changes, the lingering social effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and broader societal stressors may have worsened feelings of isolation. Because loneliness often co-occurs with serious mental health conditions, the researchers wanted to explore exactly how current levels of loneliness correspond to specific psychiatric burdens. For instance, research covered by PsyPost in 2018 highlighted that veterans battling both post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, and depression face an exceptionally high risk of suicidal thoughts. Pietrzak and his team sought to determine if loneliness was acting as a similar, widespread risk factor that spans multiple psychiatric conditions.
To investigate these trends, the researchers analyzed data from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study. This nationally representative survey gathered responses from 2,612 U.S. veterans between December 2025 and January 2026. The participants were drawn from a large, probability-based panel designed to reflect the broader U.S. household population. By weighting the data, the researchers ensured their findings could be generalized to the entire population of living U.S. veterans.
The survey measured loneliness using a standard three-item questionnaire. Participants were asked how often they felt left out, how often they felt isolated from others, and how often they felt they lacked companionship. Based on their responses, the veterans were placed into one of three categories: hardly ever lonely, moderate loneliness, or frequent loneliness. The researchers also collected data on a variety of mental health indicators, including symptoms of major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, PTSD, alcohol and drug use disorders, and various measures of suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
The results indicated that loneliness is highly prevalent among veterans. Overall, 58.7% of the respondents reported experiencing at least moderate loneliness. When broken down further, 36.3% fell into the moderate loneliness category, while 22.4% reported frequent loneliness. When compared to the estimates from 2019 and 2020, the prevalence of moderate loneliness remained relatively stable. However, the rate of frequent loneliness increased from 19.7% to 22.4%. The researchers estimate that this percentage increase translates to roughly 460,000 additional veterans experiencing frequent loneliness across the country.
“Loneliness is not simply an unpleasant feeling—it is a major public health concern,” Pietrzak explained. “Prior work has found that chronic loneliness is associated with an increased risk of premature mortality comparable to the risk associated with smoking as many as 15 cigarettes per day.”
The study also provides evidence of a strong relationship between the severity of loneliness and mental health struggles. Veterans in the moderate loneliness group had notably higher odds of meeting the screening criteria for depression, anxiety, PTSD, hazardous alcohol use, and suicidal thoughts over the past year, compared to those who were hardly ever lonely.
For veterans experiencing frequent loneliness, the psychiatric burden was even heavier. Compared to the hardly ever lonely group, frequently lonely veterans were much more likely to screen positive for six of the eight mental health measures assessed, excluding only drug use disorders and lifetime suicide attempts. The differences were stark when looking at suicidal ideation. Only 3.8% of veterans who were hardly ever lonely reported having suicidal thoughts in the past year. That figure jumped to 14.8% for moderately lonely veterans, and soared to 32.3% for those experiencing frequent loneliness.
When the researchers compared the frequently lonely group directly to the moderately lonely group, the risks were still elevated. Frequently lonely veterans showed much higher odds of facing almost all the measured mental health challenges, with particularly high associations for depression and future suicidal intent. These associations held up even after the researchers accounted for other potential influencing factors, such as age, sex, income, combat experience, physical health conditions, and history of childhood trauma.
“The magnitude of the associations among frequently lonely veterans was particularly striking,” Pietrzak noted. “Even after extensive adjustment for sociodemographic, military, trauma, health, and social factors, frequently lonely veterans had 32 times the odds of screening positive for depression compared with veterans who were hardly ever lonely; they also had substantially greater odds of having attempted suicide relative to less lonely veterans.”
As with all research, there are some caveats to consider. The study relied on self-reported survey data, which means the results depend on the participants’ willingness and ability to accurately describe their feelings and symptoms. Additionally, the researchers used a cross-sectional design, capturing a snapshot of the veterans’ experiences at a single point in time. Because of this, the study cannot determine the direction of the relationship between loneliness and mental health.
“Because the study was cross-sectional, it cannot establish that loneliness causes psychiatric disorders or suicidality; these associations are likely bidirectional and mutually reinforcing,” Pietrzak explained. “The findings also should not be interpreted to mean that every lonely veteran has a mental disorder or is suicidal, but rather that loneliness may be an important marker of elevated vulnerability that warrants further assessment and support.”
There is also a possibility that by statistically adjusting for certain psychiatric conditions, the researchers might have understated the direct relationship between loneliness and suicide-related outcomes. Despite these limitations, the findings indicate that loneliness is a growing issue that requires ongoing attention from mental health professionals.
“An important next step is to use longitudinal data to clarify how loneliness and mental health measures influence one another over time and to identify veterans at greatest risk for persistent or worsening loneliness,” Pietrzak told PsyPost.
The researchers suggest that loneliness represents a key target for future prevention and treatment efforts. Because social isolation is something that can be modified, initiatives like peer support programs, community engagement activities, and social prescribing, where healthcare providers connect patients with community groups and social activities, could play a major role in improving veteran well-being. By focusing on helping veterans build stronger social connections, health systems might be able to reduce the broader psychiatric burden and lower the risk of suicide.
“Loneliness is modifiable, which makes these findings concerning but also actionable,” Pietrzak said. “Routine assessment of loneliness, followed by efforts to connect veterans with appropriate clinical, peer, and community resources, may provide an additional avenue for improving mental health and strengthening suicide-prevention efforts.”
The study, “A Growing Epidemic of Loneliness Among US Military Veterans: National Trends, Psychiatric Burden, and Suicide Risk,” was authored by Robert H. Pietrzak, Ian C. Fischer, and Peter J. Na.
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #LonelinessAmongUSVeterans #VeteranMentalHealth #SuicidePrevention #PTSD #Depression #Anxiety #SocialConnection #MentalHealthAwareness #VeteransSupport #PublicHealthImpact
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DATE: September 6, 2026 at 08:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Rising loneliness among US veterans is closely tied to psychiatric burden and suicide risk
New research indicates that loneliness is a widespread and worsening issue among United States military veterans, with more than one in five reporting frequent feelings of isolation. The study, published in J Clin Psychiatry, provides evidence that higher levels of loneliness are strongly linked to increased risks of psychiatric disorders and suicidal thoughts. These findings suggest that addressing social disconnection could be an important target for improving veteran mental health and preventing suicide.
The research was led by Robert H. Pietrzak, a professor of psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine and professor of public health at the Yale School of Public Health. He and his team aimed to update our understanding of how social disconnection affects former military personnel. Loneliness is generally defined as the subjective feeling of being left out, isolated, or lacking in companionship. It is not just about being physically alone, but rather experiencing a painful gap between the social connections a person wants and the ones they actually have.
“Loneliness was already highly prevalent among U.S. veterans in 2019–2020, but the demographic composition of the veteran population and broader social environment have changed since then, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic,” Pietrzak told PsyPost. “We wanted to provide updated national estimates of the prevalence of loneliness and determine whether it is independently associated with psychiatric disorders and suicide-related outcomes after accounting for a broad range of sociodemographic, military, trauma, health, and social factors.”
Data from 2019 and 2020 showed that more than half of U.S. veterans experienced at least moderate loneliness, with nearly one in five feeling lonely on a frequent basis. Since then, the social landscape has shifted considerably. The researchers noted that the veteran population has been changing, with an increasing proportion of younger, female, and racially diverse individuals transitioning out of the military. This demographic shift is an important detail, as a study covered by PsyPost in 2015 found that younger generations of military personnel tend to experience lower levels of social integration, making them more vulnerable to mental health struggles and suicide.
In addition to these demographic changes, the lingering social effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and broader societal stressors may have worsened feelings of isolation. Because loneliness often co-occurs with serious mental health conditions, the researchers wanted to explore exactly how current levels of loneliness correspond to specific psychiatric burdens. For instance, research covered by PsyPost in 2018 highlighted that veterans battling both post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, and depression face an exceptionally high risk of suicidal thoughts. Pietrzak and his team sought to determine if loneliness was acting as a similar, widespread risk factor that spans multiple psychiatric conditions.
To investigate these trends, the researchers analyzed data from the National Health and Resilience in Veterans Study. This nationally representative survey gathered responses from 2,612 U.S. veterans between December 2025 and January 2026. The participants were drawn from a large, probability-based panel designed to reflect the broader U.S. household population. By weighting the data, the researchers ensured their findings could be generalized to the entire population of living U.S. veterans.
The survey measured loneliness using a standard three-item questionnaire. Participants were asked how often they felt left out, how often they felt isolated from others, and how often they felt they lacked companionship. Based on their responses, the veterans were placed into one of three categories: hardly ever lonely, moderate loneliness, or frequent loneliness. The researchers also collected data on a variety of mental health indicators, including symptoms of major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, PTSD, alcohol and drug use disorders, and various measures of suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
The results indicated that loneliness is highly prevalent among veterans. Overall, 58.7% of the respondents reported experiencing at least moderate loneliness. When broken down further, 36.3% fell into the moderate loneliness category, while 22.4% reported frequent loneliness. When compared to the estimates from 2019 and 2020, the prevalence of moderate loneliness remained relatively stable. However, the rate of frequent loneliness increased from 19.7% to 22.4%. The researchers estimate that this percentage increase translates to roughly 460,000 additional veterans experiencing frequent loneliness across the country.
“Loneliness is not simply an unpleasant feeling—it is a major public health concern,” Pietrzak explained. “Prior work has found that chronic loneliness is associated with an increased risk of premature mortality comparable to the risk associated with smoking as many as 15 cigarettes per day.”
The study also provides evidence of a strong relationship between the severity of loneliness and mental health struggles. Veterans in the moderate loneliness group had notably higher odds of meeting the screening criteria for depression, anxiety, PTSD, hazardous alcohol use, and suicidal thoughts over the past year, compared to those who were hardly ever lonely.
For veterans experiencing frequent loneliness, the psychiatric burden was even heavier. Compared to the hardly ever lonely group, frequently lonely veterans were much more likely to screen positive for six of the eight mental health measures assessed, excluding only drug use disorders and lifetime suicide attempts. The differences were stark when looking at suicidal ideation. Only 3.8% of veterans who were hardly ever lonely reported having suicidal thoughts in the past year. That figure jumped to 14.8% for moderately lonely veterans, and soared to 32.3% for those experiencing frequent loneliness.
When the researchers compared the frequently lonely group directly to the moderately lonely group, the risks were still elevated. Frequently lonely veterans showed much higher odds of facing almost all the measured mental health challenges, with particularly high associations for depression and future suicidal intent. These associations held up even after the researchers accounted for other potential influencing factors, such as age, sex, income, combat experience, physical health conditions, and history of childhood trauma.
“The magnitude of the associations among frequently lonely veterans was particularly striking,” Pietrzak noted. “Even after extensive adjustment for sociodemographic, military, trauma, health, and social factors, frequently lonely veterans had 32 times the odds of screening positive for depression compared with veterans who were hardly ever lonely; they also had substantially greater odds of having attempted suicide relative to less lonely veterans.”
As with all research, there are some caveats to consider. The study relied on self-reported survey data, which means the results depend on the participants’ willingness and ability to accurately describe their feelings and symptoms. Additionally, the researchers used a cross-sectional design, capturing a snapshot of the veterans’ experiences at a single point in time. Because of this, the study cannot determine the direction of the relationship between loneliness and mental health.
“Because the study was cross-sectional, it cannot establish that loneliness causes psychiatric disorders or suicidality; these associations are likely bidirectional and mutually reinforcing,” Pietrzak explained. “The findings also should not be interpreted to mean that every lonely veteran has a mental disorder or is suicidal, but rather that loneliness may be an important marker of elevated vulnerability that warrants further assessment and support.”
There is also a possibility that by statistically adjusting for certain psychiatric conditions, the researchers might have understated the direct relationship between loneliness and suicide-related outcomes. Despite these limitations, the findings indicate that loneliness is a growing issue that requires ongoing attention from mental health professionals.
“An important next step is to use longitudinal data to clarify how loneliness and mental health measures influence one another over time and to identify veterans at greatest risk for persistent or worsening loneliness,” Pietrzak told PsyPost.
The researchers suggest that loneliness represents a key target for future prevention and treatment efforts. Because social isolation is something that can be modified, initiatives like peer support programs, community engagement activities, and social prescribing, where healthcare providers connect patients with community groups and social activities, could play a major role in improving veteran well-being. By focusing on helping veterans build stronger social connections, health systems might be able to reduce the broader psychiatric burden and lower the risk of suicide.
“Loneliness is modifiable, which makes these findings concerning but also actionable,” Pietrzak said. “Routine assessment of loneliness, followed by efforts to connect veterans with appropriate clinical, peer, and community resources, may provide an additional avenue for improving mental health and strengthening suicide-prevention efforts.”
The study, “A Growing Epidemic of Loneliness Among US Military Veterans: National Trends, Psychiatric Burden, and Suicide Risk,” was authored by Robert H. Pietrzak, Ian C. Fischer, and Peter J. Na.
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #LonelinessAmongUSVeterans #VeteranMentalHealth #SuicidePrevention #PTSD #Depression #Anxiety #SocialConnection #MentalHealthAwareness #VeteransSupport #PublicHealthImpact
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Tsuchiya-San’s world shattered when she lost her husband, and soon after, her son. Grief and #loneliness engulfed her. Then she began visiting a community salon and life took a turn for the better. She felt heard and cared for.
The power of #SocialConnection. -
Tsuchiya-San’s world shattered when she lost her husband, and soon after, her son. Grief and #loneliness engulfed her. Then she began visiting a community salon and life took a turn for the better. She felt heard and cared for.
The power of #SocialConnection. -
Tsuchiya-San’s world shattered when she lost her husband, and soon after, her son. Grief and #loneliness engulfed her. Then she began visiting a community salon and life took a turn for the better. She felt heard and cared for.
The power of #SocialConnection. -
Tsuchiya-San’s world shattered when she lost her husband, and soon after, her son. Grief and #loneliness engulfed her. Then she began visiting a community salon and life took a turn for the better. She felt heard and cared for.
The power of #SocialConnection. -
DATE: August 22, 2026 at 04:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Psychedelic raves act as a modern rite of passage with complex psychological effects, new research suggests
For frequent Israeli rave-goers who consume psychedelic drugs, the experience extends well beyond the hours spent dancing, with preparations beginning beforehand and physical, emotional, and social effects continuing after the party, according to a qualitative study in the Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment. Participants described both positive experiences, including greater confidence and social connection, and negative effects such as exhaustion, nausea, low mood, and problems concentrating.
Rave parties combine electronic dance music, prolonged dancing, and often highly stimulating social and visual environments. Psychedelic and other psychoactive drug use is also common in some rave settings. Previous research has documented risks such as adverse drug reactions alongside reports of belonging, identity change, and meaningful or transformative experiences.
Yet researchers have typically focused on what people experience while they are actually at a rave. Far less is known about the period before attendees arrive or what happens as they return to ordinary routines afterward. That gap is particularly important because preparation can influence drug-related risk, while difficult physical or psychological after-effects may not become apparent until the event is over.
Led by Yula Milshteyn of Bar-Ilan University in Israel, the researchers interviewed 27 Jewish Israeli rave attendees who regularly attended events and consumed psychedelic drugs. Participants were, on average, 38.3 years old; 18 were men and nine were women. Ten reported using MDMA at raves, 15 reported LSD, and two described using LSD or MDMA together with substances such as alcohol or marijuana.
Rather than using questionnaires with predetermined answers, the researchers conducted semi-structured interviews and analyzed how participants described and interpreted their own experiences. The approach produced five broad themes before a rave and four afterward.
Milshteyn and Bensimon discovered that preparation was not merely practical. Participants described physical rituals and drug-related preparation, excitement and mixed bodily feelings, attempts to clear negative thoughts, social bonding with friends, and practical activities such as organizing food, clothing, water, and tents. The researchers interpreted these practices through the idea of a “rite of passage”: temporarily leaving ordinary routines before entering a distinctive social setting.
Afterward, experiences were equally varied. Participants reported tiredness, dizziness, headaches, nausea, and vomiting in the days following events. Emotional accounts included joy, confidence, and empowerment, as well as less welcome experiences such as depression-like low mood and mood swings. Some people described positive changes in their creative or musical direction, while others reported reduced concentration and attention. Enhanced friendships and sociability formed another recurring theme.
The study therefore does not support a simple portrayal of rave experiences as either beneficial or harmful. The same participants could describe meaningful social or emotional changes alongside unpleasant physical and psychological consequences.
The researchers concluded that after the raves, “participants return to their normal life, yet with changes in physical, emotional, cognitive, and social aspects.”
Some limitations must be accounted for. For example, the sample was small, self-selected, and predominantly male. Furthermore, exact drug doses were not recorded, and no objective measurements of participants’ psychological or cognitive states were collected.
The study, “Preparations for rave music parties and consequences for attendees who consume psychedelic drugs,” was authored by Yula Milshteyn and Moshe Bensimon.
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #PsychedelicRaves #RiteOfPassage #RaveCulture #PsychedelicResearch #DJMDMA #LSDExperiences #PostRaveEffects #SocialConnection #CreativeImpact #AfterMathRave
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DATE: August 22, 2026 at 04:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Psychedelic raves act as a modern rite of passage with complex psychological effects, new research suggests
For frequent Israeli rave-goers who consume psychedelic drugs, the experience extends well beyond the hours spent dancing, with preparations beginning beforehand and physical, emotional, and social effects continuing after the party, according to a qualitative study in the Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment. Participants described both positive experiences, including greater confidence and social connection, and negative effects such as exhaustion, nausea, low mood, and problems concentrating.
Rave parties combine electronic dance music, prolonged dancing, and often highly stimulating social and visual environments. Psychedelic and other psychoactive drug use is also common in some rave settings. Previous research has documented risks such as adverse drug reactions alongside reports of belonging, identity change, and meaningful or transformative experiences.
Yet researchers have typically focused on what people experience while they are actually at a rave. Far less is known about the period before attendees arrive or what happens as they return to ordinary routines afterward. That gap is particularly important because preparation can influence drug-related risk, while difficult physical or psychological after-effects may not become apparent until the event is over.
Led by Yula Milshteyn of Bar-Ilan University in Israel, the researchers interviewed 27 Jewish Israeli rave attendees who regularly attended events and consumed psychedelic drugs. Participants were, on average, 38.3 years old; 18 were men and nine were women. Ten reported using MDMA at raves, 15 reported LSD, and two described using LSD or MDMA together with substances such as alcohol or marijuana.
Rather than using questionnaires with predetermined answers, the researchers conducted semi-structured interviews and analyzed how participants described and interpreted their own experiences. The approach produced five broad themes before a rave and four afterward.
Milshteyn and Bensimon discovered that preparation was not merely practical. Participants described physical rituals and drug-related preparation, excitement and mixed bodily feelings, attempts to clear negative thoughts, social bonding with friends, and practical activities such as organizing food, clothing, water, and tents. The researchers interpreted these practices through the idea of a “rite of passage”: temporarily leaving ordinary routines before entering a distinctive social setting.
Afterward, experiences were equally varied. Participants reported tiredness, dizziness, headaches, nausea, and vomiting in the days following events. Emotional accounts included joy, confidence, and empowerment, as well as less welcome experiences such as depression-like low mood and mood swings. Some people described positive changes in their creative or musical direction, while others reported reduced concentration and attention. Enhanced friendships and sociability formed another recurring theme.
The study therefore does not support a simple portrayal of rave experiences as either beneficial or harmful. The same participants could describe meaningful social or emotional changes alongside unpleasant physical and psychological consequences.
The researchers concluded that after the raves, “participants return to their normal life, yet with changes in physical, emotional, cognitive, and social aspects.”
Some limitations must be accounted for. For example, the sample was small, self-selected, and predominantly male. Furthermore, exact drug doses were not recorded, and no objective measurements of participants’ psychological or cognitive states were collected.
The study, “Preparations for rave music parties and consequences for attendees who consume psychedelic drugs,” was authored by Yula Milshteyn and Moshe Bensimon.
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #PsychedelicRaves #RiteOfPassage #RaveCulture #PsychedelicResearch #DJMDMA #LSDExperiences #PostRaveEffects #SocialConnection #CreativeImpact #AfterMathRave
-
DATE: August 22, 2026 at 04:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Psychedelic raves act as a modern rite of passage with complex psychological effects, new research suggests
For frequent Israeli rave-goers who consume psychedelic drugs, the experience extends well beyond the hours spent dancing, with preparations beginning beforehand and physical, emotional, and social effects continuing after the party, according to a qualitative study in the Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment. Participants described both positive experiences, including greater confidence and social connection, and negative effects such as exhaustion, nausea, low mood, and problems concentrating.
Rave parties combine electronic dance music, prolonged dancing, and often highly stimulating social and visual environments. Psychedelic and other psychoactive drug use is also common in some rave settings. Previous research has documented risks such as adverse drug reactions alongside reports of belonging, identity change, and meaningful or transformative experiences.
Yet researchers have typically focused on what people experience while they are actually at a rave. Far less is known about the period before attendees arrive or what happens as they return to ordinary routines afterward. That gap is particularly important because preparation can influence drug-related risk, while difficult physical or psychological after-effects may not become apparent until the event is over.
Led by Yula Milshteyn of Bar-Ilan University in Israel, the researchers interviewed 27 Jewish Israeli rave attendees who regularly attended events and consumed psychedelic drugs. Participants were, on average, 38.3 years old; 18 were men and nine were women. Ten reported using MDMA at raves, 15 reported LSD, and two described using LSD or MDMA together with substances such as alcohol or marijuana.
Rather than using questionnaires with predetermined answers, the researchers conducted semi-structured interviews and analyzed how participants described and interpreted their own experiences. The approach produced five broad themes before a rave and four afterward.
Milshteyn and Bensimon discovered that preparation was not merely practical. Participants described physical rituals and drug-related preparation, excitement and mixed bodily feelings, attempts to clear negative thoughts, social bonding with friends, and practical activities such as organizing food, clothing, water, and tents. The researchers interpreted these practices through the idea of a “rite of passage”: temporarily leaving ordinary routines before entering a distinctive social setting.
Afterward, experiences were equally varied. Participants reported tiredness, dizziness, headaches, nausea, and vomiting in the days following events. Emotional accounts included joy, confidence, and empowerment, as well as less welcome experiences such as depression-like low mood and mood swings. Some people described positive changes in their creative or musical direction, while others reported reduced concentration and attention. Enhanced friendships and sociability formed another recurring theme.
The study therefore does not support a simple portrayal of rave experiences as either beneficial or harmful. The same participants could describe meaningful social or emotional changes alongside unpleasant physical and psychological consequences.
The researchers concluded that after the raves, “participants return to their normal life, yet with changes in physical, emotional, cognitive, and social aspects.”
Some limitations must be accounted for. For example, the sample was small, self-selected, and predominantly male. Furthermore, exact drug doses were not recorded, and no objective measurements of participants’ psychological or cognitive states were collected.
The study, “Preparations for rave music parties and consequences for attendees who consume psychedelic drugs,” was authored by Yula Milshteyn and Moshe Bensimon.
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #PsychedelicRaves #RiteOfPassage #RaveCulture #PsychedelicResearch #DJMDMA #LSDExperiences #PostRaveEffects #SocialConnection #CreativeImpact #AfterMathRave
-
DATE: August 22, 2026 at 04:00PM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: Psychedelic raves act as a modern rite of passage with complex psychological effects, new research suggests
For frequent Israeli rave-goers who consume psychedelic drugs, the experience extends well beyond the hours spent dancing, with preparations beginning beforehand and physical, emotional, and social effects continuing after the party, according to a qualitative study in the Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment. Participants described both positive experiences, including greater confidence and social connection, and negative effects such as exhaustion, nausea, low mood, and problems concentrating.
Rave parties combine electronic dance music, prolonged dancing, and often highly stimulating social and visual environments. Psychedelic and other psychoactive drug use is also common in some rave settings. Previous research has documented risks such as adverse drug reactions alongside reports of belonging, identity change, and meaningful or transformative experiences.
Yet researchers have typically focused on what people experience while they are actually at a rave. Far less is known about the period before attendees arrive or what happens as they return to ordinary routines afterward. That gap is particularly important because preparation can influence drug-related risk, while difficult physical or psychological after-effects may not become apparent until the event is over.
Led by Yula Milshteyn of Bar-Ilan University in Israel, the researchers interviewed 27 Jewish Israeli rave attendees who regularly attended events and consumed psychedelic drugs. Participants were, on average, 38.3 years old; 18 were men and nine were women. Ten reported using MDMA at raves, 15 reported LSD, and two described using LSD or MDMA together with substances such as alcohol or marijuana.
Rather than using questionnaires with predetermined answers, the researchers conducted semi-structured interviews and analyzed how participants described and interpreted their own experiences. The approach produced five broad themes before a rave and four afterward.
Milshteyn and Bensimon discovered that preparation was not merely practical. Participants described physical rituals and drug-related preparation, excitement and mixed bodily feelings, attempts to clear negative thoughts, social bonding with friends, and practical activities such as organizing food, clothing, water, and tents. The researchers interpreted these practices through the idea of a “rite of passage”: temporarily leaving ordinary routines before entering a distinctive social setting.
Afterward, experiences were equally varied. Participants reported tiredness, dizziness, headaches, nausea, and vomiting in the days following events. Emotional accounts included joy, confidence, and empowerment, as well as less welcome experiences such as depression-like low mood and mood swings. Some people described positive changes in their creative or musical direction, while others reported reduced concentration and attention. Enhanced friendships and sociability formed another recurring theme.
The study therefore does not support a simple portrayal of rave experiences as either beneficial or harmful. The same participants could describe meaningful social or emotional changes alongside unpleasant physical and psychological consequences.
The researchers concluded that after the raves, “participants return to their normal life, yet with changes in physical, emotional, cognitive, and social aspects.”
Some limitations must be accounted for. For example, the sample was small, self-selected, and predominantly male. Furthermore, exact drug doses were not recorded, and no objective measurements of participants’ psychological or cognitive states were collected.
The study, “Preparations for rave music parties and consequences for attendees who consume psychedelic drugs,” was authored by Yula Milshteyn and Moshe Bensimon.
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #PsychedelicRaves #RiteOfPassage #RaveCulture #PsychedelicResearch #DJMDMA #LSDExperiences #PostRaveEffects #SocialConnection #CreativeImpact #AfterMathRave
-
‘It’s life changing,’: At this Lehigh Valley CrossFit class, the average age is 70 | Allentown Area
EMMAUS, Pa. – Every Tuesday and Thursday at Free Will CrossFit in Emmaus seniors take over the gym.…
#NewsBeep #News #Fitness #AU #Australia #Balance #Crossfit #emmaus #Exercise #Health #longevity #mastersclass #PhysicalFitness #seniors #socialconnection #strength
https://www.newsbeep.com/au/860373/ -
‘It’s life changing,’: At this Lehigh Valley CrossFit class, the average age is 70 | Allentown Area
EMMAUS, Pa. – Every Tuesday and Thursday at Free Will CrossFit in Emmaus seniors take over the gym.…
#NewsBeep #News #Fitness #AU #Australia #Balance #Crossfit #emmaus #Exercise #Health #longevity #mastersclass #PhysicalFitness #seniors #socialconnection #strength
https://www.newsbeep.com/au/860373/ -
‘It’s life changing,’: At this Lehigh Valley CrossFit class, the average age is 70 | Allentown Area
EMMAUS, Pa. – Every Tuesday and Thursday at Free Will CrossFit in Emmaus seniors take over the gym.…
#NewsBeep #News #US #USA #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #Fitness #balance #Crossfit #emmaus #exercise #Health #longevity #mastersclass #PhysicalFitness #seniors #socialconnection #strength
https://www.newsbeep.com/us/818307/ -
‘It’s life changing,’: At this Lehigh Valley CrossFit class, the average age is 70 | Allentown Area
EMMAUS, Pa. – Every Tuesday and Thursday at Free Will CrossFit in Emmaus seniors take over the gym.…
#NewsBeep #News #US #USA #UnitedStates #UnitedStatesOfAmerica #Fitness #balance #Crossfit #emmaus #exercise #Health #longevity #mastersclass #PhysicalFitness #seniors #socialconnection #strength
https://www.newsbeep.com/us/818307/ -
https://www.europesays.com/uk/1156679/ ‘It’s life changing,’: At this Lehigh Valley CrossFit class, the average age is 70 | Allentown Area #balance #crossfit #emmaus #exercise #Fitness #Health #Longevity #MastersClass #PhysicalFitness #Seniors #SocialConnection #strength #UK #UnitedKingdom
-
DATE: August 15, 2026 at 10:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: The biology of fandom: Live sports synchronize spectator heart rates and elevate oxytocin
Attending a live sporting event is linked to changes in hormone levels and physiological alignment among fans. New research published in Translational Psychiatry suggests that watching a college basketball game is associated with shifts in oxytocin, a hormone involved in social bonding, alongside synchronized heart rates across the crowd. These physical changes tend to correspond with feelings of unity, enjoyment, and a desire to return for future games.
Oxytocin is a chemical messenger often referred to as a bonding hormone. It plays a role in social behavior, emotional regulation, and how humans connect with one another. Cortisol is a different hormone that serves as a primary indicator of physiological stress. Heart rate synchrony occurs when the cardiac rhythms of multiple people naturally align in response to shared experiences or emotions.
Medical treatments aiming to boost oxytocin through nasal sprays to help with social difficulties have produced mixed results in clinical settings. This inconsistency motivated scientists to look for everyday activities that might naturally stimulate the body’s own hormone production, known as endogenous oxytocin.
“Because clinical trials of intranasal oxytocin have produced modest and inconsistent effects, we became interested in natural, non-pharmacological ways of engaging the body’s own oxytocin system,” said Takashi Matsui, an associate professor at the Institute of Health and Sport Sciences at the University of Tsukuba in Japan.
Previous investigations into martial arts and competitive video gaming, or esports, provided a starting point for this project. “My own background in judo also shaped how I approached this research,” Matsui explained. “I have long been inspired by judo’s principles of Seiryoku-Zenyo, making the best use of one’s physical and mental energy, and Jita-Kyoei, mutual welfare and benefit, which have led me to view sport not only as a means of personal development but also as a setting for mutual growth and social connection.”
Sports events generate shared emotions and unified attention among large groups of people. “Our previous work found that judo practice promotes endogenous oxytocin release, while our subsequent research showed oxytocin release and heart-rate synchrony during face-to-face competitive and cooperative esports without physical contact,” Matsui said. “These findings led us to ask whether spectators might similarly become connected simply by sharing their attention and emotions at a live sporting event.”
The researchers observed 60 adult spectators, including 21 women, who attended one of two home collegiate basketball games at a university in Japan. “The study was conducted during TSUKUBA LIVE!, the University of Tsukuba’s home-game initiative,” Matsui noted. Most attendees were students or local residents rather than highly devoted fans. This allowed the scientists to study casual fandom rather than extreme sports devotion. To preserve the natural viewing experience, the researchers did not systematically control for factors like menstrual cycle phases or the use of hormonal contraceptives.
Before the game began, the attendees provided a saliva sample and filled out questionnaires about their current mood. The attendees also wore an optical heart rate sensor on their upper arm to continuously monitor their cardiovascular activity. At halftime and immediately after the game ended, the participants provided additional saliva samples and completed follow-up surveys. The researchers later analyzed the saliva for concentrations of oxytocin and cortisol.
The surveys asked attendees to rate their momentary enjoyment on a sliding scale. The participants also indicated their sense of unity with both the home and away teams, as well as with other fans, by choosing overlapping circles that represented interpersonal closeness. At the end of the game, the attendees answered questions about their level of immersion, known as a flow state. This concept describes a feeling of being completely focused and losing track of time.
Finally, the participants rated their intention to attend future games. To measure heart rate synchrony, the researchers mathematically calculated how closely the heart rate patterns of individuals sitting in the same physical section matched each other over time. They specifically looked at time lags to see if one person’s cardiovascular changes mirrored those of their neighbors. Following these measurements, the authors evaluated how the biological data related to the psychological survey responses.
The hormonal responses varied depending on an individual’s starting point. Spectators who began the event with relatively low oxytocin levels experienced an increase over the course of the game. Those who started with high baseline levels maintained those elevated concentrations throughout the event.
“What surprised me most was that oxytocin increased among spectators who began with lower levels and remained elevated among those who began with higher levels, without direct physical contact being required, a particularly notable finding because touch is one of the strongest natural stimuli for oxytocin release,” Matsui said.
At the same time, cortisol levels dropped across the board, resulting in an overall increase in the ratio of oxytocin to cortisol. The data provides evidence that live sports spectating shifts the body toward a socially receptive state rather than a stress-dominated one. Higher oxytocin levels corresponded with greater enjoyment and a stronger sense of unity with both the players and the fellow fans. Statistical models indicated that the increase in enjoyment provided a bridge connecting the oxytocin levels to the feelings of unity.
During the game, the cardiovascular rhythms of the spectators began to align. This synchrony increased during both halves of the basketball game, meaning that the patterns of the fans became more tightly matched from moment to moment. “Second, ‘heart-rate synchrony’ does not mean that everyone’s heart was beating at exactly the same rate or at the same instant,” Matsui clarified. “It means that their patterns of heart-rate change became increasingly similar over time.”
This physiological alignment was stronger among people attending the same game and sitting in the same section, suggesting it was a specific response to the shared local environment. The researchers found a positive association between the absolute levels of salivary oxytocin and the degree of heart rate synchrony among the crowd. People with lower baseline oxytocin showed the most pronounced connection between their hormone levels and their physiological alignment.
The alignment of heartbeats was also linked to psychological outcomes. During active play, closer heart rate alignment was associated with stronger unity toward the home team and a deeper state of immersion in the game. “At these games, spectators’ patterns of heart-rate change became more synchronized during and after play, while higher oxytocin levels and stronger synchrony were associated with greater enjoyment, a stronger sense of unity, and an intention to attend again,” Matsui said.
The authors noted that perceived unity seemed to connect the physical heart rate responses to the positive psychological experiences. “Moreover, these responses emerged not at an elite professional or international competition, but at local university basketball games involving largely casual spectators,” Matsui said. “World-class sporting events can generate extraordinary emotion and shared excitement, but attending them in person is difficult for most people.”
“Our findings suggest that people may not need to travel to a major global competition or watch elite athletes to experience the social value of live sport: even local university games may provide an accessible setting in which sharing attention and emotion is accompanied by coordinated hormonal, physiological, and psychological responses.”
The observational design means the findings do not guarantee that watching the game directly caused the hormonal and physiological changes. Other elements of the environment, such as the score, the crowd noise, or the time of day, could play a role. Natural daily rhythms typically cause cortisol levels to drop in the evening, which might explain some of the observed hormone shifts. Measuring oxytocin in saliva provides a convenient estimate, but it does not definitively map onto oxytocin levels in the brain.
The hormonal and biological shifts also differed from person to person. “First, our findings do not mean that watching a sporting event makes everyone’s oxytocin rise in the same way,” Matsui told PsyPost. “Spectators who began with higher levels maintained their elevated concentrations, whereas those who began with lower levels showed an increase.”
The study focused on young adults at a modest college game, so it remains unknown if similar biological alignment happens in larger professional sports environments. It is also uncertain how these findings might apply to more diverse age groups or highly passionate sports fans.
“Our current study showed that oxytocin responses differed according to spectators’ pre-game levels,” Matsui said. “Building on this finding, we are now examining additional factors, including age, previous experience playing the sport, whether the supported team wins or loses, and live versus at-home viewing, to understand when and for whom shared spectatorship fosters physiological synchrony and a sense of unity, and how viewing environments might strengthen this social connection and potentially help alleviate loneliness.”
Testing these biological markers in virtual or digital viewing settings could also offer insights into modern social connection. “From a translational perspective, we want to test whether heart-rate synchrony can serve as a scalable, non-invasive indicator of endogenous oxytocin-linked social engagement and guide low-burden, non-pharmacological approaches built around shared attention, collective emotion, and social exchange, from community sport to esports and socially engaging live streams,” Matsui said.
“Ultimately, through controlled studies with clinical researchers, we hope to evaluate whether carefully designed shared-viewing environments can support social connection among people with psychiatric or neurodevelopmental conditions involving difficulties in social functioning.”
“One reason I find sports spectatorship promising is that, unlike direct physical contact or active participation in sport, it can be accessible to people across differences in age, fitness, and playing ability,” Matsui said. “Live sport may therefore offer a valuable everyday setting for studying, and potentially supporting, how shared attention and emotion help people feel connected.” He added, “Because loneliness is a major health risk, accessible community sporting events may offer valuable everyday opportunities for people to feel part of something larger and connect with others.”
The study, “Endogenous oxytocin-linked heart-rate synchrony and social connection during live sports spectatorship,” was authored by Takashi Matsui, Takafumi Yamaguchi, Daisuke Funabashi, Shion Takahashi, Hiroki Matsuoka, Ren Takamizawa, Yukina Tachibana, Shohei Dobashi, Kiyonobu Kigoshi, Shinzo Yamada, and Hideki Takagi.
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #EndogenousOxytocin #HeartRateSynchrony #LiveSportsScience #SportsFandom #SocialConnection #OxytocinResearch #UnityInSports #EsportsAndSports #PsychiatryResearch #LivestreamViewingBenefits
-
DATE: August 15, 2026 at 10:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: The biology of fandom: Live sports synchronize spectator heart rates and elevate oxytocin
Attending a live sporting event is linked to changes in hormone levels and physiological alignment among fans. New research published in Translational Psychiatry suggests that watching a college basketball game is associated with shifts in oxytocin, a hormone involved in social bonding, alongside synchronized heart rates across the crowd. These physical changes tend to correspond with feelings of unity, enjoyment, and a desire to return for future games.
Oxytocin is a chemical messenger often referred to as a bonding hormone. It plays a role in social behavior, emotional regulation, and how humans connect with one another. Cortisol is a different hormone that serves as a primary indicator of physiological stress. Heart rate synchrony occurs when the cardiac rhythms of multiple people naturally align in response to shared experiences or emotions.
Medical treatments aiming to boost oxytocin through nasal sprays to help with social difficulties have produced mixed results in clinical settings. This inconsistency motivated scientists to look for everyday activities that might naturally stimulate the body’s own hormone production, known as endogenous oxytocin.
“Because clinical trials of intranasal oxytocin have produced modest and inconsistent effects, we became interested in natural, non-pharmacological ways of engaging the body’s own oxytocin system,” said Takashi Matsui, an associate professor at the Institute of Health and Sport Sciences at the University of Tsukuba in Japan.
Previous investigations into martial arts and competitive video gaming, or esports, provided a starting point for this project. “My own background in judo also shaped how I approached this research,” Matsui explained. “I have long been inspired by judo’s principles of Seiryoku-Zenyo, making the best use of one’s physical and mental energy, and Jita-Kyoei, mutual welfare and benefit, which have led me to view sport not only as a means of personal development but also as a setting for mutual growth and social connection.”
Sports events generate shared emotions and unified attention among large groups of people. “Our previous work found that judo practice promotes endogenous oxytocin release, while our subsequent research showed oxytocin release and heart-rate synchrony during face-to-face competitive and cooperative esports without physical contact,” Matsui said. “These findings led us to ask whether spectators might similarly become connected simply by sharing their attention and emotions at a live sporting event.”
The researchers observed 60 adult spectators, including 21 women, who attended one of two home collegiate basketball games at a university in Japan. “The study was conducted during TSUKUBA LIVE!, the University of Tsukuba’s home-game initiative,” Matsui noted. Most attendees were students or local residents rather than highly devoted fans. This allowed the scientists to study casual fandom rather than extreme sports devotion. To preserve the natural viewing experience, the researchers did not systematically control for factors like menstrual cycle phases or the use of hormonal contraceptives.
Before the game began, the attendees provided a saliva sample and filled out questionnaires about their current mood. The attendees also wore an optical heart rate sensor on their upper arm to continuously monitor their cardiovascular activity. At halftime and immediately after the game ended, the participants provided additional saliva samples and completed follow-up surveys. The researchers later analyzed the saliva for concentrations of oxytocin and cortisol.
The surveys asked attendees to rate their momentary enjoyment on a sliding scale. The participants also indicated their sense of unity with both the home and away teams, as well as with other fans, by choosing overlapping circles that represented interpersonal closeness. At the end of the game, the attendees answered questions about their level of immersion, known as a flow state. This concept describes a feeling of being completely focused and losing track of time.
Finally, the participants rated their intention to attend future games. To measure heart rate synchrony, the researchers mathematically calculated how closely the heart rate patterns of individuals sitting in the same physical section matched each other over time. They specifically looked at time lags to see if one person’s cardiovascular changes mirrored those of their neighbors. Following these measurements, the authors evaluated how the biological data related to the psychological survey responses.
The hormonal responses varied depending on an individual’s starting point. Spectators who began the event with relatively low oxytocin levels experienced an increase over the course of the game. Those who started with high baseline levels maintained those elevated concentrations throughout the event.
“What surprised me most was that oxytocin increased among spectators who began with lower levels and remained elevated among those who began with higher levels, without direct physical contact being required, a particularly notable finding because touch is one of the strongest natural stimuli for oxytocin release,” Matsui said.
At the same time, cortisol levels dropped across the board, resulting in an overall increase in the ratio of oxytocin to cortisol. The data provides evidence that live sports spectating shifts the body toward a socially receptive state rather than a stress-dominated one. Higher oxytocin levels corresponded with greater enjoyment and a stronger sense of unity with both the players and the fellow fans. Statistical models indicated that the increase in enjoyment provided a bridge connecting the oxytocin levels to the feelings of unity.
During the game, the cardiovascular rhythms of the spectators began to align. This synchrony increased during both halves of the basketball game, meaning that the patterns of the fans became more tightly matched from moment to moment. “Second, ‘heart-rate synchrony’ does not mean that everyone’s heart was beating at exactly the same rate or at the same instant,” Matsui clarified. “It means that their patterns of heart-rate change became increasingly similar over time.”
This physiological alignment was stronger among people attending the same game and sitting in the same section, suggesting it was a specific response to the shared local environment. The researchers found a positive association between the absolute levels of salivary oxytocin and the degree of heart rate synchrony among the crowd. People with lower baseline oxytocin showed the most pronounced connection between their hormone levels and their physiological alignment.
The alignment of heartbeats was also linked to psychological outcomes. During active play, closer heart rate alignment was associated with stronger unity toward the home team and a deeper state of immersion in the game. “At these games, spectators’ patterns of heart-rate change became more synchronized during and after play, while higher oxytocin levels and stronger synchrony were associated with greater enjoyment, a stronger sense of unity, and an intention to attend again,” Matsui said.
The authors noted that perceived unity seemed to connect the physical heart rate responses to the positive psychological experiences. “Moreover, these responses emerged not at an elite professional or international competition, but at local university basketball games involving largely casual spectators,” Matsui said. “World-class sporting events can generate extraordinary emotion and shared excitement, but attending them in person is difficult for most people.”
“Our findings suggest that people may not need to travel to a major global competition or watch elite athletes to experience the social value of live sport: even local university games may provide an accessible setting in which sharing attention and emotion is accompanied by coordinated hormonal, physiological, and psychological responses.”
The observational design means the findings do not guarantee that watching the game directly caused the hormonal and physiological changes. Other elements of the environment, such as the score, the crowd noise, or the time of day, could play a role. Natural daily rhythms typically cause cortisol levels to drop in the evening, which might explain some of the observed hormone shifts. Measuring oxytocin in saliva provides a convenient estimate, but it does not definitively map onto oxytocin levels in the brain.
The hormonal and biological shifts also differed from person to person. “First, our findings do not mean that watching a sporting event makes everyone’s oxytocin rise in the same way,” Matsui told PsyPost. “Spectators who began with higher levels maintained their elevated concentrations, whereas those who began with lower levels showed an increase.”
The study focused on young adults at a modest college game, so it remains unknown if similar biological alignment happens in larger professional sports environments. It is also uncertain how these findings might apply to more diverse age groups or highly passionate sports fans.
“Our current study showed that oxytocin responses differed according to spectators’ pre-game levels,” Matsui said. “Building on this finding, we are now examining additional factors, including age, previous experience playing the sport, whether the supported team wins or loses, and live versus at-home viewing, to understand when and for whom shared spectatorship fosters physiological synchrony and a sense of unity, and how viewing environments might strengthen this social connection and potentially help alleviate loneliness.”
Testing these biological markers in virtual or digital viewing settings could also offer insights into modern social connection. “From a translational perspective, we want to test whether heart-rate synchrony can serve as a scalable, non-invasive indicator of endogenous oxytocin-linked social engagement and guide low-burden, non-pharmacological approaches built around shared attention, collective emotion, and social exchange, from community sport to esports and socially engaging live streams,” Matsui said.
“Ultimately, through controlled studies with clinical researchers, we hope to evaluate whether carefully designed shared-viewing environments can support social connection among people with psychiatric or neurodevelopmental conditions involving difficulties in social functioning.”
“One reason I find sports spectatorship promising is that, unlike direct physical contact or active participation in sport, it can be accessible to people across differences in age, fitness, and playing ability,” Matsui said. “Live sport may therefore offer a valuable everyday setting for studying, and potentially supporting, how shared attention and emotion help people feel connected.” He added, “Because loneliness is a major health risk, accessible community sporting events may offer valuable everyday opportunities for people to feel part of something larger and connect with others.”
The study, “Endogenous oxytocin-linked heart-rate synchrony and social connection during live sports spectatorship,” was authored by Takashi Matsui, Takafumi Yamaguchi, Daisuke Funabashi, Shion Takahashi, Hiroki Matsuoka, Ren Takamizawa, Yukina Tachibana, Shohei Dobashi, Kiyonobu Kigoshi, Shinzo Yamada, and Hideki Takagi.
-------------------------------------------------
Private, vetted email list for mental health professionals: https://www.clinicians-exchange.org
Unofficial Psychology Today Xitter to toot feed at Psych Today Unofficial Bot @PTUnofficialBot
-------------------------------------------------
#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #EndogenousOxytocin #HeartRateSynchrony #LiveSportsScience #SportsFandom #SocialConnection #OxytocinResearch #UnityInSports #EsportsAndSports #PsychiatryResearch #LivestreamViewingBenefits
-
DATE: August 15, 2026 at 10:00AM
SOURCE: PSYPOST.ORG** Research quality varies widely from fantastic to small exploratory studies. Please check research methods when conclusions are very important to you. **
-------------------------------------------------TITLE: The biology of fandom: Live sports synchronize spectator heart rates and elevate oxytocin
Attending a live sporting event is linked to changes in hormone levels and physiological alignment among fans. New research published in Translational Psychiatry suggests that watching a college basketball game is associated with shifts in oxytocin, a hormone involved in social bonding, alongside synchronized heart rates across the crowd. These physical changes tend to correspond with feelings of unity, enjoyment, and a desire to return for future games.
Oxytocin is a chemical messenger often referred to as a bonding hormone. It plays a role in social behavior, emotional regulation, and how humans connect with one another. Cortisol is a different hormone that serves as a primary indicator of physiological stress. Heart rate synchrony occurs when the cardiac rhythms of multiple people naturally align in response to shared experiences or emotions.
Medical treatments aiming to boost oxytocin through nasal sprays to help with social difficulties have produced mixed results in clinical settings. This inconsistency motivated scientists to look for everyday activities that might naturally stimulate the body’s own hormone production, known as endogenous oxytocin.
“Because clinical trials of intranasal oxytocin have produced modest and inconsistent effects, we became interested in natural, non-pharmacological ways of engaging the body’s own oxytocin system,” said Takashi Matsui, an associate professor at the Institute of Health and Sport Sciences at the University of Tsukuba in Japan.
Previous investigations into martial arts and competitive video gaming, or esports, provided a starting point for this project. “My own background in judo also shaped how I approached this research,” Matsui explained. “I have long been inspired by judo’s principles of Seiryoku-Zenyo, making the best use of one’s physical and mental energy, and Jita-Kyoei, mutual welfare and benefit, which have led me to view sport not only as a means of personal development but also as a setting for mutual growth and social connection.”
Sports events generate shared emotions and unified attention among large groups of people. “Our previous work found that judo practice promotes endogenous oxytocin release, while our subsequent research showed oxytocin release and heart-rate synchrony during face-to-face competitive and cooperative esports without physical contact,” Matsui said. “These findings led us to ask whether spectators might similarly become connected simply by sharing their attention and emotions at a live sporting event.”
The researchers observed 60 adult spectators, including 21 women, who attended one of two home collegiate basketball games at a university in Japan. “The study was conducted during TSUKUBA LIVE!, the University of Tsukuba’s home-game initiative,” Matsui noted. Most attendees were students or local residents rather than highly devoted fans. This allowed the scientists to study casual fandom rather than extreme sports devotion. To preserve the natural viewing experience, the researchers did not systematically control for factors like menstrual cycle phases or the use of hormonal contraceptives.
Before the game began, the attendees provided a saliva sample and filled out questionnaires about their current mood. The attendees also wore an optical heart rate sensor on their upper arm to continuously monitor their cardiovascular activity. At halftime and immediately after the game ended, the participants provided additional saliva samples and completed follow-up surveys. The researchers later analyzed the saliva for concentrations of oxytocin and cortisol.
The surveys asked attendees to rate their momentary enjoyment on a sliding scale. The participants also indicated their sense of unity with both the home and away teams, as well as with other fans, by choosing overlapping circles that represented interpersonal closeness. At the end of the game, the attendees answered questions about their level of immersion, known as a flow state. This concept describes a feeling of being completely focused and losing track of time.
Finally, the participants rated their intention to attend future games. To measure heart rate synchrony, the researchers mathematically calculated how closely the heart rate patterns of individuals sitting in the same physical section matched each other over time. They specifically looked at time lags to see if one person’s cardiovascular changes mirrored those of their neighbors. Following these measurements, the authors evaluated how the biological data related to the psychological survey responses.
The hormonal responses varied depending on an individual’s starting point. Spectators who began the event with relatively low oxytocin levels experienced an increase over the course of the game. Those who started with high baseline levels maintained those elevated concentrations throughout the event.
“What surprised me most was that oxytocin increased among spectators who began with lower levels and remained elevated among those who began with higher levels, without direct physical contact being required, a particularly notable finding because touch is one of the strongest natural stimuli for oxytocin release,” Matsui said.
At the same time, cortisol levels dropped across the board, resulting in an overall increase in the ratio of oxytocin to cortisol. The data provides evidence that live sports spectating shifts the body toward a socially receptive state rather than a stress-dominated one. Higher oxytocin levels corresponded with greater enjoyment and a stronger sense of unity with both the players and the fellow fans. Statistical models indicated that the increase in enjoyment provided a bridge connecting the oxytocin levels to the feelings of unity.
During the game, the cardiovascular rhythms of the spectators began to align. This synchrony increased during both halves of the basketball game, meaning that the patterns of the fans became more tightly matched from moment to moment. “Second, ‘heart-rate synchrony’ does not mean that everyone’s heart was beating at exactly the same rate or at the same instant,” Matsui clarified. “It means that their patterns of heart-rate change became increasingly similar over time.”
This physiological alignment was stronger among people attending the same game and sitting in the same section, suggesting it was a specific response to the shared local environment. The researchers found a positive association between the absolute levels of salivary oxytocin and the degree of heart rate synchrony among the crowd. People with lower baseline oxytocin showed the most pronounced connection between their hormone levels and their physiological alignment.
The alignment of heartbeats was also linked to psychological outcomes. During active play, closer heart rate alignment was associated with stronger unity toward the home team and a deeper state of immersion in the game. “At these games, spectators’ patterns of heart-rate change became more synchronized during and after play, while higher oxytocin levels and stronger synchrony were associated with greater enjoyment, a stronger sense of unity, and an intention to attend again,” Matsui said.
The authors noted that perceived unity seemed to connect the physical heart rate responses to the positive psychological experiences. “Moreover, these responses emerged not at an elite professional or international competition, but at local university basketball games involving largely casual spectators,” Matsui said. “World-class sporting events can generate extraordinary emotion and shared excitement, but attending them in person is difficult for most people.”
“Our findings suggest that people may not need to travel to a major global competition or watch elite athletes to experience the social value of live sport: even local university games may provide an accessible setting in which sharing attention and emotion is accompanied by coordinated hormonal, physiological, and psychological responses.”
The observational design means the findings do not guarantee that watching the game directly caused the hormonal and physiological changes. Other elements of the environment, such as the score, the crowd noise, or the time of day, could play a role. Natural daily rhythms typically cause cortisol levels to drop in the evening, which might explain some of the observed hormone shifts. Measuring oxytocin in saliva provides a convenient estimate, but it does not definitively map onto oxytocin levels in the brain.
The hormonal and biological shifts also differed from person to person. “First, our findings do not mean that watching a sporting event makes everyone’s oxytocin rise in the same way,” Matsui told PsyPost. “Spectators who began with higher levels maintained their elevated concentrations, whereas those who began with lower levels showed an increase.”
The study focused on young adults at a modest college game, so it remains unknown if similar biological alignment happens in larger professional sports environments. It is also uncertain how these findings might apply to more diverse age groups or highly passionate sports fans.
“Our current study showed that oxytocin responses differed according to spectators’ pre-game levels,” Matsui said. “Building on this finding, we are now examining additional factors, including age, previous experience playing the sport, whether the supported team wins or loses, and live versus at-home viewing, to understand when and for whom shared spectatorship fosters physiological synchrony and a sense of unity, and how viewing environments might strengthen this social connection and potentially help alleviate loneliness.”
Testing these biological markers in virtual or digital viewing settings could also offer insights into modern social connection. “From a translational perspective, we want to test whether heart-rate synchrony can serve as a scalable, non-invasive indicator of endogenous oxytocin-linked social engagement and guide low-burden, non-pharmacological approaches built around shared attention, collective emotion, and social exchange, from community sport to esports and socially engaging live streams,” Matsui said.
“Ultimately, through controlled studies with clinical researchers, we hope to evaluate whether carefully designed shared-viewing environments can support social connection among people with psychiatric or neurodevelopmental conditions involving difficulties in social functioning.”
“One reason I find sports spectatorship promising is that, unlike direct physical contact or active participation in sport, it can be accessible to people across differences in age, fitness, and playing ability,” Matsui said. “Live sport may therefore offer a valuable everyday setting for studying, and potentially supporting, how shared attention and emotion help people feel connected.” He added, “Because loneliness is a major health risk, accessible community sporting events may offer valuable everyday opportunities for people to feel part of something larger and connect with others.”
The study, “Endogenous oxytocin-linked heart-rate synchrony and social connection during live sports spectatorship,” was authored by Takashi Matsui, Takafumi Yamaguchi, Daisuke Funabashi, Shion Takahashi, Hiroki Matsuoka, Ren Takamizawa, Yukina Tachibana, Shohei Dobashi, Kiyonobu Kigoshi, Shinzo Yamada, and Hideki Takagi.
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#psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #healthcare #depression #psychotherapist #EndogenousOxytocin #HeartRateSynchrony #LiveSportsScience #SportsFandom #SocialConnection #OxytocinResearch #UnityInSports #EsportsAndSports #PsychiatryResearch #LivestreamViewingBenefits
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i feel like, too often, all the advice we give/receive for dealing with our struggles is based in uncritical acceptance of social atomization as a fact of life, a law of the universe.
that painful void is left where social connection should be and it can’t be filled with consumer goods or shame. #socialatomization #alienation #socialdeath #neoliberalism #competitiveindividualism #consumerism #individualism #antipsych #antipsychiatry #solidarity #communitybuilding #socialconnection #lonelinessepidemic #disability #harmreduction #substanceuse #depression #mentalhealth #behavioralhealth
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i feel like, too often, all the advice we give/receive for dealing with our struggles is based in uncritical acceptance of social atomization as a fact of life, a law of the universe.
that painful void is left where social connection should be and it can’t be filled with consumer goods or shame. #socialatomization #alienation #socialdeath #neoliberalism #competitiveindividualism #consumerism #individualism #antipsych #antipsychiatry #solidarity #communitybuilding #socialconnection #lonelinessepidemic #disability #harmreduction #substanceuse #depression #mentalhealth #behavioralhealth
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i feel like, too often, all the advice we give/receive for dealing with our struggles is based in uncritical acceptance of social atomization as a fact of life, a law of the universe.
that painful void is left where social connection should be and it can’t be filled with consumer goods or shame. #socialatomization #alienation #socialdeath #neoliberalism #competitiveindividualism #consumerism #individualism #antipsych #antipsychiatry #solidarity #communitybuilding #socialconnection #lonelinessepidemic #disability #harmreduction #substanceuse #depression #mentalhealth #behavioralhealth
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i feel like, too often, all the advice we give/receive for dealing with our struggles is based in uncritical acceptance of social atomization as a fact of life, a law of the universe.
that painful void is left where social connection should be and it can’t be filled with consumer goods or shame. #socialatomization #alienation #socialdeath #neoliberalism #competitiveindividualism #consumerism #individualism #antipsych #antipsychiatry #solidarity #communitybuilding #socialconnection #lonelinessepidemic #disability #harmreduction #substanceuse #depression #mentalhealth #behavioralhealth
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Golf club objects to plans for 500 homes on site
A 50-year-old public golf club has objected to a council’s proposal to replace it with 500 homes and…
#Golf #News #golfclub #greenbeltland #inappropriatedevelopment #NickAgnoli #PanshangerGolfClub #PanshangerSeniorGolfClub #publicgolfclub #socialconnection #TonyAshforth
https://www.europesays.com/golf/41770/ -
https://www.fogolf.com/1332804/golf-club-objects-to-plans-for-500-homes-on-site/ Golf club objects to plans for 500 homes on site #Golf #GolfClub #GolfNews #GreenBeltLand #InappropriateDevelopment #NickAgnoli #PanshangerGolfClub #PanshangerSeniorGolfClub #PublicGolfClub #SocialConnection #TonyAshforth
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https://www.fogolf.com/1332804/golf-club-objects-to-plans-for-500-homes-on-site/ Golf club objects to plans for 500 homes on site #Golf #GolfClub #GolfNews #GreenBeltLand #InappropriateDevelopment #NickAgnoli #PanshangerGolfClub #PanshangerSeniorGolfClub #PublicGolfClub #SocialConnection #TonyAshforth
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Eventually, probably, likely someone will ask you why you have made the things you have made.
Check out my weekday daily #blog and read more in my post: Explain Yourself
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Eventually, probably, likely someone will ask you why you have made the things you have made.
Check out my weekday daily #blog and read more in my post: Explain Yourself
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Eventually, probably, likely someone will ask you why you have made the things you have made.
Check out my weekday daily #blog and read more in my post: Explain Yourself
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Eventually, probably, likely someone will ask you why you have made the things you have made.
Check out my weekday daily #blog and read more in my post: Explain Yourself
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What’s overlooked in student mental health in South Africa: social connection and sexual wellbeing
Student mental health has become one of the defining challenges facing universities worldwide. In South Africa, these concerns…
#NewsBeep #News #Mentalhealth #AU #Australia #Health #HigherEducation #livesmarter #MentalHealth #Psychology #sexualwellbeing #socialconnection #StudentLife #studentwellbeing #Universities
https://www.newsbeep.com/au/798619/ -
What’s overlooked in student mental health in South Africa: social connection and sexual wellbeing
Student mental health has become one of the defining challenges facing universities worldwide. In South Africa, these concerns…
#NewsBeep #News #Mentalhealth #AU #Australia #Health #HigherEducation #livesmarter #MentalHealth #Psychology #sexualwellbeing #socialconnection #StudentLife #studentwellbeing #Universities
https://www.newsbeep.com/au/798619/ -
https://www.europesays.com/ie/584060/ What’s overlooked in student mental health in South Africa: social connection and sexual wellbeing #Éire #Health #HigherEducation #IE #Ireland #LiveSmarter #MentalHealth #MentalHealth #psychology #SexualWellbeing #SocialConnection #StudentLife #StudentWellbeing #universities
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I've been kicking around the idea of a community built around belonging, curiosity, service, and genuine connection. A place where people can gather regularly, hear someone's story or learn something new, have thoughtful conversations over coffee, and build real friendships. Then once a month, instead of just talking about making our community better, we'd go volunteer or work on a local service project together.
Not a church. Not an anti-church. Not a political group.
Just neighbors creating the kind of community many of us wish we had.
Being based in Liberty, MO I've been calling the idea "Liberty Circle" because I love the symbolism of the circle. No one at the head. No one left outside. Just people coming together, making room for one another, and growing together.
Has anyone here been part of something like this? I'd love to hear what worked, what didn't, and what made people keep coming back.
#Community #Belonging #Humanism #CommunityBuilding #Volunteer #LibertyMO #Missouri #SocialConnection
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I've been kicking around the idea of a community built around belonging, curiosity, service, and genuine connection. A place where people can gather regularly, hear someone's story or learn something new, have thoughtful conversations over coffee, and build real friendships. Then once a month, instead of just talking about making our community better, we'd go volunteer or work on a local service project together.
Not a church. Not an anti-church. Not a political group.
Just neighbors creating the kind of community many of us wish we had.
Being based in Liberty, MO I've been calling the idea "Liberty Circle" because I love the symbolism of the circle. No one at the head. No one left outside. Just people coming together, making room for one another, and growing together.
Has anyone here been part of something like this? I'd love to hear what worked, what didn't, and what made people keep coming back.
#Community #Belonging #Humanism #CommunityBuilding #Volunteer #LibertyMO #Missouri #SocialConnection
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I've been kicking around the idea of a community built around belonging, curiosity, service, and genuine connection. A place where people can gather regularly, hear someone's story or learn something new, have thoughtful conversations over coffee, and build real friendships. Then once a month, instead of just talking about making our community better, we'd go volunteer or work on a local service project together.
Not a church. Not an anti-church. Not a political group.
Just neighbors creating the kind of community many of us wish we had.
Being based in Liberty, MO I've been calling the idea "Liberty Circle" because I love the symbolism of the circle. No one at the head. No one left outside. Just people coming together, making room for one another, and growing together.
Has anyone here been part of something like this? I'd love to hear what worked, what didn't, and what made people keep coming back.
#Community #Belonging #Humanism #CommunityBuilding #Volunteer #LibertyMO #Missouri #SocialConnection
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I've been kicking around the idea of a community built around belonging, curiosity, service, and genuine connection. A place where people can gather regularly, hear someone's story or learn something new, have thoughtful conversations over coffee, and build real friendships. Then once a month, instead of just talking about making our community better, we'd go volunteer or work on a local service project together.
Not a church. Not an anti-church. Not a political group.
Just neighbors creating the kind of community many of us wish we had.
Being based in Liberty, MO I've been calling the idea "Liberty Circle" because I love the symbolism of the circle. No one at the head. No one left outside. Just people coming together, making room for one another, and growing together.
Has anyone here been part of something like this? I'd love to hear what worked, what didn't, and what made people keep coming back.
#Community #Belonging #Humanism #CommunityBuilding #Volunteer #LibertyMO #Missouri #SocialConnection
-
I've been kicking around the idea of a community built around belonging, curiosity, service, and genuine connection. A place where people can gather regularly, hear someone's story or learn something new, have thoughtful conversations over coffee, and build real friendships. Then once a month, instead of just talking about making our community better, we'd go volunteer or work on a local service project together.
Not a church. Not an anti-church. Not a political group.
Just neighbors creating the kind of community many of us wish we had.
Being based in Liberty, MO I've been calling the idea "Liberty Circle" because I love the symbolism of the circle. No one at the head. No one left outside. Just people coming together, making room for one another, and growing together.
Has anyone here been part of something like this? I'd love to hear what worked, what didn't, and what made people keep coming back.
#Community #Belonging #Humanism #CommunityBuilding #Volunteer #LibertyMO #Missouri #SocialConnection
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Stop struggling with awkward eye contact by using the ‘Triangle Method’
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Stop struggling with awkward eye contact by using the ‘Triangle Method’
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Stop struggling with awkward eye contact by using the ‘Triangle Method’
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Stop struggling with awkward eye contact by using the ‘Triangle Method’
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The Cruelty of Not Intruding
Traveling abroad changed how I saw home. Returning from a family visit, I realized America's greatest deficit may not be economic or political but relational. Our celebration of independence often discourages everyday acts of care, leaving many surrounded by love, yet living with profound loneliness.https://lpixa.wordpress.com/2026/07/01/the-cruelty-of-not-intruding/
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The Cruelty of Not Intruding
Traveling abroad changed how I saw home. Returning from a family visit, I realized America's greatest deficit may not be economic or political but relational. Our celebration of independence often discourages everyday acts of care, leaving many surrounded by love, yet living with profound loneliness.https://lpixa.wordpress.com/2026/07/01/the-cruelty-of-not-intruding/
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The Cruelty of Not Intruding
Traveling abroad changed how I saw home. Returning from a family visit, I realized America's greatest deficit may not be economic or political but relational. Our celebration of independence often discourages everyday acts of care, leaving many surrounded by love, yet living with profound loneliness.https://lpixa.wordpress.com/2026/07/01/the-cruelty-of-not-intruding/
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The Cruelty of Not Intruding
Traveling abroad changed how I saw home. Returning from a family visit, I realized America's greatest deficit may not be economic or political but relational. Our celebration of independence often discourages everyday acts of care, leaving many surrounded by love, yet living with profound loneliness.https://lpixa.wordpress.com/2026/07/01/the-cruelty-of-not-intruding/
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The Cruelty of Not Intruding
Traveling abroad changed how I saw home. Returning from a family visit, I realized America's greatest deficit may not be economic or political but relational. Our celebration of independence often discourages everyday acts of care, leaving many surrounded by love, yet living with profound loneliness.https://lpixa.wordpress.com/2026/07/01/the-cruelty-of-not-intruding/
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Loneliness In Remote Workers Is Rising Here’s How To Combat Isolation When Working From Home
Loneliness Awareness Week is fast approaching and for many remote workers, isolation has become second nature. If you’re part of the work-from-home force and the loneliness has hit, here are our top tips to stay connected. For some people, working from home feels like a huge win: the flexibility, the work-life balance, the non-existent commute. But for others, being stuck at home alone all day, every day can feel like an isolating curse......Continue reading... By: Lily Smith Source: […]https://onlinemarketingscoops.com/2026/06/11/loneliness-in-remote-workers/
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Loneliness In Remote Workers Is Rising Here’s How To Combat Isolation When Working From Home
Loneliness Awareness Week is fast approaching and for many remote workers, isolation has become second nature. If you’re part of the work-from-home force and the loneliness has hit, here are our top tips to stay connected. For some people, working from home feels like a huge win: the flexibility, the work-life balance, the non-existent commute. But for others, being stuck at home alone all day, every day can feel like an isolating curse......Continue reading... By: Lily Smith Source: […]https://onlinemarketingscoops.com/2026/06/11/loneliness-in-remote-workers/
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Loneliness In Remote Workers Is Rising Here’s How To Combat Isolation When Working From Home
Loneliness Awareness Week is fast approaching and for many remote workers, isolation has become second nature. If you’re part of the work-from-home force and the loneliness has hit, here are our top tips to stay connected. For some people, working from home feels like a huge win: the flexibility, the work-life balance, the non-existent commute. But for others, being stuck at home alone all day, every day can feel like an isolating curse......Continue reading... By: Lily Smith Source: […]https://onlinemarketingscoops.com/2026/06/11/loneliness-in-remote-workers/