Fox News host Lara Trump opens the dialogue on mental health, trauma and how horrific events weigh on humanity on 'My View.'

In 2024, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory declaring loneliness a public health epidemic. He wasn't exaggerating. The data shows social isolation is as deadly as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and raises the risk of premature death by nearly 30%. Yet as a nation, we've done remarkably little to address it. 

I've been a practicing psychiatrist for more than 50 years. This holiday season, my phone won't stop ringing. Patients are desperate for appointments — not because of clinical depression or anxiety disorders, but because they're profoundly alone. A recent AARP survey found 40% of adults 45 and older feel lonely, up five points from just a few years ago. The holidays only amplify the problem. 

This isn't just a personal tragedy for millions of Americans — it's a policy crisis. Loneliness drives up healthcare costs, reduces workforce productivity and strains an already overburdened mental health system. When people lack social connection, they get sicker more often, recover more slowly and die........

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