As festive as the holidays can be, isolation and loneliness peak at this time of year.

A 2022 survey finds 55% of Americans experience increased loneliness and sadness around the holidays. Some reasons for these feelings include not being around loved ones, seasonal depression, and grief.

Deb Bibbins, founder and CEO of For All Ages, said images of togetherness at this time of year play a role in this growing problem.

"The reality is that these images represent an unachievable possibility of connection for many people," said Bibbins, "which can lead to feelings of sadness that they won't be able to achieve the level of happiness portrayed. Which, in turn, results in disinterest in being social, and finally, results in loneliness."

She said reaching out for positive social connections is important. Whether it's calling friends or visiting family, these can have tremendous effects.

The benefits include an increased sense of well-being and better health. Other options like volunteering can give people a sense of purpose, which can eradicate loneliness too.

But one of the hardest steps for trying to leave holiday-related loneliness behind is the first one - acknowledging it. This can enable people to move forward since this can go beyond feelings of inadequacy.

Bibbins said isolation and loneliness can have health impacts.

"Loneliness is a root cause of anxiety, of depression," said Bibbins. "It can be a root cause of substance abuse and even suicide. And, for older adults, loneliness increases the probability of having a stroke, of developing heart disease, and even developing dementia."

Anyone suffering from suicidal thoughts should contact 988 or find mental health treatment options.

Outside of the holidays, the U.S. has been experiencing an epidemic of loneliness and isolation.

Part of the National Strategy to Advance Social Connection includes strengthening social infrastructure in local communities and reforming digital environments.




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Nebraska physicians and their patients have been dealing with the state's 12-week abortion ban since it went into effect just over a year ago.

It replaced the 2010 law which prohibited abortions past the 20th week of pregnancy and was considered one of the country's most extreme abortion laws at the time.

Dr. Emily Patel, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, said many things can go wrong after the first trimester.

"We are really punishing women who end up having pregnancy complications or fetal anomalies or genetic conditions that are discovered after 12 weeks," Patel contended. "Saying to them, 'Well, I'm sorry, you don't have access to the same care you could have gotten if you were within that first trimester, or if you were out of our state receiving your prenatal care there.'"

When it comes to potential complications, Patel pointed out the first diagnostic test cannot be done until the 10th through the 12th week of pregnancy, and definitive genetic testing on the fetus itself cannot be done until the 16th week, well into the second trimester.

Patel noted the 12-week ban has already had short-term effects, including requiring Nebraska women to go out of state to receive their care and she fully expects it will have long-term effects as well.

"I think it's really important that people understand that this has reduced access to care in our state," Patel asserted. "It's going to continue to further reduce access to care, especially in smaller communities, just due to the simple fact that it's going to be really hard to recruit providers."

In 2022, a March of Dimes study labeled nearly 52% of Nebraska counties "maternity care deserts," compared with around 31% of counties nationwide.

Patel admitted the current political atmosphere can make her role challenging but she is glad she is still able to discuss patients' options with them. Some states now prohibit doctors from doing so. She emphasized the best thing she can hope for as a provider is for voters to really consider what is at stake and vote to protect the rights of patients and the doctors who care for them in November.

She stressed the current 12-week ban has implications for every woman living in Nebraska who becomes pregnant.

"Until somebody is faced with that decision, they wouldn't know that they would need access to it, or maybe even be thinking about it," Patel explained. "In a way, this can affect really anybody at any time, and we just want to be able to offer the same level of care to every patient."

Nebraska voters may have up to four abortion-related initiatives to choose from in November. Only one of them, the "Nebraska Right to Abortion Initiative," backed by the Protect Our Rights coalition, would allow abortions past the first trimester.

Providence nurses across Oregon are going on strike on Tuesday. It could be one of the biggest nurse strikes in state history.

More than 3,000 nurses represented by the Oregon Nurses Association will conduct a three-day work stoppage at six Providence hospitals.

Whitney Evans, operating room charge nurse at Providence Medford, said the strike is not just about wages, but the hospital system's failure on the state's new Safe Staffing Law, the need for more paid time off and increasing costs for health care.

"All of those things put together create a comprehensive package that will be able to not only bring in new or even experienced nurses but help to retain them," Evans pointed out. "So that we're not having this ad nauseam train and release cycle."

Nurses are striking at Providence hospitals in Hood River, Medford, Milwaukie, Newberg, Oregon City and Saint Vincent in Portland. Providence said it offered wage increases of 10% in the first year of the contract across the six hospitals. The health system noted it has replacement workers and it will not negotiate during the strike.

Denise Arnold, an intensive care unit staff nurse at Providence Newberg, said health care costs for her and her daughter mean she has sent $1,000 back to Providence every month this year to pay for care. She also has concerns about the plans Providence has set up under the new Safe Staffing Law, which went into effect June 1.

Arnold explained nurse-to-patient ratios in the medical-surgical unit at her hospital were one to four for day shift nurses, but Providence's new plan makes it one to five, both day and night.

"What used to be once in a blue moon, maybe once a month you would have five patients and go home totally exhausted, dripping sweat, you didn't get any breaks because it's just too much is now becoming common, near daily experience," Arnold asserted.

Nurses want the ability to fight staffing ratio changes included in their contracts but Providence has rejected it. Arnold added nurses deserve more respect than they're getting, especially because their job is so crucial.

"We're that final safety line," Arnold stressed. "It is so important that we have the time to look at the chart, review and make sure we are that last safety line for the patient."

The Food and Drug Administration has advised makers of the COVID-19 vaccine to formulate the next dosage to fight the JN.1 strain of the virus.

JN.1 was first discovered in the U.S. in September, and researchers said it is similar to previous strains but spreads easier and faster. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, JN.1 accounted for 3.5% of COVID cases in November and the number jumped to 85% of cases in January.

Ben Neuman, professor of biology at Texas A&M University, said getting vaccinated is still the best way to avoid getting sick.

"It would be important, I would say, to get the updated vaccine as soon as it is available," Neuman advised. "It may not prevent infection completely, but it is, very much, the best hedge against dying of COVID."

He said, on average, about 500 people a week are still dying from the virus.

Other COVID strains, known as KP.2 and KP.3, are also circulating, part of what are called the "FLiRT" variants. The FDA considered having makers formulate the new vaccine to target KP.2 and KP.3 but chose to concentrate on JN.1 because it is spreading more quickly. Symptoms of the FLiRT mutations include fever, sore throat and a runny nose. Researchers said the strains are highly immune resistant, making breakthrough cases possible.

Neuman pointed out some doctors believe a two-dose vaccine would provide more protection for the public because COVID is constantly changing.

"We have an immune system which is learning to recognize the virus and kills off all of the viruses it can recognize," Neuman explained. "This pushes the virus to change possibly a little faster than it would otherwise, if we had no immune system. So as long as there is COVID, there will be new variants."

If you have outdated COVID tests in your medicine cabinet, Neuman added they could still be used to detect portions of the strains which have not changed over the time, but he strongly suggested using updated tests because the virus continues to mutate.


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