By the Numbers: 16 June 2025

56.9%

The percentage of U.S. veterans who "endorsed feeling lonely some of the time or often," according to a research brief from the Department of Veterans Affairs: Loneliness and Social Isolation – Risk Factors for Suicide.

Some researchers consider social isolation as “arguably the strongest and most reliable predictor of suicidal ideation, [suicide] attempts, and lethal suicidal behavior”. In addition to suicide, loneliness, and social isolation (a closely related but distinct construct) have been linked to other poor physical and mental health outcomes, and functional difficulties.