"In coverage of COVID’s mental health toll, many treated loneliness as an unavoidable consequence of lockdowns and social distancing. But the story was more complicated than that.
“I think the stigma of loneliness can change radically right now,” said Jeremy Nobel, a lecturer at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in a cover story on the mental health toll of the pandemic. “We’re lonely now not because someone might not like us, or we might get rejected. … We’re lonely because we’re forced to take very specific actions in response to a common enemy.”
Following the research and analysis of several professors who have spent their lives covering loneliness, trauma, and mental health, writer Jacob Sweet’s January-February 2021 cover story combines compelling personal narratives and scientific research to deepen the understanding of a much-discussed subject. In the end, it offers a counterintuitive conclusion: though some aspects of well-being declined during the pandemic, the quality of social relationships barely moved—largely due to a sense of societal resilience.
The article resonated deeply with our readers, quickly becoming the magazine’s most read article online and ending 2021 with double the page views of any other article."
From the Judges
A nice mix of personal and social sciences data from different perspectives. The story was very relatable for many of us. We also liked the expert advice for how to combat loneliness.
