Our Research Approach
Evidence translation is at the heart of what we do.
Developed in partnership with our Scientific Advisory Council (SAC) of interdisciplinary experts, the Systems Approach of Cross-sector Integration and Action across the Lifespan (SOCIAL) Framework facilitates and accelerates progress toward a society that values social connectedness across the lifespan and in all societal domains. Research indicates the severity of social disconnection, but we lack a roadmap to help individuals, communities, and society at large become more connected and less socially isolated and lonely.
The SOCIAL Framework works to:
In a socially connected community:
• Children are taught social and emotional skills in schools;
• Individuals are employed by workplaces that support the connectedness of their employees;
• Daily systems that are integral to our lives such as food and transportation, and the environments and neighborhoods in which we live, are intentionally designed to foster social connection.
This is a result of society and policies reflecting the significance of connectedness for our collective health and wellbeing.
Review our research on each sector below
Clinical and population health provide touchpoints to identify individuals who are socially disconnected and provide them with the resources and support they need.
American adults spend on average a third of their lives at work. Since we spend so much time at work, there are key opportunities for social connection.
Our experiences in early educational settings influence the development of our social skills and feelings of belonging. These experiences shape our abilities to form meaningful social connections throughout our entire lives.
Report Coming Soon
Report Coming Soon
Report Coming Soon
Report Coming Soon
Report Coming Soon
A brief overview of how the Foundation is putting the framework into action:
Started in partnership with our statistician friends at the CDC, our weekly report provides our international audience with the latest research, resources, and events related to social isolation, loneliness, and connection. Sign up today to receive this in your inbox every Friday morning and stay up to date on ground-breaking research in the field.
We were excited to host this webinar to present our findings from the third report in our series of sector-based social connection reports, The SOCIAL Framework: Work, Employment, & Labor (WEL) Sector.
Each June, alongside our partners at the GILC and Marmalade Trust, the Foundation for Social Connection and Humana’s Far From Alone activate local communities, policymakers, and innovators to share resources, identify areas of collaboration, and educate the public on the importance of belonging and resiliency. We mobilize relationships across the globe to elevate awareness of the crisis worldwide.