Our relationships are very important for our general health and well-being. Unfortunately, when this need goes unmet there can be serious mental and physical health consequences, including cardiovascular disease, depression, and dementia. In the US, more than a quarter of older adults and nearly half of women over the age of 75 live alone . Social isolation is considered a risk factor for loneliness, the subjective feeling of being alone. People who live with others, especially if the relationships are of poor quality or strained, can also feel lonely, regardless of the frequency of social contact. (Image courtesy of Justin MacKenzie, 2018)