Combating Social Isolation Among Youth: Strategies for Enhancing Mental and Physical Health

Social isolation represents a critical and increasing challenge within public health, particularly impacting adolescents and young adults. This Research Topic focuses on distinguishing social isolation from the concept of loneliness, with an emphasis on its psychological and socio-environmental dimensions. The increasing trend of digital media consumption and global disruptions such as pandemics have notably exacerbated the severity and prevalence of isolation, amplifying both its immediate and long-term effects on mental and physical health.

This Research Topic aims to synthesize current research findings on the psychological, social, and physical effects of social isolation among youth. Additionally, it seeks to undertake empirical studies that explore both direct and longitudinal health outcomes of this demographic. The goal of this Research Topic is to design and evaluate targeted interventions that can effectively reduce social isolation and significantly improve overall mental and physical health outcomes among young individuals.

To gather further insights into these pressing issues, the following themes are particularly welcome:

- The psychological impacts of prolonged social isolation in youth;

- Social and environmental factors contributing to increased social isolation;

- Longitudinal studies on the physical health implications of social isolation;

- The development and assessment of interventions focused on enhancing social skills and reducing digital overuse among adolescents;

- Policy-making and community-based strategies to mitigate the effects of social isolation on public health;

- AI tools to enhance the behavior of youth that abuse social media.

Keywords: social isolation, young people, mental health, physical health

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.