Health Fellow Spotlight: Kasley Killam

The World Health Organization defines health as physical, mental, and social, but that third component has been overlooked and underappreciated for decades. With one in four people worldwide feeling lonely and Americans spending more time alone—which can increase our risks of stroke by 32%, dementia by 50%, and premature mortality by 29%—this urgently needs to change. I’m on a mission to elevate and democratize social health: the dimension of health and well-being that comes from human connection.

Whereas physical health is about your body and mental health is about your mind, social health is about your relationships and sense of community. Physical, mental, and social health go hand in hand, like columns that combine their strength to lift up the temple that is overall well-being. However, it’s crucial to distinguish social health because of how vital it is—and because the actions we take to bolster it differ. To be physically healthy, you exercise, eat nutritious meals, and get a good night’s sleep. To be mentally healthy, you might go to therapy or practice mindfulness. To be socially healthy, you can deepen your friendships, prioritize quality time with family, or join a local community group. 

We can’t be wholly healthy if we take care of our bodies and minds but neglect our relationships. At a time when the US Surgeon General has declared loneliness an epidemic, we urgently need to elevate and improve social health. This is the mission that drives my work.

Social Health Labs is a nonprofit dedicated to advancing local, national, and global social health through innovation and advocacy. We play a unique bridging role between sectors and communities, collaborating with organizations like AARP and the US Department of Health & Human Services on a variety of initiatives. To date, we have funded and empowered grassroots community builders in neighborhoods across the US and convened thousands of people around the world to identify and implement strategies. 2024 will see us further increase our impact with new partnerships and values-aligned funders joining the social health movement.

By reading this book, you’ll be joining the movement to improve the world’s social health—starting with your own. The Art and Science of Connection is a toolkit to live a more meaningfully connected life whether you are an introvert or extrovert, if you feel stretched thin, and no matter your age or background. The book is also a manifesto for us collectively, sharing inspiring stories and innovations from around the world and calling leaders across sectors to action. Order a copy now to read on your plane ride to Aspen—I would love to hear your thoughts and will sign it for you in person!

A world that prioritizes social health first requires widespread recognition of its importance. The predominant narrative about what it means to be healthy in our culture currently emphasizes physical and mental health—largely missing the importance of social health as distinct yet interconnected. It’s time for social health to go mainstream, which is why I focus on educating and engaging the public through articles, keynotes, and my forthcoming book.

Drawing from my training at the Harvard School of Public Health, I know that creating a socially healthy world depends not only on you and me taking steps to connect meaningfully with the people in our lives—but also on all of us working together to create the conditions for social health throughout our society.

In part, this means our leaders must take ownership. In the years to come, I envision countries passing legislation to support the social health of citizens, just like many already have for mental health. I envision the UK and Japan, which appointed Ministers for Loneliness in years past, pivoting from reactive to proactive and appointing Ministers for Social Health instead. In the years to come, I envision city governments revitalizing shared spaces and funding local programming so that communities can gather more frequently, build trust across differences, and become more cohesive. 

It also means that you can take action and have real impact, no matter your role or sector. In the years to come, I envision employers investing in employee social health, just like many already do for employee mental health, because they recognize that a connected workplace benefits their bottom line. In the years to come, I envision educators teaching relational skills in the classroom to help students be socially healthy, just like they already teach gym class to help kids be physically healthy. In the years to come, I envision doctors routinely screening for isolation, just like they already screen for other risk factors for disease, and writing prescriptions for connection as medicine. In the years to come, I envision technologists updating and launching digital tools to better serve our social health, just like they are increasingly doing for mental health.

As an advisor who partners with organizations on these kinds of initiatives, I’m thrilled to report that this future is within reach. From my vantage, we have every reason to be optimistic—but only if we double down on these efforts and build on the current momentum to truly crystallize a more socially healthy world.