[waterhouse]

> The reason for anxiety and pessimism is because people are feeling more lonely.

Might anxiety cause loneliness? Seems pretty logical.

> More than half the people in America feel lonely, and the numbers are actually the greatest among the young people, young boys and girls. And this not only has implications in mental health, but it also has implications in physical health. It increases the risk for heart disease and premature death. Vivek also mentions that loneliness is a mental health issue.

The issue has come up before: Mightn't bad physical health, and especially bad mental health, cause loneliness?

It's certainly plausible that causation happens in both directions; I expect there's more than zero of that. But which direction is the bigger one? I have no idea. And if someone wants to say this with the authority of the Surgeon General, I want them to bring citations that actually prove causality.