Category: Event

On Wednesday, April 10th, the Center held a seminar titled “Equity in Policies and Interventions to Advance Social Connection.” This event was led by Dr. Ichiro Kawachi, and was the fifth installment in our Loneliness and Well-being Seminar Series. In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory drawing attention to an “epidemic of loneliness and social isolation” and called for a national strategy to advance social connectedness. The advisory…

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On March 20th, we held a seminar titled “Monitoring Population-level Mental Health and Well-being: Countdown Global Mental Health 2030” with Dr. Shekhar Saxena. This seminar provided the conceptual background for monitoring population level mental health and wellbeing followed by the methodology developed in the Countdown Global Mental Health 2030, an initiative of a consortium including the World Health Organization (WHO), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) as partner agencies. The…

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Over the last several months, the Center has invited experts from across the country to visit the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and share their insights and recommendations on the loneliness crisis. The fourth speaker in the Center’s Loneliness and Well-being Seminar Series was Dr. Jeremy Nobel, author of Project Unlonely: Healing our Crisis of Disconnection. His January 24th seminar, titled, “Creativity, Connection, Happiness, and Health,” was attended…

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In the first two sessions of the Center’s Loneliness and Well-being Seminar Series, we gained valuable insights into the detrimental impacts of loneliness on both mental and physical health, as well as the mitigating influence of social connections. The third seminar, featuring Dr. Koichiro Shiba, delved into the nuanced aspects of how loneliness can affect some people more than others, and offered actionable strategies to address this issue. Dr. Shiba,…

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The Evolution of Loneliness There is growing public concern about loneliness, as an increasing number of Americans report feeling lonely, particularly in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Loneliness is associated with negative mental and physical health ranging from depression and anxiety to heart attacks and dementia. It can be felt in our bodies, activating similar neural circuitry to physical pain. “If loneliness is so miserable, why has it persisted…

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Even prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, roughly half of American adults reported experiencing loneliness, according to U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. Published last May, “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community” addresses the serious public health threat represented by loneliness in the US. Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad, Lead Scientific Editor of the Advisory, visited Harvard on October 11th…

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From September 26th to October 1st, the Deer Park Monastery and the Thich Nhat Hanh Center for Mindfulness in Public Health held The Buddha the Scientist Retreat. The retreat was convened to promote conversation between science and Buddhism. Center Director Dr. K. “Vish” Viswanath served as the keynote speaker, sharing his insights on the latest in health and happiness research. Additionally, participants learned how to practice mindfulness, foster inclusive and holistic approaches to public health,…

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On Wednesday, September 20th from 1-1:50 PM in Kresge 202B, join us for “From Positive Minds to Positive Lives”. In this workshop we will conduct fun hands-on activities to facilitate positive thinking, thus promoting resilience and an enhanced sense of well-being, and allowing us to take on the fall semester with a positive mindset. These activities will be led by Soumya Mohanty, MPH ’24, a member of the Student Interest…

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On September 12th, the Center provided coordination support to the India Research Center’s Project SANCHAR for a webinar titled “Adolescent Well-Being and the Influence of Social Media in India.” The webinar was moderated by Director K. “Vish” Viswanath and featured insights from four distinguished panelists: Tshering Bhutia: Vice President, Preventive Health and Nutrition, Salaam Bombay Foundation Dr. Anjali Chhabria: Director, Mind Temple Institute of Behavioral Sciences and Psychiatrist Dr. Zoya…

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Film Screening & Panel Discussion w/ Drs. Stephanie Child, Emily Weinstein, & Jeffrey Hall