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Abstract: Social isolation which is often associated with loneliness can have serious health effects on individuals of all ages.  Conversely, social support from different members of one's community which extends beyond family and even school can prevent loneliness and long term depression.  Departing from the more traditional therapeutic methods, the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model outlines measures that can be implemented not only in schools but also within the community at large to ensure healthier emotional development of lonely and often vulnerable teenagers.  To this end, incorporating the use of dogs for therapy also can effectively prevent and relieve stress caused by social isolation, and perhaps even facilitate new meaningful relationships.  Moreover, studies suggest that adolescents can benefit in the long term from these positive social interactions helping them to become more resilient, confident, and healthy adults.

Keywords:  loneliness, social isolation, resilience, whole school, whole community, whole child, mindfulness, cognitive behavioral therapy, social support, community dogs, mental health

I. Introduction

Throughout the recent pandemic, loneliness and social isolation have negatively impacted adolescents’ mental health as many classes went online, virtually eliminating socializing time that would normally occur with friends in school.  In other circumstances, unfortunate and unavoidable situations causing separation from family members or close friends can also increase one’s feeling of loneliness.  While a common belief may exist that having a large social network is the best way to overcome feelings of isolation, the poor quality of existing relationships can often be the main determinant of one’s loneliness.  Therefore, finding and developing intimate relationships with old or new acquaintances are crucial to one's well-being.  

Unlike traditional coping methods where each individual is taught different types of Cognitive Behavioral Therapies (CBT), the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model promotes the collaboration of all members within the local community to prevent health debilitating loneliness through social support.  This paper will explore an innovative approach to community support including not just people but also social animals like dogs who can provide effective emotional comfort.  Adolescents, the elderly, and even people with disabilities can all benefit from interactions with dogs, and the positive effects of socializing with them can result in overall better long term physical and mental health.

As schools have slowly reopened with some normalcy this fall, a focus on implementing social support in school for students should be emphasized.  In order to create a collaborative and supportive environment for teenagers and children, schools and parents should take advantage of local organizations in the community for more resources including using dogs for social support therapy.

II. Defining Loneliness and Social Isolation

One group that is vulnerable to this chronic health issue are adolescents who may need close companionship along with emotional support even if they often avoid articulating this desire (London & Ingram, 2018).  When support is not accessible, these teenagers may resort to bullying, manipulation, or physical attacks at school to release their distress.  Moreover, serious social isolation can lead to mental illnesses, such as depression and eating disorders (Blossom & Apsche, 2013).  Some prevalent mental health impacts on adolescents caused by loneliness include chronic sadness, lower self-esteem, anxiety, and sleep disturbances.  These effects can also indirectly impact students’ performances in schools.  By contrast, one study has found that greater school connectedness in adolescents is directly related to higher levels of intrinsic motivation.  These students feel more compelled to perform well in school compared to those with less connections with their peers and teachers (London & Ingram, 2018).  Moreover, loneliness from social isolation can have profound impacts for individuals not merely during one’s adolescence years but also continue into adulthood and further lead to more chronic illnesses.

III. Social Support as an Alternative “Group” Therapy

In contrast with individual therapies like those mentioned above, social support refers to reassurance and comfort provided from one’s social network such as neighbors or other members of the community.  This type of group support diverges from focusing on an individual's limitations in social connections and provides them with more accessible assistance beyond that offered by a single therapist.  The meaningful application of social support may lessen depressive symptoms and negative emotions in individuals thereby promoting more active coping mechanisms which strengthen a person's resilience.  Indeed, low levels of social support is associated with high levels of morbidity and mortality (Ozbay et al., 2007).  The persistent interactions in a group setting also enhances one’s social functioning (Ezhumalai et al., 2018).  Hence, while in some cases private sessions with a therapist might be more successful, the benefit of enhancing social skills brought by group support is a crucial component in overcoming loneliness. 

IV. Social Support as an Alternative “Group” Therapy

A significant advantage of social support is highlighting the intrinsic value of the love and empathy received from community members and those with similar life experiences.  When analyzing the features of social support, two dimensions are introduced.  Structural dimension refers to the size and frequency of social interactions within one’s network.  In accordance with the concept of emotional loneliness, however, having a high number of relationships does not necessarily result in adequate support if the depth of those connections is shallow.  Functional dimension, on the other hand, focuses on emotional support received by individuals during times of difficulties.  While both dimensions are deemed important, research has found that functional dimensions prove to be more beneficial because the quality of relationships matters more than quantity to overcome feelings of loneliness and social isolation (Ozbay et al., 2007). 

V. Whole Community Approach Using Community Dogs for Therapy

One way of administering the whole community model is for communities to bring different members together, including therapy dogs, which have proven to be very effective in providing social support.  Socially isolated teens are often reluctant to express openly their needs and feelings to those with whom they are not close, yet teenagers do not generally exhibit similar reticence when interacting with dogs (Beetz et al., 2012).  In fact, in one research where stress-hormone cortisol levels of two groups of children were measured, one interacting with real dogs and the other with toy dogs, the results show that children who interacted with real dogs displayed a significant drop in cortisol levels compared to the second group that did not (Beetz et al., 2012).  This reduction in stress and increase in calmness would alleviate the negative psychological and physical effects that loneliness generates.  

In addition to these advantages, having dogs at home can provide more support in the long term.  While dogs themselves are loyal companions for humans, regular activities facilitated by them such as daily walking can also increase human interactions.  Dog owners are given more opportunities to engage in casual conversations specifically about topics they are familiar with like dogs (Powell et al., 2019).  While longer interaction times with dogs show more positive effects on humans, those who cannot own dogs in their households can still take advantage of this social support if easier access to dogs is integrated into the community (Powell et al., 2019).

VI. Conclusion

While traditional therapeutic methods have been useful in helping adolescents overcome experiencing chronic loneliness and its destructive effects, comprehensive measures introduced in the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model can potentially bolster a healthier development of lonely teenagers especially with the added benefit of communal support leading to a more promising and fulfilling adulthood.  Specifically, the Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model outlines measures that can be implemented at school and more importantly at the community level to ensure a healthier, emotionally supportive environment for lonely teens.  To this end, incorporating the use of dogs for therapeutic purposes can effectively prevent and relieve stress caused by social isolation, and even cultivate enriching relationships.

References

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