A comprehensive new review published in the Journal of Management synthesizes decades of research to understand the epidemic of workplace loneliness. By analyzing 233 empirical studies, researchers from Portland State University have identified how workplace conditions contribute to isolation and offer evidence-based paths to reconnection.

The research emphasizes that loneliness is distinct from social isolation. While isolation is about being alone, loneliness is the subjective feeling that one’s social relationships are deficient—meaning employees can feel deeply lonely even in a crowded office.

"Given the connection between workplace characteristics and loneliness, organizations should consider that loneliness is not a personal issue, and instead is a business issue," said Berrin Erdogan, professor of management at Portland State. "Businesses have an opportunity to design jobs and organizations in a way that will prioritize employee relational well being."

UC Irvine and Jefferson Health investigators identify distinct structural and blood-flow signatures in two major forms of mitral stenosis. Findings highlight limitations of applying rheumatic-based diagnostic criteria to calcification-driven disease. The research was partially funded by the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.