Diverse community perspectives on public health guidelines for social connection: a qualitative study in Canada.

ABSTRACT: Loneliness and social isolation harm mental and physical health, yet existing public health strategies often fail to reflect the lived realities of equity-owed communities. To address this gap, our team has been developing potential public health guidelines aimed at fostering social connection in Canada. This study sought to engage five communities facing structural inequities (i.e. 2S/LGBTQ+ individuals, racialized communities, Indigenous peoples, people living with disabilities, and migrants/immigrants/refugees) in reviewing and refining draft public health guidelines. Specifically, we conducted 12 focus groups and 11 one-on-one interviews with 60 participants. During these interviews, we presented our guidelines to the participants, explored their lived experiences of social connection

SUBMITTER: Refol J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12314268 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature