Can Social Connection Be Prescribed? Prof. Hoffman Explores the Legal Response to Loneliness

Loneliness might not seem like an obvious legal issue, but a recent article by Cleveland State University College of Law Professor Laura C. Hoffman explores why it should be on the radar of future lawyers. In A Social Prescription for Loneliness: How Regulation Can Help Prevent a Tsunami of Health Problems Through Social Connection, published in volume 42 of the Georgia State University Law Review, Hoffman examines the growing recognition that loneliness and social isolation can have serious consequences for individual health and well-being. The U.S. Surgeon General formally recognized loneliness as a public health crisis in 2023, but Hoffman points out that the problem predates the COVID-19 pandemic and has not disappeared as society has returned to something resembling normal life.

One of the most interesting concepts Hoffman explores is “social prescribing.” Rather than treating health problems exclusively with medication or traditional medical interventions, social prescribing encourages healthcare providers to connect patients with activities and resources that can improve their social well-being. A physician might, for example, connect a patient experiencing isolation with a community organization, exercise group, educational program, volunteer opportunity, or other social activity. The concept has received considerably more attention outside the United States, particularly in the United Kingdom, while American efforts remain more limited and decentralized.

The article raises an important question about the role of law beyond the traditional courtroom or law office: Can legal and regulatory systems help create healthier communities? Hoffman examines how social connection fits within the broader concept of the social determinants of health and considers whether government programs, including Medicaid, could play a role in supporting social-prescribing initiatives. The legal questions are complicated. Who should be eligible for these programs? What services should qualify? Who should pay for them? How should healthcare providers be regulated? And how can policymakers encourage meaningful social connection without attempting to regulate something as personal and subjective as friendship or community?

Hoffman’s article is a useful reminder that emerging legal issues often develop at the intersection of multiple disciplines. Health law, administrative law, public policy, privacy, disability law, and even technology law may all have a role to play as policymakers consider new approaches to loneliness and social isolation. It is also a good example of how lawyers can contribute to conversations that initially appear to be primarily medical or social in nature. Social prescribing may be a relatively new concept in the United States, but the legal questions surrounding it are likely to become increasingly important as policymakers look for new ways to address the health consequences of social isolation.

Interested in more health law topics and resources? Explore further with our Center for Health Law and Policy Guide or reach out to us with questions at research.services@law.csuohio.edu.