Feelings of being accepted, understood, welcomed and supported are often referred to as “belonging and connectedness.” These feelings play a well-documented role in a variety of outcomes, including physical and mental health, academic and workplace success, and resilience.
To better understand these factors in the lives of Harris County residents, over 5,000 members of the institute's Greater Houston Community Panel were surveyed in late 2024 about loneliness, connectedness and social supports. The study explores the importance of relationships and social connections in influencing people’s life satisfaction, sense of purpose and self-efficacy.
Key findings
- Belonging and connectedness differed across groups in Harris County.
- Young adults between 18 and 29 years old had higher average loneliness scores than any other age group.
- Lower earners making less than $35,000 annually reported feeling less connected and having less social supports.
- Loneliness, connectedness and social support were stronger predictors of people's sense of achievement (i.e., life satisfaction, purpose and self-efficacy) than race/ethnicity, income or age.
- The lonelier someone feels, the lower their sense of achievement.
- The more connected someone feels and the greater a person's sense of social support, the higher their sense of achievement.
