Loneliness in Medical Families: Why Connection Matters More Than Ever with Emily Kent, PhD

How Stress, Belonging, and Social Connection Shape Health for Physician Spouses

Loneliness is one of the most common — and least openly discussed — experiences in medical families.

In this episode of The MedLife Support Podcast, host Dr. Lisa sits down with Dr. Emily Kent, an experimental psychologist and expert on loneliness, belonging, and social connection, to explore how loneliness shows up in physician families — and why it matters for both emotional and physical health.

Drawing from Dr. Kent’s research (published in JAMA Network Open, Psychophysiology, and other leading journals), as well as her lived experience as a physician spouse, this conversation reframes loneliness not as weakness, but as a biological signal for connection.

In this episode, we explore:

• What loneliness really is (and why it’s not the same as being alone)
• Why physician spouses can feel lonely even in full, high-functioning lives
• How unpredictability, long hours, and medical culture intensify isolation
• The physiological impact of chronic loneliness on stress, inflammation, and health
• Why loneliness is linked to increased allostatic load and long-term illness
• How belonging and connection act as protective factors
• Small, research-backed ways medical families can build connection at home
• Why “rituals of connection” matter more than grand gestures

Dr. Kent also shares compassionate, evidence-based insights on how reaching out — even when it feels awkward — can reduce loneliness, and why predictability, kindness, and self-compassion play a powerful role in restoring connection.

This episode is especially meaningful for physician spouses who feel unseen, isolated, or emotionally disconnected — and for anyone navigating life inside the demanding world of medicine.

🎧 Listen now to learn why loneliness is not a personal failure — and how connection can be rebuilt, one small moment at a time. You may also want to visit Episode 4, which discusses the importance of the theme of Loneliness in Dr. Lisa's dissertation, Physician Burnout and the Marital Relationship: Spouse Perspective.

Learn more about Dr. Emily Kent and her research:

·       LinkedIn

·       Google Scholar 

Selected publications:

Optimal Well-Being Interventions for Surgeons: Beyond Physiologic Needs Evidence-Based Recommendations and Emerging Novel Solutions to Reduce Burnout

Loneliness is Associated with Decreased Support and Increased Strain Given in Social Relationships

Surgeon Burnout and Relationships: A Missing Component in the Ongoing Conversation

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