In recent years, researchers have argued that social isolation is not only widespread, but poses a mounting public health crisis. Loneliness can impact cognitive function, sleep patterns, blood pressure, and therefore heart health, among other potential effects. Drawing from the UCLA Loneliness Scale, Cigna researchers scored the more than 20,000 responses nationwide, out of which 416 came from local residents, on a range from 20 to 80, by generations. For the Greatest Generation, the average score was 38.6; for baby boomers, 42.4. The younger the contingent, the consistently higher the marks. Adults between 18 and 22 were the most lonesome, with an average score of 48.3.