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Examining the impact of the Hugr Authentic Connections digital mental fitness app on
mitigating isolation and loneliness in the workplace
In March 2020, most Canadians were unclear what "COVID-19" was, other than a new
virus that was quickly disrupting how work was organized. It also rapidly and dramatically
began to interrupt social interaction and connections. Within the first few months of the
pandemic, "lockdowns," "stay at home" orders, and social distancing restrictions were put in
place by governments under the advice of public health policy. What this virus was or when it
would be gone was not clear. What was becoming crystal clear was that this pandemic was
negatively impacting an entire population's social connections.
Science has determined that humans have been genetically programmed for social
connection and need relationships for a high quality of life [1]. Authentic relationships, where
both parties feel safe and valued, are critical to human well-being. When people cannot access
their network of relationships, they are at increased risk of experiencing authentic connections
gaps. For example, when people are isolated in their homes or sheltered with nuclear family
members, any prior strains in the relationships are exacerbated by the added pressure of
lockdowns. Furthermore, options to socialize through the workplace are lost. The COVID-19
pandemic has impeded people's ability to interact, increasing the psychosocial risk factor of
isolation and the potential for the psychosocial hazard of loneliness.
Isolation and loneliness can be measured by the degree a person feels socially and
emotionally disconnected from meaningful relationships with others. Both isolation and
loneliness can negatively impact a person's mindset about their intrapersonal relationship (i.e.,
how one feels and thinks about self) and interpersonal relationships (i.e., how one feels and
thinks about others) [2]. Loneliness is a self-perceived discrepancy between personal
