I spent the summer of 1998 at Northwestern University, one of 10 speech instructors from across the United States selected as a fellow in the communications program, with an opportunity to work on a master’s degree.

Despite living half a block from the El and easy access to Chicago and all it offered, despite the bustling city life surrounding me, I savored the silence and solitude of my dorm room, quiet walks around downtown Evanston, time to reflect on life and love and the future.

I never felt lonely, though. Too much to see and do, so many opportunities for expanded education and personal growth.

Loneliness would come a few years later, following the death of my spouse, as lack of companionship and the feeling of being misunderstood took over. For awhile, I struggled with bouts of loneliness, often fueled by tequila and self-pity, until I pulled myself together, dealt with those feelings and reprioritized life.

This I know: loneliness, if left to fester, wreaks havoc in all areas of a person’s life.

More and more Americans experience loneliness. More than three in five, or 61%, report feeling lonely, according to results from the Cigna Loneliness Index, released last week.

Cigna is a global health service company, with subsidiaries including Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company.

The Loneliness Index included replies from more than 10,400 adults and is based on the UCLA Loneliness Scale, a 20-item questionnaire used to assess self-reported, subjective feelings of loneliness and social isolation.

Not surprisingly, technology use and always-on-demand work schedules are causing feelings of stress and restlessness. Time spent on social media and less time spent with friends and family also contribute to feelings of loneliness.

The Cigna study correlates the growth in loneliness with an increase in mental health issues.

Data from the index shows a clear connection between work and loneliness. Loneliness has reached epidemic levels. Twenty-four percent of Americans rate their mental health as fair or poor.

The average American spends 90,000 hours at work through their lifetime. Loneliness affects work. How? Lonely workers are less productive and less engaged. Lonely workers are twice as likely to miss a day of work due to illness and five times more likely to be absent due to stress. Twelve percent of lonely workers think their work output is lower quality than it should be.

The index breaks down results into demographics. Results show men are slightly lonelier than women, 46.1% compared to 45.3%; individuals ages 18 to 22 are lonelier than those older than 72 and urban dwellers are less lonely than their rural counterparts.

What leads to an increase in loneliness?

Social media. Based on the index, heavy social media users are significantly more likely to feel alone, isolated and without companionship.

Time to unplug from technology and tune in to real life.

Infrequent social interactions and negative feelings about personal relationships are other causes of loneliness.

If you are experiencing feelings of loneliness, talk to a health care provider to discuss how you feel, mentally and physically.

It’s time to redefine your purpose and banish those feelings of isolation.

Take an abbreviated loneliness index questionnaire at: https://www.cigna.com/about-us/newsroom/studies-and-reports/loneliness-questionnaire.