Alone With Distress: How Social Loneliness Shapes Healthcare Alienation and Mental Healthcare Help‐Seeking

ABSTRACT

Social isolation is a major contributor to today's mental health problems, yet many individuals still do not seek professional psychological support. At the same time, the growth of digital platforms has encouraged consumers to adopt self‐management strategies, raising important questions about whether these tools help or hinder movement toward formal care. While loneliness is known to affect emotional well‐being, far less is understood about how it shapes perceptions of institutional and service‐related barriers, such as alienation from and trust in the healthcare system. Across one survey and two online experiments, we examine whether social loneliness is associated with alienation from the healthcare system and lower help‐seeking, and whether digital self‐management support can serve as a bridge toward renewed engagement with mental healthcare services. Results show that loneliness heightens feelings of alienation from the healthcare system, which reduces trust and discourages professional help‐seeking. However, this negative cycle can be interrupted: exposure to digital self‐management support can disrupt the link between loneliness and alienation, thereby preserving trust and willingness to seek professional care. These findings highlight the potential of digital tools as early catalysts for reconnecting socially isolated individuals with the mental healthcare system.