Psychologists have had a great deal to say about the connection between social isolation and depression. Examples include the loss of a spouse to divorce or bereavement. Moreover, the epidemic of modern depression is linked to urbanization, the loss of extended families, and other changes, such as frequent moves in search of work, that disrupt long-standing social relationships. Such phenomena have been the focus of attention for health researchers seeking to understand why some communities enjoy better health than others. We are not incapable of being happy when alone, of course, but there is a specific type of happiness that is induced by group interactions. People suddenly deprived of these experiences for example by retiring are more vulnerable to depression. The same is certainly true of the smallest group such as a married couple - whose social reality exists independent of other groups.
