Mentor

Tryon, Lilly

Document Type

Dissertation

Publication Date

2026

Abstract

Abstract 

Objective: Social isolation and loneliness have detrimental effects on physical and mental health. For working adults, these experiences may impact work attendance, performance, satisfaction, and retention, leading to burnout, fatigue, grief, and disengagement. Barriers to developing and nurturing healthy relationships, such as competing work and family responsibilities, or a lack of resources or energy, can contribute to this problem; therefore, this group was chosen for the intervention. This project aimed to raise awareness of the importance of social connections and to analyze whether an online educational intervention was associated with improved perceptions of social support among working adults. Methods: This quantitative quality improvement project was conducted over seven weeks from April 2026 to June 2026 and consisted of four online podcasts developed using the National Institutes of Health Social Wellness Toolkit and other sources. Intervention: Participants completed the Medical Outcomes Study of Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS) before and after listening to the podcasts to evaluate changes in perceived social support across four domains. Participants received weekly email prompts and recommendations for activities that support social wellness. Key Results: A total of n = 19 participants completed the pre- and post-surveys. Mean perceived social support increased by 4.46 points, t(18) = 0.682, p = .252 (one-tailed), 95% CI [-9.28, 18.20]. Three of the four subscales demonstrated modest improvements, with Positive Social Interaction showing the largest increase, while Tangible Support decreased slightly. Conclusion: While the results were not statistically significant, the overall increase in perceptions of social support and participant feedback suggested the intervention was acceptable and perceived as helpful. A major limitation was the insufficient sample size, resulting in an underpowered study. Future studies should recruit larger samples, combine multiple delivery modalities, and extend the intervention beyond four weeks.

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