Social Isolation and Loneliness: Relevance to Those Working in the Health Professions
Course: #9619Level: Intermediate 1.5 Hours 473 ReviewsThe COVID-19 pandemic augmented both the challenges and awareness of social isolation and loneliness for healthcare professionals, families, & at-risk individuals. This course differentiates social isolation and loneliness, describes risk factors and signs of these conditions, and identifies effective ways to reduce their occurrence while promoting improved mental and physical health outcomes for clients and professionals.
On Demand
Course Type: Video, Audio
CEUs/Hours Offered: AOTA/0.15 Intermediate, OT Service Delivery, Foundational Knowledge, 11387; CE Broker/1.5 CE Broker #20-1282266; IACET/0.2; NBCOT PDUs/1.88 Intermediate, Mental Health
Course Preview
Watch the first six minutes of the course. Register for immediate access to the full course, which will also appear on your Pending Courses page.
Learning Outcomes
- After this course, participants will be able to compare and contrast the difference between social isolation and loneliness.
- After this course, participants will be able to identify populations that are at risk for social isolation, exclusion, and loneliness.
- After this course, participants will be able to identify signs of loneliness, and strategies to combat it.
Course created on February 5, 2025
Agenda
0-5 Minutes | Introduction |
5-15 Minutes | Key concepts related to social isolation and loneliness |
15-30 Minutes | Background and statistics |
30-45 Minutes | Population at risk for loneliness; signs of loneliness |
45-70 Minutes | Creative solutions to combat loneliness |
70-80 Minutes | Relevance to profession |
80-90 Minutes | Summary, Q&A |
Reviews
473 ReviewsPresented By

Christina Marsack-Topolewski
PhD LMSW
Christina Marsack-Topolewski, LMSW, PhD, is a licensed social worker and an Associate Professor of Social Work at Eastern Michigan University. She received her bachelor of science in Special Education from Wayne State University, a master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Michigan, and her PhD in Social Work with a dual title in Gerontology from Wayne State University. She has 20 years of experience supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their family caregivers. Dr. Marsack-Topolewski has worked as a professor, clinical therapist, teacher, consultant, and speaker. She has published over 80 research articles in scholarly journals and encyclopedias regarding individuals with disabilities, family caregiving, aging, and dementia. Dr. Marsack-Topolewski has been the lead principal investigator on multiple grant-funded programs tailoring services for individuals with disabilities, older adults, and chronic illnesses. She is an appointed board member of the U.S. National Task Group (NTG) on Intellectual Disability and Dementia Practices. Dr. Marsack-Topolewski’s research has been featured on National Public Radio (NPR) and ABC News Detroit. Over the past five years, she testified before members of the Michigan Legislature to advocate for new laws that protect against the exploitation and abuse of adults with disabilities. The first of these house bills was signed into law in Michigan in December 2023. In 2024, she received the Ronald W. Collins Distinguished Research Award for Research Excellence. In addition, she received the Arc of Oakland County’s Advocacy Hall of Fame Award in 2024.
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Financial: Christina Marsack-Topolewski received an honorarium for presenting this course. Non-financial: Christina Marsack-Topolewski has no relevant non-financial relationships to disclose.
Sponsor Disclosure: This Course is presented by OccupationalTherapy.com, a Continued site.
Content Disclosure: This learning event does not focus exclusively on any specific product or service.
Course participation information
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American Occupational Therapy Association
OccupationalTherapy.com is an AOTA Approved Provider of professional development, #7659. Course approval ID# 11387. This distance learning - independent course is offered at 0.15 CEUs/contact hours (Intermediate level, OT Service Delivery, Foundational Knowledge Area). The assignment of AOTA CEUs does not imply endorsement of specific course content, products, or clinical procedures by AOTA.
CE Broker
OccupationalTherapy.com is an approved provider for CE Broker, provider #50-14558. This course is offered for 1.50 hours. If you are an OT/OTA in Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina or Tennessee, CE Broker may be of interest to you.
International Association for Continuing Education and Training
continued, LLC, DBA OccupationalTherapy.com, is accredited by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training (IACET). continued complies with the ANSI/IACET Standard, which is recognized internationally as a standard of excellence in instructional practices. As a result of this accreditation, continued is authorized to issue the IACET CEU. continued, LLC, is authorized by IACET to offer 0.20 CEUs for this program.
National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy
OccupationalTherapy.com is a NBCOT® Professional Development Provider. This course is offered for 1.88 NBCOT PDUs (Intermediate level, Mental Health Area). NBCOT® is a registered trademark of The National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc.