Groups that connect elders and teens — both in real life and online — have a new sense of urgency in the loneliness epidemic.

Grief and loss, chronic illness, isolation an dementia are all risk factors that can make seniors more prone to depression. But oftentimes, mental health issues can go undetected in elderly people.

Rates of loneliness and unhappiness are on the rise in the United States, but our European counterparts don’t seem to have the same problem. Why? Part of the reason is the way our built environment isolates us.