Wed, June 3, 2026 at 11:40 PM UTC
Mental Health Awareness: Recognizing loneliness, asking for help
DES MOINES, Iowa — Top 10 Rising Speaker of 2026, Vanessa McNeal is a resilience and well-being expert with a Master’s in Social Work — at the intersection of human performance, and trauma-informed leadership and burnout.
McNeal addressed the experience of loneliness in today’s world, filled with social media and information overload, and spoke about the reality of feeling increasingly alone despite many people having more access to endless social media outlets.
McNeal explains how to identify loneliness, the problems it can create, and actionable conversation starters to begin asking for help.
Learn more about McNeal’s work to empower Iowans through mindset and neuroscience here: ABOUT VANESSA | Vanessa McNeal
Iowa News:
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to who13.com.

