the comparator might be Durkheim's concept of 'anonmie', a condition of loneliness brought about by the dislocation of self from rural village to industrialised city
"Recession" is nothing resembling the correct word. Go talk to some really old people, who remember American adulthood in the period 1935-1955. Ask them how many local, face-to-face social groups - churches, clubs, little leagues, etc. the average American adult was actively involved in back then. How many family members they had and really knew (vs. "I've got a cousin in $State who was married last I heard..."). How many neighbors they regularly had friendly conversations with.
One way to describe it is that Mass Media and Wall Street Capitalism have relentlessly optimized away America's social capital ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_capital ). That's been great for them. Not so good for America.
