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Social alienation refers to a subjective experience of separation, disconnection, or estrangement from other people, social groups, or the wider social world ^[1][2]. It may involve feelings of social isolation, rejection, lack of belonging, mistrust, or difficulty establishing meaningful and reciprocal relationships with others ^[2][3]. Social alienation is commonly understood as one dimension of the broader construct of alienation, which may also include powerlessness, meaninglessness, normlessness, self-estrangement, and cultural estrangement ^[1][3]. From a phenomenological and existential perspective, social alienation concerns how individuals experience themselves as separate from others and from a social world that may appear unfamiliar, indifferent, or difficult to inhabit meaningfully ^[2][4]. It differs from objective social isolation because it emphasizes the individual’s subjective perception and experience of social disconnection, which may occur even when social contacts are present ^[3]. Social alienation can vary according to interpersonal relationships, social environments, and individuals’ interpretations of their social circumstances.