5 minutes of reading- A new study found that loneliness and social isolation reduced people’s healthy life expectancy by several years.
- The link was more strongly associated with mental health problems like anxiety and depression.
- Experts discuss proactive steps people can take to help reduce loneliness in their daily lives.
It’s quite well known solitude can affect your mental health. What’s less talked about is how it can also affect your body. Now, a new study delves deeper into the physiological effects and examines how loneliness and social isolation might increase the risk of developing serious chronic illnesses like heart disease and diabetes.
Meet the experts: Manisha Parulekar, MDchief of the division of geriatrics and co-director of the Center for Memory Loss and Brain Health; Jay Luthar, MDlongevity physician, founder of Lutanen Health and instructor at Harvard Medical School; and Lindsey Rae Ackerman, LMFT, licensed therapist and clinical director of Your behavioral health.
Researchers have found that both play an important role: Loneliness and social isolation reduce people’s healthy life expectancy by several years.
Below, experts comment on the findings and explain how to maintain meaningful connections to support our mental and physical well-being.
What did the study reveal?
In the study published in Natural communicationsResearchers examined health data and death records from a group of nearly 300,000 adults free of these major chronic diseases: type 2 diabetes, heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases (asthma and obstructive pulmonary disease), neurodegenerative diseases (dementia and Parkinson’s disease), and all cancers except non-melanoma skin cancer, as well as anxiety and depression.
Participants completed questionnaires measuring their levels of loneliness and social isolation; Researchers have defined loneliness as a subjective measure of social or emotional connectedness, or a person’s feeling of invisibility and unheard by others, and social isolation as an objective measure of the time a person spends alone. The researchers then followed them for about 14 years.
At the end of follow-up, they found that loneliness and social isolation were significantly associated with fewer years free from each of the seven chronic diseases.
“Interestingly, the study found that loneliness has a greater detrimental effect than social isolation on physical and mental health,” explains Manisha Parulekar, MDchief of the division of geriatrics and co-director of the Center for Memory Loss and Brain Health at Hackensack University Medical Center. “The study also revealed differences in how loneliness and social isolation affect men compared to women. »
Specifically, researchers found that 50-year-old women who experienced both loneliness and social isolation had about 2.5 fewer years free of these chronic physical illnesses compared to those who did not, and that men in the same demographic had about two fewer years free of illness.
And the effects on mental health have been even greater. In general, single and isolated women spent almost four fewer years without anxiety or depression, while men had almost six fewer years.
Loneliness seems to pose the most risk; In the study, the effects of social isolation diminished if people practiced other healthy lifestyle habits, such as eating a balanced diet and exercising. This implies that the emotional baggage of loneliness is particularly heavy, something that cannot be covered up by routine or extra.
“A person can belong to a large family, or be part of a club or organization, surrounded by many people, but still feel alone,” says Dr. Parulekar. “They feel like they’re not really part of the group. Loneliness can also be felt in a relationship with another person – a friend, parent or partner – where there is no connection, passion or affection.”
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It’s important to note that the researchers looked at life expectancy without major chronic illnesses rather than just the total number of years a person lived. “The results suggest that loneliness and social isolation are associated with fewer years of good health, but they do not prove that loneliness directly leads to an individual’s early death,” notes Jay Luthar, MDlongevity doctor, founder of Lutanen Health and instructor at Harvard Medical School. And because this was an observational study, other factors that could contribute to both loneliness and poorer health should be considered, including a person’s socioeconomic status and abilities.
How loneliness, health and lifespan are linked
The researchers did not explain exactly how loneliness and isolation may have affected the participants’ health; they simply identified the link. But our experts believe there are several ways to connect the two.
One of them is the chronic stress that loneliness can trigger. “Constantly feeling disconnected from others may contribute to prolonged stress responses, changes in stress hormones, and inflammatory processes that could affect cardiovascular and metabolic health over time,” says Dr. Luthar. Basically, persistent stress can lead to inflammation, which is a major contributor to the development of many chronic diseases.
Loneliness can also influence daily health behaviors. “People who feel disconnected may have more difficulty maintaining consistent sleep, exercising regularly, eating well, or following preventive health care,” says Dr. Luthar.
Then there is the mental health aspect. “Loneliness and depression can reinforce each other, potentially creating a cycle in which psychological distress affects physical health and physical health problems make social engagement more difficult,” he adds. If a person doesn’t have strong relationships, they may lack the help they need to stay healthy, physically and mentally.
How to prevent loneliness and isolation
“I would encourage people to think of connection as something we practice consistently, rather than something we expect to feel,” suggests Lindsey Rae Ackerman, LMFT, licensed therapist and clinical director at Your behavioral health.
Here are some of his practical tips for staying connected:
- Create recurring opportunities for socialization, such as attending a weekly meal, walking group, class, church community, volunteer activity, or an ongoing call with someone you care about.
- Focus on the quality of the connection rather than the quantity.
- Notice when loneliness leads to avoidance. The knee-jerk reaction to rejection or disconnection can sometimes be to withdraw further.
- Seek support from a mental health professional when loneliness persists.
“Loneliness should not be confused with being alone,” adds Ackerman. “Loneliness can be restorative and chosen. Loneliness is the distress that occurs when there is a gap between the connection a person has and the connection they need.”
The essentials
Loneliness and social isolation are different and can have distinct health effects, meaning they may also require separate interventions. “It’s helpful to know that healthy habits can offset the risk for isolated people, but not for those who feel alone,” says Dr. Parulekar. “Loneliness itself may require direct attention.”
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