Why loneliness and not social isolation may be making you sick
One in six people are thought to experience loneliness, and that can have a serious knock-on effect on their mental and physical health
A new study suggests that loneliness may be more detrimental to mental and physical health than social isolation. Even among people surrounded by others, loneliness can still profoundly impact well-being and overall health. Previous research has linked both loneliness and social isolation to a range of negative health outcomes, including depression and cardiovascular disease.
However, this study found that while social isolation had a narrower influence on health, resulting primarily in poorer wellbeing, loneliness appeared to contribute to a broader array of health problems. The study used several statistical approaches, including comparing siblings and genetic analysis, to help account for potential biases.
These methods suggested that loneliness can lead to depression, increase the risk of self-harm and suicide attempts, and reduce life satisfaction. While depression may also increase loneliness and social isolation, the relationship between loneliness and specific physical health outcomes, such as coronary artery disease and diabetes, was less clear.
The study's limitations include the measurement of loneliness and social isolation at a single point in time, primarily among adults in middle or later adulthood, and potential biases in the data sources. Nonetheless, the findings provide compelling evidence that addressing loneliness should be a priority for promoting overall health and well-being.
Written by urgent.news from Scientific American's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
