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According to one researcher, being lonely or socially isolated can increase your risk of early death. large-scale new research.
A number of studies have investigated the links between social isolation, loneliness and risk of premature death, but some results are controversial, according to a paper published Monday in the journal Nature Human Behavior. It is said that there are pros and cons to brewing. Tarhan Kanli, professor of integrative neuroscience at the School of Psychology at Stony Brook University in New York, said these conflicting results could be due to studies that focus only on specific groups or geographies. Kanli was not involved in the study.
But the new paper is a meta-analysis of 90 studies examining the associations between loneliness, social isolation and premature death in more than 2 million adults. Study participants were followed for 6 months to 25 years.
People who experienced social isolation had a 32% higher risk of premature death from any cause than those who did not. Participants who reported feeling lonely were 14% more likely to die prematurely than those who did not.
The study “gives us even greater confidence” about the importance of social isolation and loneliness as independent risk factors for premature death, says Julianne P. Holt-Randstad said. the study. Holt-Lunstad is US Surgeon General’s Recent Advisory Report About social isolation and loneliness.
Social isolation, as defined by the new research, occurs when someone has an objective lack of contact with others, and may include limited networks or living alone.
lonelinessOn the other hand, according to meta-analysis, it refers to the subjective distress people feel when there is a disconnect between the quality of social relationships they actually have and what they want. Anthony Ong, a professor of psychology and director of the Center for Integrative Developmental Sciences and the Human Health Institute at Cornell University in New York, said that people in this situation have an unfulfilled need for connection and intimacy. They say they can feel unsatisfied with their relationship. state. Ong was not involved in the study.
“Americans are spending more and more time in isolation, but we don’t see it as dangerous, especially when it’s their choice. People are isolated if they don’t feel lonely.” We think it’s okay and even good,” Holt-Randstad said in an email. “However, the data corroborate and extend previous data documenting risks associated with social isolation, independent of and independent of loneliness.”
loneliness and isolation in the body
Being socially isolated or lonely can be considered a form of stress, Kanli said.
“We may all feel lonely at times, but when that feeling becomes permanent, it can act as a kind of loneliness. chronic stressIt’s unhealthy,” Canli said in an email. “One way it can happen is through stress hormones that negatively affect the body.”
The study authors also investigated the association with loneliness, social isolation, and death in people with cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, and colorectal cancer. Previous research has shown that the relationship between social support and health may be a chicken and egg problem. It can lead to a vicious cycle in which patients lose social support due to poor health … Over time, patients tend to need more social support than the general population. ‘ said the study.
Participants who were socially isolated and had cardiovascular disease were more likely to die prematurely than those without cardiovascular disease. And socially isolated breast cancer patients had a higher risk of death from breast cancer than those who were not socially isolated.
Premature death from any cause or cardiovascular disease may also be related to people’s lifestyle behaviors, Kanli said, adding, “People who feel socially isolated or lonely are less likely to smoke. They tend to have unhealthy habits such as drinking alcohol, eating an unbalanced diet (or) exercising very little.”
Experts say there are several factors that make social isolation a stronger influence on premature death risk than loneliness.
“People who are lonely but not socially isolated suffer from mental health stress that social networks may help them recover from.” –even if those networks are wholly The study’s lead author Huang Wang said, even if it’s not quite as he hoped. Professor of Epidemiology, Harbin Medical University, China.
Having a small social network, little contact with the outside world, and no one to check on you may make you less likely to seek medical care, Kanli said. .
“While this meta-analysis is important in providing supporting evidence for the adverse effects of social isolation and loneliness, there is an urgent need to move beyond questions of independent influences to consider their collaborative interactions. Yes,” Ong said. He exchanged emails with scientists involved in the Surgeon General’s report.
He added that this further research would pave the way “to a deeper understanding and effective interventions.”
Wang said people experiencing social isolation and loneliness should actively seek social support.
“Think of maintaining a social network like any other health promotion activity: exercise regularly, eat well, and take care of yourself,” says Kanli. By limiting the time you say “hi” to someone to only the holidays, or by thinking of ways to participate in activities that might meet new circles of like-minded people, you can foster social connections. It should be a priority, he added.
Public health strategies to address loneliness and social isolation, including raising awareness, are also needed, Wang said.
Wang said it is important to deploy interventions with the help of family and community networks. Health systems also need to develop ways to identify social isolation and loneliness in patients so that health professionals can provide appropriate assistance, he added.
