Link between loneliness and early death found

There have been many studies on the link between social isolation, loneliness and the risk of early death, but some results have been conflicting or mixed, according to an article published Monday in the journal Nature Human Behavior. According to Turhan Kanli, a professor of integrative neuroscience in Stony Brook University’s Department of Psychology at New York University, these conflicting results may be due to studies focusing only on a specific group or region.

However, CNN notes, the new article is a meta-analysis of 90 studies that have examined the link between loneliness, social isolation and early death among more than 2 million adults. Study participants were followed up for six months to 25 years.

People who experienced social isolation had a 32% higher risk of early death from any cause compared to those who were not socially isolated. Participants who reported feeling lonely were 14% more likely to die early than those who didn’t.

The study “gives us even more confidence” in the importance of social isolation and loneliness as independent risk factors for premature death, said Julianne Holt-Lunstad, professor of psychology and neuroscience at Brigham Young University in Utah, who was not involved in the study.

Social isolation, as defined in the new study, occurs when someone objectively lacks contact with other people, and may include having a limited social circle or living alone.

Loneliness, on the other hand, refers to the subjective stress people experience if there is a mismatch between the quality of social relationships they actually have and what they want, according to a meta-analysis. Someone in this situation may feel that their relationship is unsatisfactory if they don’t meet their needs for connection or intimacy, says Anthony Ong, professor of psychology and director of the Center for Integrative Developmental Sciences and Human Health Laboratories at Cornell University in New York State.

“Americans are spending more and more time in lockdown, and yet we don’t see it as a danger — especially if it happens by choice. People assume that it’s normal and maybe even good for us to be isolated, if we don’t feel lonely,” notes Professor Holt-Lunstad. “However, this data confirms and expands on previous data that document the risk associated with social isolation, regardless of loneliness.”

According to Turhan Kanli, social isolation or loneliness can be considered a form of stress.

“We can all feel lonely from time to time, but when that feeling becomes persistent, it can act as a form of chronic stress, which is unhealthy,” Kanley said. “One of the ways this can happen is through stress hormones that negatively affect the body.”

The study authors also looked at the links between loneliness, social isolation, and death among people with cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, or colorectal cancer—because previous research has shown that the relationship between social support and health can be like a chicken and an egg, “what can lead to a vicious cycle where ill health causes patients to lose social support … over time, but patients tend to need social support more than the general population,” the study says.

Participants who were socially isolated and had cardiovascular disease were more likely to die early than those who did not have the disease. And socially isolated people with breast cancer had a higher risk of dying from the disease than those who were not socially isolated.

Early death from any cause or cardiovascular disease can also be related to people’s lifestyle, Kanley said: “People who feel socially isolated or lonely tend to have bad habits such as smoking, drinking, unhealthy diet or) little exercise.”

Experts say there are several factors that can contribute to social isolation, which has a stronger impact on the risk of early death than loneliness.

“People who are lonely but not socially isolated experience mental health stress but may be resistant to it because of their social networks” – even if those networks are not quite what one wants them to be, the author said Fang Wang, professor of epidemiology at Harbin Medical University in China.

Having a small social network or little to no contact with the outside world can also reduce the likelihood of getting medical care if no one is watching, Kanley said.

“While this meta-analysis is important in providing supporting evidence for the detrimental effects of social isolation and loneliness, there is an urgent need to move from questions about independent effects to consideration of their co-interaction,” Ong said.

This further research would pave the way “to greater understanding and effective interventions,” he added.

“Think of maintaining a social network like any other health-promoting activity: exercise regularly, eat well, take care of yourself,” Kanley said. Make developing your social connections a priority by not limiting the time you say hello to someone to holidays, or think about ways to participate in activities that can introduce you to new circles of like-minded people, he added.