Humans are social creatures by nature. We’ve evolved this way out of necessity as being alone in centuries past would challenge one’s ability to survive. We needed each other for protection and acquiring food. Nowadays the threats from isolation and loneliness are not as apparent. But being socially isolated or lonely is still detrimental to your health and can shorten your lifespan.
The Meaning of Social Isolation and Loneliness
While people may refer to loneliness and social isolation interchangeably, they are different. Social isolation refers to the physical separation of a person from others, while loneliness is more of the perception of being alone. One can still be lonely while being around a lot of people. Similarly, you can be living alone but not feel socially isolated as long as you have a strong social network.
Determining how many people experience social isolation and loneliness is a bit tricky as studies often use different methods. However, there is some consistency in studies in that about one in ten people experience social isolation. This is more common in high-income countries compared to low-income countries. In contrast, as many as one in four people experience loneliness. In this study, loneliness was highest in North America and lowest in Europe.
Isolation, Loneliness and Your Health
There’s a strong connection between being socially isolated and feeling lonely with your mental well-being. Both conditions are associated with increased anxiety and depression. In mice, four weeks of isolation resulted in long lasting challenges to memory and mental function. And in people who felt lonely, their chances for getting dementia and Alzheimer’s disease increased. Loneliness may also be more of a concern when it comes to dementia than actual isolation.
But it’s not just mental well-being that’s a concern. Social isolation and loneliness can increase your chances for heart disease, stroke and early death. One study reported that being socially isolated was associated with a 60% to 70% greater chance of death over seven years. Some researchers have even suggested being isolated or lonely is equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes per day.
Much of negative health effects of isolation and loneliness may be due to increased risk factors. Indeed, people who are lonely have higher blood pressure. Animal studies have shown that being isolated can lead to stiffer blood vessels. In addition, ongoing isolation and loneliness can change your immune system and result in inflammation making you more susceptible to disease and infection.
Isolation and loneliness can also impact medical treatment. Lonely people are less likely to undergo beneficial cancer therapies and have poor survival. And people with heart failure who were lonely had more hospitalizations and died earlier than those with heart failure who weren’t. But having a chronic condition may also lead to social isolation and loneliness. This can be the result of a lack of energy or physical limitations leading to less ability/opportunity to engage with others.
Who is most at risk for loneliness?
Not everyone may be at the same risk for social isolation and loneliness. Social isolation and loneliness tend to be higher in older adults. As we get into our later years, friends and family members may have passed away, and our mobility may be limited which can affect the ability to interact with others. However, young adults also experience loneliness and to a greater extent than other age groups. And loneliness in today’s young adults is higher than in young adults of previous generations.
While men are more socially isolated than women, there isn’t much difference in the proportion of men feeling lonely compared to women. But the big difference may be how men and women tap into their social network. At any age, men are three to four times more likely to commit suicide. This is believed to be due, in part, to men not seeking help and not having the same deep connections women have with their family and friends.
Marital status also affects social isolation and loneliness. People married or living together in a spousal relationship report being less lonely than any other marital status. Being divorced or widowed is associated with greater loneliness. Some studies indicate being divorced leads to greater loneliness than being widowed, while others show the opposite. It may depend on the extent of the individual’s existing social network as well as the circumstances surrounding the divorce. And men experience greater loneliness in widowhood than women.
Managing Isolation and Loneliness
With isolation and loneliness being so common, chances are, either you, or someone close to you is experiencing it. The most obvious way to counteract social isolation and loneliness is to engage in greater social contact. This may be challenging for people who are socially isolated, but technology makes it easier than ever to connect people across distances. Video calls allow you to see one another and can reduce feelings of loneliness and depression.
Volunteering is another avenue, which improves overall health and well-being. People who volunteer may have a lower risk for hypertension and also report better health. Indeed, a review of 40 studies found people who volunteered had a lower risk for early death.
Other things such as having a pet can reduce social isolation. And singing music, whether you’re in a group or by yourself can help reduce loneliness. Even listening to music can result in a release of oxytocin, the love hormone, and make you feel connected.
And it’s not the number of connections that matter, but rather the quality of those connections. Are there people around you who you can share your feelings with? Can you turn to anyone in time of emotional stress and need? It isn’t easy opening up, but when one person does, it makes it easier for others to do so.
We’ve survived over thousands of years by being connected with others and the need to do so is just as important now as it was then. Just like nutritious eating and regular activity, social connections are important for you to live a healthy and long-lasting life.
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