What is social isolation? Exploring practical tips and techniques to build connections and improve your mental well-being. Start feeling more connected now.

What is social isolation?

Social isolation is a potent form of psychosocial stress and is a growing public health concern, particularly among older adults. Even prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has significantly increased the prevalence of isolation and loneliness, researchers have been concerned about a rising ‘epidemic of loneliness.'”

Rebecca Mountain, Ph.D., Lead Researcher,

Social isolation impacts

Social isolation is a potent form of psychosocial stress that is becoming a growing public health concern, particularly among older adults. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, which significantly increased the prevalence of isolation and loneliness, researchers were concerned about a growing ‘epidemic of loneliness.'” According to Mountain, social isolation is associated with an increased risk for many health conditions. Mental health disorders, as well as higher overall rates of morbidity and mortality. Previous clinical studies have shown that stress, as well as subsequent mental health disorders, are significant risk factors for osteoporosis, which disproportionally affects older adults,” Mountain said. The effects of social isolation on bone have not been investigated.”

After four weeks, they found that social isolation caused a significant decrease in bone quality, including decreased bone mineral density, in male rats but not female rats. “Overall, our findings indicate that social isolation has a dramatic negative effect on bone in male rats, but it may act through different mechanisms or at a different time point in female rats,” Mountain said. “Future research is needed to understand how these findings translate to human populations.”

In addition to investigating the effects of social isolation in human datasets, his research team will use mouse models to investigate the mechanisms by which social isolation contributes to bone loss.

“Our work provides critical insight into the effects of isolation on bone and has key clinical implications as we grapple with the long-term health impacts of the rise in social isolation related to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Mountain said.

Social Isolation’s Health Implications

An extensive study highlights the concerning link between social isolation, loneliness, and an increased risk of death. The meta-analysis, which included over two million participants, discovered a significant increase in all-cause mortality for socially isolated and lonely people. The findings emphasize the importance of putting social health first in order to improve public health and lower mortality risk. Social isolation was linked to a 32% higher risk of all-cause mortality and a 24% higher risk of cancer death.

Loneliness was linked to a 14% higher risk of all-cause mortality and a 9% higher risk of cancer death. Social isolation was linked to an increased risk of all-cause mortality and cancer-specific mortality in people with pre-existing health conditions such as cardiovascular disease or breast cancer.

A recent comprehensive meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies involving over 2 million people found strong links between social isolation, loneliness, and increased mortality. These findings emphasize the critical importance of social connections to our overall health and serve as a poignant reminder of our social nature.

The devastating effects of social isolation and loneliness on our health

Similarly, loneliness was linked to a 14% higher risk. When we examine specific causes of death, such as cancer, the findings are equally shocking. Social isolation and loneliness were linked to an increased risk of cancer death by 24% and 9%, respectively. In addition, social isolation increases the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease (CVD) by 34%.

Examine people who have pre-existing medical conditions carefully.

Implicit Elaboration

These findings not only highlight the serious health consequences of social isolation and loneliness but also highlight the importance of prioritizing social health as an important aspect of public health.

Solutions necessitate comprehensive, multifaceted societal strategies

We need to create communities that promote social interaction and the development of supportive relationships. Health practitioners must be aware of the health risks associated with social isolation and loneliness, and social health assessment should be incorporated into routine health examinations. When we look at specific causes of death, such as cancer, the results are equally startling.

Social isolation and loneliness were associated with a 24% and 9% increased risk of cancer death, respectively. Furthermore, social isolation increases the risk of death from cardiovascular disease (CVD) by 34%.

Look closely at individuals with pre-existing health conditions

When the researchers focused on people who had pre-existing health conditions such as CVD or breast cancer, the results were no less interesting.

Socially isolated individuals with CVD or breast cancer had a 28% and 51% increased risk of death, respectively. Furthermore, socially isolated individuals with breast cancer have a 33% higher risk of cancer-specific mortality.

This data paints how our social experiences can significantly affect our physical health, even when dealing with serious medical conditions like CVD and cancer. The study protocol was registered with PROSPERO (Reg No. CRD42022299959). A total of 90 prospective cohort studies with 2,205,199 individuals were included.

Here we show that, in the general population, both social isolation and loneliness were significantly associated with increased risk of all-cause.

Social isolation also increased the risk of CVD death or breast cancer among socially isolated individuals. And those with breast cancer had higher cancer-specific mortality due to social.

A greater focus on social isolation and loneliness may help improve people’s well-being and mortality risk.