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Research papers on Loneliness and isolation

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  1. Social Relationships and Mortality Risk: A Meta-analytic Review

    Julianne Holt‐Lunstad, Timothy B. Smith, J. Bradley Layton · 2010 · PLoS Medicine · 7,240 citations

    BACKGROUND: The quality and quantity of individuals' social relationships has been linked not only to mental health but also to both morbidity and mortality. OBJECTIVES: This meta-analytic review was conducted to determine the extent to which social relationships influence risk for mortality, which aspects of social relationships are most highly predictive, and which factors may moderate the risk. DATA EXTRACTION: Data were extracted on several participant characteristics, including cause of mortality, initial health status, and pre-existing health conditions, as well as on study characteristics, including length of follow-up and type of assessment of social relationships. RESULTS: Across 14

  2. Loneliness and Social Isolation as Risk Factors for Mortality

    Julianne Holt‐Lunstad, Timothy B. Smith, M. Douglas Baker, et al. · 2015 · Perspectives on Psychological Science · 5,810 citations

    Actual and perceived social isolation are both associated with increased risk for early mortality. In this meta-analytic review, our objective is to establish the overall and relative magnitude of social isolation and loneliness and to examine possible moderators. We conducted a literature search of studies (January 1980 to February 2014) using MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Social Work Abstracts, and Google Scholar. The included studies provided quantitative data on mortality as affected by loneliness, social isolation, or living alone. Across studies in which several possible confounds were statistically controlled for, the weighted average effect sizes were as follows: social isolation odds r

  3. Loneliness Matters: A Theoretical and Empirical Review of Consequences and Mechanisms

    Louise C. Hawkley, John T. Cacioppo · 2010 · Annals of Behavioral Medicine · 4,681 citations

    As a social species, humans rely on a safe, secure social surround to survive and thrive. Perceptions of social isolation, or loneliness, increase vigilance for threat and heighten feelings of vulnerability while also raising the desire to reconnect. Implicit hypervigilance for social threat alters psychological processes that influence physiological functioning, diminish sleep quality, and increase morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this paper is to review the features and consequences of loneliness within a comprehensive theoretical framework that informs interventions to reduce loneliness. We review physical and mental health consequences of loneliness, mechanisms for its effects, an

  4. Social isolation, loneliness, and all-cause mortality in older men and women

    Andrew Steptoe, Aparna Shankar, Panayotes Demakakos, et al. · 2013 · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · 2,505 citations

    Both social isolation and loneliness are associated with increased mortality, but it is uncertain whether their effects are independent or whether loneliness represents the emotional pathway through which social isolation impairs health. We therefore assessed the extent to which the association between social isolation and mortality is mediated by loneliness. We assessed social isolation in terms of contact with family and friends and participation in civic organizations in 6,500 men and women aged 52 and older who took part in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing in 2004-2005. A standard questionnaire measure of loneliness was administered also. We monitored all-cause mortality up to Ma

  6. Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors for coronary heart disease and stroke: systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal observational studies

    Nicole Valtorta, Mona Kanaan, Simon Gilbody, et al. · 2016 · Heart · 1,983 citations

    BACKGROUND: The influence of social relationships on morbidity is widely accepted, but the size of the risk to cardiovascular health is unclear. OBJECTIVE: We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the association between loneliness or social isolation and incident coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke. METHODS: Sixteen electronic databases were systematically searched for longitudinal studies set in high-income countries and published up until May 2015. Two independent reviewers screened studies for inclusion and extracted data. We assessed quality using a component approach and pooled data for analysis using random effects models. RESULTS: Of the 35 925 records re

  7. Social isolation, loneliness and health in old age: a scoping review

    Émilie Courtin, Martín Knapp · 2015 · Health & Social Care in the Community · 1,449 citations

    The health and well-being consequences of social isolation and loneliness in old age are increasingly being recognised. The purpose of this scoping review was to take stock of the available evidence and to highlight gaps and areas for future research. We searched nine databases for empirical papers investigating the impact of social isolation and/or loneliness on a range of health outcomes in old age. Our search, conducted between July and September 2013 yielded 11,736 articles, of which 128 items from 15 countries were included in the scoping review. Papers were reviewed, with a focus on the definitions and measurements of the two concepts, associations and causal mechanisms, differences ac

  8. Loneliness and social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic

    Tzung‐Jeng Hwang, Kiran Rabheru, Carmelle Peisah, et al. · 2020 · International Psychogeriatrics · 1,072 citations

    Loneliness and social isolation are associated with adverse physical and psychological consequences which are particularly prevalent in older persons. During this unprecedented time of the COVID-19 pandemic, we must follow social distancing guidelines to protect ourselves and to reduce the spread of coronavirus. At the same time, it is crucial to maintain social connections with each other, especially with older persons, to help cope and reduce the negative consequences of loneliness and social isolation. It is important to develop new strategies (e.g. virtual health care and new government policy) to address loneliness and social isolation among older adults for the post-pandemic era.

  9. The Neuroendocrinology of Social Isolation

    John T. Cacioppo, Stephanie Cacioppo, John P. Capitanio, et al. · 2014 · Annual Review of Psychology · 964 citations

    Social isolation has been recognized as a major risk factor for morbidity and mortality in humans for more than a quarter of a century. Although the focus of research has been on objective social roles and health behavior, the brain is the key organ for forming, monitoring, maintaining, repairing, and replacing salutary connections with others. Accordingly, population-based longitudinal research indicates that perceived social isolation (loneliness) is a risk factor for morbidity and mortality independent of objective social isolation and health behavior. Human and animal investigations of neuroendocrine stress mechanisms that may be involved suggest that (a) chronic social isolation increas

  10. Hearing Loss, Loneliness, and Social Isolation: A Systematic Review

    Aishwarya Shukla, Michael Harper, Emily Pedersen, et al. · 2020 · Otolaryngology · 680 citations

    OBJECTIVE: Social isolation and loneliness are associated with increased mortality and higher health care spending in older adults. Hearing loss is a common condition in older adults and impairs communication and social interactions. The objective of this review is to summarize the current state of the literature exploring the association between hearing loss and social isolation and/or loneliness. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Embase, CINAHL Plus, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Library. REVIEW METHODS: Articles were screened for inclusion by 2 independent reviewers, with a third reviewer for adjudication. English-language studies of older adults with hearing loss that used a validated measure of social

  11. Loneliness, Social Isolation, and Cardiovascular Health

    Ning Xia, Huige Li · 2017 · Antioxidants and Redox Signaling · 490 citations

    SIGNIFICANCE: Social and demographic changes have led to an increased prevalence of loneliness and social isolation in modern society. Recent Advances: Population-based studies have demonstrated that both objective social isolation and the perception of social isolation (loneliness) are correlated with a higher risk of mortality and that both are clearly risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Lonely individuals have increased peripheral vascular resistance and elevated blood pressure. Socially isolated animals develop more atherosclerosis than those housed in groups. CRITICAL ISSUES: Molecular mechanisms responsible for the increased cardiovascular risk are poorly understood. In rece

  12. Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults

    Board on Health Sciences Policy, Board on Behavioral, Cognitive, and Sensory Sciences, Health and Medicine Division, et al. · 2020 · National Academies Press eBooks · 467 citations

    Social isolation and loneliness are serious yet underappreciated public health risks that affect a significant portion of the older adult population. Approximately one-quarter of community-dwelling Americans aged 65 and older are considered to be socially isolated, and a significant proportion of adults in the United States report feeling lonely. People who are 50 years of age or older are more likely to experience many of the risk factors that can cause or exacerbate social isolation or loneliness, such as living alone, the loss of family or friends, chronic illness, and sensory impairments. Over a life course, social isolation and loneliness may be episodic or chronic, depending upon an in

  14. A Prospective Study of Social Isolation, Loneliness, and Mortality in Finland

    Jussi Tanskanen, Timo Anttila · 2016 · American Journal of Public Health · 153 citations

    Objectives. To estimate the simultaneous effects of social isolation and loneliness on mortality. Methods. We analyzed a representative Finnish sample (n = 8650) from the cross-sectional Living Conditions Survey of 1994, with a 17-year follow-up period (1995–2011), by using Cox regression models adjusted for several possible confounding variables. We examined the possible nonlinear threshold effect of social isolation on mortality. Results. The analyses revealed that social isolation predicted mortality even after we controlled for loneliness and control variables. The connection between social isolation and mortality was linear in nature and there was no synergistic effect between social

  17. The unique and synergistic effects of social isolation and loneliness on 20-years mortality risks in older men and women

    Marja Aartsen, Hanna Vangen, George Pavlidis, et al. · 2024 · Frontiers in Public Health · 8 citations

    IntroductionThis study investigates the individual and combined impacts of loneliness and social isolation on 20-year mortality risks among older men and women.MethodsUtilizing data from the Norwegian Life Course, Ageing, and Generation study (NorLAG) carried out in 2002, 2007 and 2017, we assessed loneliness via direct and indirect questions, and social isolation through factors like partnership status and contact frequency with family and friends. Yearly information on mortality was derived from the national registries and was available until November 2022. Gender-stratified Cox regression models adjusted for age and other risk factors were employed.ResultsOf the 11,028 unique respondents,

  19. SOCIAL ISOLATION, LONELINESS, AND MEN'S HEALTH

    Harry O Taylor · 2019 · Innovation in Aging · 1 citations

    Abstract Strong and fulfilling relationships are important components of men’s health and well-being across the life course; however, social isolation and loneliness are important but under-assessed conditions among older men. This is important to note because older men often subscribe to common masculinity themes regarding independence and self-sufficiency which places them at greater risk for social isolation and loneliness in comparison to older women. The purpose of this presentation is to review the social isolation and loneliness literature specifically among older men by 1) discussing gender differences, and the potential mechanisms behind these differences, in social i

  20. Loneliness and Social Isolation Interventions: A Public Health Analysis

    Christina Victor · 2025 · Innovation in Aging

    Abstract The 1948 World Health Organisation (WHO) definition of health identifies three distinct domains of health: physical, mental and social. Until the second decade of the 21st century the concept of social health was largely neglected. This position was transformed in November 2023 when WHO declared that ‘loneliness as a ‘global public health concern’ and created the Commission on Social Connection. These developments are the culmination of a body of work that has drawn attention to the association between loneliness/social isolation and a range of health and health service use outcomes. A public health approach to loneliness involves primary prevention, proactively pr

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