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Research papers on Loneliness and isolation

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  1. Loneliness and Social Isolation as Risk Factors for Mortality

    Julianne Holt‐Lunstad, Timothy B. Smith, Mark Baker, et al. · 2015 · Perspectives on Psychological Science · 5,993 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

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  2. 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 · 2,497 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

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  4. Loneliness, Social Isolation, and Cardiovascular Health

    Ning Xia, Huige Li · 2017 · Antioxidants and Redox Signaling · 494 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

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  5. 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 · 484 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

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  6. Loneliness, social isolation, their synergistic interaction, and mortality.

    Johannes Beller, Adina Svenja Wagner · 2018 · Health Psychology · 217 citations

    OBJECTIVE: Although loneliness and social isolation are distinct constructs, only few studies have examined the putative synergistic effects of loneliness and social isolation on health. The current study strives to fill this gap. We ask, "Do loneliness, social isolation, and their interaction predict mortality?" METHODS: We used a large nationally representative sample of middle-aged and older adults in Germany (N = 4,838) with a follow-up period of up to 20 years. RESULTS: We found that the effects of loneliness and social isolation synergistically interact with each other: The higher the social isolation, the larger the effect of loneliness on mortality, and the higher the loneliness, the

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

    Jussi Tanskanen, Timo Anttila · 2016 · American Journal of Public Health · 188 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 is

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  8. Loneliness, social isolation, cardiovascular disease and mortality: a synthesis of the literature and conceptual framework

    S. Hodgson, Isabella Watts, S. Fraser, et al. · 2020 · Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine · 151 citations

    To conduct a systematic review and develop a conceptual framework on the mechanisms linking loneliness, social isolation, health outcomes and mortality. Electronic databases were systematically searched (PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus and EMBASE) from inception to October 2018 followed by manual searching to identify research on loneliness, social isolation and mortality in adults published in the English language. Articles were assessed for quality and synthesised into a conceptual framework using meta-ethnographical approaches. A total of 122 articles were included. These collated observational designs examining mediators and moderations of the association in addition to qualitative studies explo

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  9. Affective Neuroscience of Loneliness: Potential Mechanisms underlying the Association between Perceived Social Isolation, Health, and Well-Being

    A. Finley, S. Schaefer · 2022 · Journal of psychiatry and brain science · 70 citations

    Loneliness, or the subjective feeling of social isolation, is an important social determinant of health. Loneliness is associated with poor physical health, including higher rates of cardiovascular disease and dementia, faster cognitive decline, and increased risk of mortality, as well as disruptions in mental health, including higher levels of depression, anxiety, and negative affect. Theoretical accounts suggest loneliness is a complex cognitive and emotional state characterized by increased levels of inflammation and affective disruptions. This review examines affective neuroscience research on social isolation in animals and loneliness in humans to better understand the relationship betw

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  10. Economic gradients in loneliness, social isolation and social support: Evidence from the UK Biobank.

    Claryn S. J. Kung, S. Pudney, Michael A. Shields · 2022 · Social science & medicine · 68 citations

    Despite the substantial literature on how loneliness is associated with poor health and premature mortality, there is little detailed research on the extent of its economic gradients. We provide this evidence using a sample of around 400,000 respondents aged 40-70 years from the UK Biobank, who were assessed between 2006 and 2010. We focus on differences in loneliness, as well as social isolation and a lack of social support, across educational attainment, household income, local area deprivation, and recent experience of financial stress. We employ two statistical approaches, the first exploiting the large sample size and detailed geographical information about where respondents live, so we

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  11. Plasma proteomic signatures of social isolation and loneliness associated with morbidity and mortality

    Chun Shen, Ruo-Han Zhang, Jin-Tai Yu, et al. · 2025 · Nature Human Behaviour · 66 citations

    The biology underlying the connection between social relationships and health is largely unknown. Here, leveraging data from 42,062 participants across 2,920 plasma proteins in the UK Biobank, we characterized the proteomic signatures of social isolation and loneliness through proteome-wide association study and protein co-expression network analysis. Proteins linked to these constructs were implicated in inflammation, antiviral responses and complement systems. More than half of these proteins were prospectively linked to cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and mortality during a 14 year follow-up. Moreover, Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis suggested causal relationships fr

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  12. Loneliness, Social Isolation, and All-Cause Mortality in a Large Sample of Older Adults

    Timothy L. Barnes, Manik Ahuja, S. MacLeod, et al. · 2022 · Journal of Aging and Health · 66 citations

    Objectives Using data from a large random sample of U.S. older adults (N = 7982), the effect of loneliness and social isolation on all-cause mortality was examined considering their separate and combined effects. Methods The UCLA-3 Loneliness Scale and the Social Network Index (SNI) were used to define loneliness and social isolation. Cox proportional hazards regression models were performed. Results Among study participants, there were 548 deaths. In separate, adjusted models, loneliness (severe and moderate) and social isolation (limited and moderate social network) were both associated with all-cause mortality. When modeled together, social isolation (limited and moderate social network)

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  13. Association of loneliness and social isolation with all-cause mortality among older Mexican adults in the Mexican health and aging study: a retrospective observational study

    Ashuin Kammar‐García, Ricardo Ramírez‐Aldana, Paloma Roa‐Rojas, et al. · 2023 · BMC Geriatrics · 26 citations

    BACKGROUND: Plenty of evidence shows how social isolation and loneliness are associated with increased risk for numerous diseases and mortality. But findings about their interactive or combined effects on health outcomes and mortality remains inconclusive. OBJECTIVE: Analyze the longitudinal association of loneliness, social isolation and their interactions, with the all-cause mortality among older adults in Mexico. METHODS: A retrospective observational study was conducted. Mexican adults older than 50 years were included. Data from the Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS) in the 2015 and 2018 waves were used. The subjects were classified according to their level of loneliness and the pres

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  15. Sex differences in the impact of social isolation and loneliness on mortality.

    Alexandre Vallée · 2025 · Public health · 10 citations

    OBJECTIVE Social isolation and loneliness are increasingly recognized as risk factors for mortality, but their sex-specific effects remain unclear. STUDY DESIGN This study examines the impact of social isolation and loneliness and their combined association with all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and cancer mortality. METHODS 322,558 participants were analyzed from the UK Biobank cohort (51.3 % female, mean age: 55.66 ± 7.99 years; 48.7 % male, mean age: 56.53 ± 8.16 years). Social isolation and loneliness were assessed using validated measures. Mortality data were obtained from national death registries over a median follow-up of 11.83 years. Cox proportional hazards models estima

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  16. Comparing Loneliness, Social Inactivity, and Social Isolation: Associations with Health-Related Quality of Life and Mortality among Home-Dwelling Older Adults

    Laura J. Rautiainen, Anu H. Jansson, Mia T. Knuutila, et al. · 2024 · Gerontology · 9 citations

    INTRODUCTION: Loneliness, social inactivity, and social isolation are intertwined concepts. When assessed separately, they indicate poor well-being, adverse health effects, and increased mortality. Studies exploring overlapping and comparing the prognosis of these concepts are scarce. We investigated (1) overlapping of concepts of loneliness, social inactivity, and social isolation, (2) characteristics of groups: group 0 (not lonely, socially inactive, or socially isolated), group 1 (lonely), group 2 (not lonely but socially inactive and/or socially isolated), and (3) the health-related quality of life (HRQoL), psychological well-being (PWB), and 3.6-year mortality of these groups. METHODS:

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  17. Association of social isolation and loneliness with all-cause and cause-specific mortality among individuals with type 2 diabetes: a prospective study in UK Biobank

    Xiaoran Duan, Yujie Wei, Ya-Hao Ge, et al. · 2025 · Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health · 3 citations

    Background Previous study revealed that social isolation and loneliness are associated with incident type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, the long-term effects of social isolation and loneliness on the population with T2DM have not been known. This study aims to evaluate the potential associations of social isolation and loneliness with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in individuals with T2DM. Methods The prospective cohort study included 26 549 UK adults diagnosed with T2DM at baseline. Social isolation and loneliness were evaluated through a self-reported questionnaire. Mortality data was obtained from the National Death Registration Centre. Results During a median follow-up of

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  18. Social isolation, loneliness and the relationship with serum biomarkers, functional parameters and mortality in older adults

    S. Braig, M. Denkinger, D. Dallmeier, et al. · 2025 · Aging Clinical and Experimental Research · 3 citations

    Pathways between social isolation (SI), loneliness and health are unclear. To analyze the relationship between SI and loneliness with biomarkers of inflammation, cardiac and immune function, functional parameters, and mortality. SI (Lubben Social Network Scale) from family, friends, and overall as well as loneliness (single direct question) were assessed at baseline in a population-based cohort study of 1459 community-dwelling adults aged 65 + in Germany. Serum biomarkers and functional parameters measured at baseline and at three-year follow-up included high-sensitivity C reactive protein (hs-CRP), growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBN

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  19. Loneliness and social isolation in transitions to adverse health conditions and mortality: an analysis of data from the UK Biobank study

    Kaisla Komulainen, Ripsa Niemi, Mai Gutvilig, et al. · 2025 · Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health · 2 citations

    BACKGROUND: Adverse health conditions may serve as intermediate states linking loneliness and social isolation with excess mortality. We examined whether loneliness and social isolation are primarily associated with the risk of developing an adverse health condition or with prognosis after diagnosis. METHODS: A cohort of 236 879 individuals from the UK Biobank was followed from baseline in 2006-2010 until death or administrative end of follow-up in 2022. The incidence of three broad categories of adverse health conditions, (1) neoplasms, (2) endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases and (3) circulatory diseases, was recorded through self-report or register-based data. Progressive multist

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  20. Association of Loneliness, Social Isolation and Health Problems in the Elderly

    Dede Himawan Dwi Susanto · 2024 · Jurnal Psikiatri Surabaya · 2 citations

    Introduction: Humans develop themselves and their personalities to survive and adapt to live with other humans in society as social beings. Healthy social relationships are essential for mental and physical health while disrupting social interactions can lead to loneliness and social isolation. This narrative review describes health problems in the elderly, especially depression and cardiovascular disease as a result of loneliness and social isolation. Methods: PubMed database was searched for studies written in English. Keywords to search the journals and ebooks are “loneliness”, “social isolation”, “depression”, “cardiovascular disease” and “old age”.Results: Loneliness and social isolatio

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  21. The Link between Loneliness, Social Isolation, and Cardiovascular Disease

    Khairina, Y. Ibrahim · 2024 · Jurnal Psikiatri Surabaya · 2 citations

    Introduction: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Loneliness, a subjective feeling of social isolation, and social isolation, an objective lack of social connections, contribute to social vulnerability and physical frailty. Psychological factors and social support play important roles in CVD, affecting health behaviors and physiological mechanisms. This review aims to provide an understanding of how loneliness and social isolation impact CVD. Methods: A literature review was conducted to identify relevant studies investigating the association between loneliness, social isolation, and cardiovascular disease. Results: The findings indicate that s

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  22. Associations of loneliness, social isolation and healthy lifestyle with life expectancy free of major physical disease and mental disorder

    Xuan Wang, Hao Ma, Yoriko Heianza, et al. · 2026 · Nature Communications · 1 citations

    Loneliness and social isolation are linked to higher risks of mortality and a range of adverse physical diseases and mental disorders, yet the extent to which they affect overall health and quality of life remains unclear. Here we show that loneliness and social isolation are more strongly associated with life expectancy free of mental disorder than with life expectancy free of physical disease. This study includes 277,489 adults from the UK Biobank who are initially free of seven major chronic diseases (type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, neurodegenerative disease, cancer, depression, and anxiety). At age 50, women and men experiencing both loneliness and s

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  24. Loneliness, Social Isolation, and Depression among Older Adults in Nigeria: A Public Health Crisis

    Ujunwa Favour Agu, Ayomikun Nifemi Dahunsi, Leticia Appiah, et al. · 2025 · Journal of Disease and Global Health

    Nigeria is undergoing a rapid demographic transition, with a growing proportion of its population entering old age. Despite this trend, the mental health needs of older adults remain significantly under-addressed. Among the most pressing challenges are loneliness, social isolation, and depression—interrelated but distinct psychosocial conditions that contribute profoundly to morbidity, diminished quality of life, and premature mortality in later life. Loneliness refers to the subjective perception of inadequate social relationships, while social isolation is defined by a lack of actual social contact; both are potent risk factors for late-life depression, which is often underdiagnosed and un

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