The need for social interaction, and caring relationships among people is one of the most important requirements for normal mental health [3]. The average healthy person spends approximately 80% of their waking life around other people [1]. We require the company of others so much that the worst possible punishment, solitary confinement, is considered more detrimental than being locked up with violent offenders, rapists and the worst of human society. When we begin to grow isolated, a surprisingly large number of health affects start to take place.
Perceived social isolation (the feeling of being lonely) and objective social isolation (having little to no family or friends) is known to cause increases in, and reactivity to stress [2,3,4,7], increased risk of obesity and cardiovascular disease [1,2,5,6,], increased risk of developing depression [1,5,7] and increased inflammation and sickness behaviours [3,7]. In fact, feeling that you are lonely has been shown to produce worse effects to health than being objectively lonely [1].
Feelings of loneliness and social isolation are thought to contribute to anxiety and depression through the development of negative thought patterns, or core beliefs [7]. When we’re alone for extended periods of time, we can begin to view ourselves negatively, and hold ideas that we are ‘undesirable’ or ‘unlovable’. These poor self-references are associated with biological processes such as inflammation, depression and sickness behaviours [7]. Additionally, these behaviours create social withdrawal, which makes loneliness and depression a self-perpetuating disease.
Studies show that when people experience loneliness, they experience increased levels of stress and reactivity to stressful situations [3,7]. Increased stress over time creates ‘allostatic load’ which is a cumulative wear and tear of the neurons in the brain due to psychosocial stressors, such as loneliness [2,5]. When we’re stressed, we are more overreactive, observe less self-control, and even suffer a reduction in cognitive function! [6]
We can reverse the damaging effects of loneliness through social interaction, where we receive affection and general emotional support. Spending time with others has been shown to increase the opportunities for physical activity, healthy lifestyle practices and pressure to avoid harmful habits [5,6]. During difficult and stressful times (sickness, injury, break-ups and job loss), having friends and family is a pivotal aspect of managing stress and negative behaviours. Having others nearby will make you more likely to receive treatment when you’re sick or injured, or management options when you’re going through a job loss or a break-up [4].
If you notice a friend or family member becoming a little too distant, they could desperately need your support. When people become depressed or lonely, their motivation to engage in social activity declines [7]. The people they end up seeking out are usually also depressed or lonely themselves, which only makes their situation more serious [1]. This creates a fraying at the edges of our social fabric, when left alone can pull apart social networks like a damaged, crocheted sweater [1].
Together, we can reduce loneliness with an aggressive targeting of the ones we notice becoming distant. We can reduce the stigma of loneliness, by imagining social interaction as a ‘medicine’ or ‘treatment’ for the people we know are struggling with their mental health. It’s more important than ever to take the initiative and organise ways to provide a positive and emotionally supportive environment for our peers.
References:
1. Cacioppo, J; Fowler, J; Christakis, N; (2009). Alone in the crowd: The structure and spread of loneliness in a large social network. Journal of personality and social psychology, 97(6), 977.
2. Caspi, A; Harrington, H; Moffitt, T; Milne, B; Poulton, R (2006). Socially isolated children 20 years later: risk of cardiovascular disease. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 160(8), 805-811.
3. Jaremka, L; Fagundes, C; Peng, J; Bennett, J; Glaser, R; Malarkey, W; Kiecolt-Glaser, J (2013). Loneliness promotes inflammation during acute stress. Psychological Science, 24(7), 1089-1097.
4. Kornblith, A; Herndon, J; Zuckerman, E; Viscoli, C; Horwitz, R; Cooper, M; ... Norton, L (2001). Social support as a buffer to the psychological impact of stressful life events in women with breast cancer. Cancer, 91(2), 443-454.
5. Lauder, W; Mummery, K; Jones, M; Caperchione, C (2006). A comparison of health behaviours in lonely and non-lonely populations. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 11(2), 233-245.
6. Luo, Y; Hawkley, L; Waite, L; Cacioppo, J; (2012). Loneliness, health, and mortality in old age: a national longitudinal study. Social science & medicine, 74(6), 907-914.
7. Slavich, G; O’Donovan, A; Epel, E; Kemeny, M; (2010). Black sheep get the blues: a psychobiological model of social rejection and depression. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 35(1), 39-45.
