Although the advent of social media has helped humans connect more widely than ever, it hasn’t done much to curb loneliness, which is believed to greatly impact overall health.
A recent study aims to establish the relationship between temporary feelings of loneliness and health issues – it’s alarming. If you find yourself ‘spiraling’ into despair at any point, follow a therapist’s advice to improve your mental health.
Study links temporary loneliness to physical health symptoms
The latest study by Penn State researchers found that a lack of social life may influence your physical health and overall well-being.
To some, being alone is a lifestyle choice. Yet, it can hurt your health as the study claims that “loneliness can lead to negative health symptoms for people even if they do not generally identify as lonely or typically experience loneliness.”
The data representing 1538 participants aged between 35 and 65 in the National Study of Daily Experiences assessed daily stress and mood for eight consecutive days.
Respondents described any positive or stressful situation for each day over telephonic interviews while revealing if they felt lonely and if the feeling was accompanied by any physical symptom. The assessment was carried out twice, ten years apart.
The study establishes that individuals who were less lonely on average experienced fewer health symptoms such as general fatigue, headaches, and nausea. Whereas, participants who were more stable in loneliness across all eight days had several health problems.
Professor of human development and family studies at Penn State and senior author of the paper, David Almeida said: “Increasing feelings of social connection even for one day could result in fewer health symptoms on that day. Such a daily focus offers a manageable and hopeful micro-intervention for individuals living with loneliness.”
Long-term loneliness linked to critical illnesses
The study by Penn State College of Health and Human Development was inspired by a statement made by US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy in 2023 regarding long-term loneliness, deemed a public health crisis.
His work claimed the long-term health consequences of loneliness and lack of social connection included several critical illnesses – a 29% increased risk of heart disease, a 32% increased risk of stroke, and a 50% increased risk of developing dementia in older adults.
As loneliness isn’t a binary trait, researchers are working toward understanding variations in daily loneliness and how it affects day-to-day life and long-term health.
