EFFECTS OF SOCIAL ISOLATION AND LONELINESS

Mental and physical health are interconnected. Social isolation’s adverse health consequences range from sleeplessness to reduced immune function. Loneliness is associated with higher anxiety, depression, and suicide rates. Isolation and loneliness are also linked to poor cardiovascular health and cognitive function:

A study led by an epidemiologist at Newcastle University concluded that deficiencies in social relationships are associated with a higher risk for coronary heart disease and stroke.

A study published in The Journals of Gerontology concluded that loneliness was associated with a 40 percent increase in the risk of dementia.

Links between social isolation and serious medical conditions are not fully understood, but ample evidence supports the connection. A study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology linked social isolation with higher risks of premature mortality. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) points to loneliness and isolation as serious public health risks.

Some effects of social isolation are specific to pandemics or other public health situations that require people to physically distance.

Loneliness and depression can go hand in hand with anxiety and fear about the dangers associated with the event that made physical distancing measures necessary. (???) Even people who are supportive of safetyrelated isolation and quarantine can experience frustration and irritability.

Understanding the Effects of Social Isolation on Mental Health. Tulane University - School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. Published in: December 8, 2020. Available in: https://publichealth.tulane.edu/blog/effects-of-social-isolation-on-mental-health/. Access in: 30 oct. 2021 (adapted)

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