Do you easily fall ill? Study shows loneliness may be affecting your health
Study reveals which type of social disconnectedness is the most harmful and what kinds of medical conditions it is associated with.
Do you fall sick easily? The problem may not just be physical but emotional too. A study published in Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences revealed that lonely, socially isolated people are more likely to fall sick. The study was able to identify a clear connection between social isolation and serious health issues.
Loneliness causes serious health issues
The researchers examined 160,000 people in Denmark to understand if loneliness, low social support and social isolation lead to health concerns. The researchers checked on these three parameters. They also tracked the study participants' medical records.
The finding was shocking as loneliness led to several serious medical conditions, from chronic to even potentially fatal conditions.
Here's the list of different types of medical conditions the study listed:
- Mental disorders
- All-cause dementia
- Circulatory conditions
- Endocrine conditions
- Pulmonary conditions
- Gastrointestinal conditions
- Urogenital conditions
- Musculoskeletal conditions
- Hematologic conditions
- Neurologic conditions
- Cancer
Secondly, being socially disconnected with poor social support also shows a higher risk of depression, dementia, coronary heart disease, stroke, and sarcopenia.
The biggest risk for lonely people is poor mental health. In fact, as per the findings, lonely people were at a 2.63-times higher risk than those who are not lonely.
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Loneliness is riskiest of all
The study examined, as mentioned, three parameters: loneliness, social isolation, and low social support. Social isolation is about not meeting or talking to people often. Low social support means having no one to rely on during tough times, and loneliness is the feeling of being alone even when people are around. To further explain, loneliness is an emotional feeling, social isolation is being withdrawn and socially or physically absent, while low social support refers to a lack of trustworthy, dependable relationships.
As per the findings, the very feeling of being lonely is enough to establish a connection to falling sick. Whether you interact less or have few people you can turn to does not matter as much, even though all three parameters essentially come under the same umbrella term of social disconnect.
So, even if you are alone, i.e, don't talk much to people or have close relationships, it’s the feeling of loneliness that matters most. And that feeling can exist whether you're surrounded by a big friend group or completely by yourself.
The researchers pointed out that this is a good time to reflect if you are frequently falling sick. A check on your social life might help.
ALSO READ: Social anxiety, loneliness, and heart health: How feeling isolated impacts your stress response
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
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