Social isolation and loneliness: A more serious risk factor than many realize?
Hi everyone,
I'd never looked seriously at the correlative data linking social isolation with bad health outcomes because I always assumed the real driver of the effect was already existing morbidity of some kind (which then led to social isolation).
But I started digging into the research a bit, and now I'm not so sure.
This is relevant to many of us, I believe. It's certainly a relevant matter for me. I'd been dismissing the concern, however, because I'd always assumed that if there is any independent effect of social interaction, it is fundamentally an effect involving a sense of purpose that is connected to a greater societal good (mediated in ways small and large in our social interactions, even if we mostly talk about the weather – which we of course do not). Since my work with Rescue Elders involves waking up every day and trying to solve aging, I assumed the fact that I now live alone and have a very limited social life – aside from the telephonic and other electronic interaction – was largely irrelevant. But maybe not.
Here's a decent overview of the topic:
https://academic.oup.com/ppar/article/27/4/127/4782506
I don't have access to many of the cited papers, so I can't check the important details, such as how potentially confounding factors were controlled for.
Has anyone looked at this data closely? Any thoughts appreciated.
Seems to me that if Holt-Lunstad is right, it's profoundly mistaken for the age-reversal community to be speaking so much about diet and exercise, and almost not at all about social isolation.
Brian
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I've always had trouble with these studies. For one I haven't seen any such study that considers personality type along with isolation. Without that you can't adequately define what isolation is. Further they don't appear to measure forced isolation versus 'voluntary'. What I'm getting at is that the major systems of personality (pick one you like - Big 5, MBTI or Socionics) all recognize the Extrovert/Introvert dynamic. Extroverted types are very sociable - they go to parties, throw parties and have a thousand 'friends' on Facebook. Introverts aren't shy - they just don't have an obsessive need to talk about the weather with people.
So, the degree of socializing that a typical introvert engages in would be pathological for an extrovert, and vice-versa. Personally I'm an introvert, and having to socialize too much stresses me out. Already as it is you can't avoid it, I have to socialize all day at work (as a software engineer!), there's social media (like this!!) and whatnot. People, can't live with 'em, can't avoid them.
Anyhow, with an information centric future and GAI I don't see this as an issue, if it ever was. I dislike the conclusion people (extraverts surely) make which we must be highly sociable or our longevity will suffer. The more precise view is that people need an appropriate level of sociability or they will be stressed, which is kind of an obvious observation anyhow.
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Dan Mc Good point, Dan. I, too, am an introvert. My social activity would probably considered problematic for someone who is an extrovert, but I'm quite happy!
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Combating loneliness, which is to say, overcoming the obstacles and meeting individual social needs, is perhaps the central question of my own website: http://www.FoolQuest.com I am frustrated in seeking any serious discussion on the problem.
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Studies are usually too vague and broad in general for me to act upon. I don’t consider myself either an extrovert or an introvert, but I definitely do prefer being alone than being with friends. I believe being social and having a sense of belonging is essential to good health, but at the same time (at least for me) the pressure and stress of having to “act” a certain way among other people in different circumstances and situations can cause anxiety and stress that isn’t necessary and we all know what stress and anxiety do for our health.
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Have you read 'Lost Connections' by Johann Hari? Conclusions: people are sad/depressed for social and financial reasons. Drugs are not the answer.
Also relevant IMHO is 'Dancing in the Streets' by Barbara Ehrenreich. She is a better writer than speaker. There is a lack of public celebrations in modern society. A party not a pill might be more effective?
