Loneliness, Depression & Social Isolation Could Shorten Life

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Loneliness and social isolation are some of the factors that lead to depression. According to a research from Brigham Young University, these conditions could cause early death and is on par with factors such as smoking, substance abuse, and obesity, according to Time.

The findings published online on Perspectives on Psychological Science states that social isolation and loneliness are linked to increased chances of early death. The research was conducted from a search of studies using MEDLINE, CINAHL, Social Work Abstracts, Google Scholar and PsycINFO dating from January 1980 to February 2014. The study illustrates that being alone and isolated increase the chances of early death by over 30%.

"The effect of this is comparable to obesity, something that public health takes very seriously," states Julianne Holt-Lunstad, the author of the lead study in a news release from Brigham Young University. "We need to start taking our social relationships more seriously."

Loneliness pertains to feeling alone but surrounded by many people. Isolation refers to people who choose to be alone. However, both scenarios have the same outcome.

According to Tim Smith, the co-author of the study, there might be an epidemic caused by loneliness in the future because we are currently at the highest recorded rate of living alone compared in the last hundred years.

The study found that the effect was the same for men and women and that the connection between loneliness and earlier death is higher for younger people under the age of 65. Having present physical health problems further increased the risk of death.

"Even if you live alone but don't feel lonely, you may still experience a negative impact on your health," Smith said in an article by Philly.com. Humans are naturally social beings and we function better when we are in the company of other people, he explained.

But the good news is you can subdue the effects of loneliness and isolation by creating and maintaining friendships. "People have a very basic and fundamental need to feel connected to and cared for by other people," Lisa Jaremka, an assistant professor of psychological and brain sciences at the University of Delaware in Newark, shared.

Furthermore, she advised reaching out and communicating with existing family and friends. In retrospect, friends and families who have members that are isolated should also put in effort to maintain meaningful relationships with that person.