Health impact

There is now substantial evidence that having a lack of social connections significantly increases the risk of premature mortality.

The risk to health that loneliness can bring is greater than those associated with many factors that currently receive substantial public health attention and resources (e.g., obesity, physical inactivity, air pollution).

We want to make sure loneliness is treated as the huge public health concern it is.

This page outlines the main research into the impact of loneliness on our physical and mental health and wellbeing.

Health impact

Loneliness and the impact on our physical health

Loneliness increases the likelihood of mortality by 26% [1]
The effect of loneliness and isolation on mortality is comparable to the impact of well-known risk factors such as obesity, and has a similar influence as cigarette smoking [2]
Loneliness is associated with an increased risk of developing coronary heart disease and stroke [3]
Loneliness increases the risk of high blood pressure [4]
Social isolation and loneliness are risk factors for the progression of frailty [5]

Loneliness and the impact on our mental health

Loneliness puts individuals at greater risk of cognitive decline and dementia [6]
Lonely individuals are more prone to depression [7]
Loneliness and low social interaction are predictive of suicide in older age [8]
Loneliness and isolation are associated with poorer cognitive function among older adults [9]

How does loneliness affect our health

The pathways to explain how loneliness affects health are difficult to demonstrate.

Three main pathways have been suggested: behavioural, psychological and physiological. For instance:

Social isolation and loneliness adversely influence activities of daily living that include functional status (individual’s ability to perform normal daily activities required to meet basic needs, fulfil usual roles, and maintain health and well-being) among older adults [10]
Have a direct influence on health related physiology such as blood pressure and reduced immune functioning [11]
People reporting loneliness have poorer sleep quality [12]
Both social isolation and loneliness were associated with a greater risk of being inactive, smoking, as well as reporting multiple health-risk behaviours including physical inactivity and smoking [13]
Loneliness is associated with lower self-esteem and limited use of active coping mechanisms [14]
Loneliness and social isolation may affect health independently through their effects on health behaviours. In addition, social isolation may also affect health through biological processes associated with the development of cardiovascular disease.

Loneliness and health and social care use

In addition, lonely people are more likely to rely on use of our health and social care services:

Older patients living along are 50% more likely to access emergency care services [15]
40% more likely to have more than 12 GP appointments [16]
Independent risk of care home admission [17]
Reducing loneliness should reduce the demand for institutional care [18]

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References

1] Holt-Lunstad, J., Smith, T.B., Baker, M., Harris, T. and Stephenson, D., 2015. Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors for mortality: a meta-analytic review. Perspectives on psychological science, 10(2), pp.227-237

[2] Holt-Lunstad, J., Smith, T.B. and Layton, J.B., 2010. Social relationships and mortality risk: a meta-analytic review. PLoS medicine, 7(7), p.e1000316.

[3] Valtorta, N.K., Kanaan, M., Gilbody, S., Ronzi, S. and Hanratty, B., 2016. Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors for coronary heart disease and stroke: systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal observational studies. Heart, 102(13), pp.1009-1016.

[4] Hawkley, L.C., Thisted, R.A., Masi, C.M. and Cacioppo, J.T., 2010. Loneliness predicts increased blood pressure: 5-year cross-lagged analyses in middle-aged and older adults. Psychology and aging, 25(1), p.132.

[5] Social isolation and loneliness as risk factors for the progress ion of frailty: the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Gale C, Westbury L, Cooper C, the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, Age and Ageing, Volume 47, Issue 3, 1 May 2018, Pages 392–397

[6] Global Council on Brain Health. (2017). The brain and social connectedness: GCBH recommendations on social engagement and brain health. Retrieved from www.GlobalCouncilOnBrainHealth.org.

[7] Cacioppo, J.T. and Cacioppo, S., 2014. Older adults reporting social isolation or loneliness show poorer cognitive function 4 years later. Evidence-based nursing, 17(2), pp.59-60.

[8] O’Connell, H., Chin, A.V., Cunningham, C. and Lawlor, B.A., 2004. Recent developments: suicide in older people. Bmj, 329(7471), pp.895-899.

[9] Cacioppo, J.T. and Cacioppo, S., 2014. Older adults reporting social isolation or loneliness show poorer cognitive function 4 years later. Evidence-based nursing, 17(2), pp.59-60.

[10] Shankar, Aparna, et al. “Social isolation and loneliness: Prospective associations with functional status in older adults.” Health psychology 36.2 (2017): 179.

[11] Holt-Lunstad, Julianne. “The potential public health relevance of social isolation and loneliness: Prevalence, epidemiology, and risk factors.” Public Policy & Aging Report 27.4 (2017): 127-130.

[12] Cacioppo, J.T., Hawkley, L.C., Crawford, L.E., Ernst, J.M., Burleson, M.H., Kowalewski, R.B., Malarkey, W.B., Van Cauter, E. and Berntson, G.G., 2002. Loneliness and health: Potential mechanisms. Psychosomatic medicine, 64(3), pp.407-417.

[13] Valtorta, N.K., Kanaan, M., Gilbody, S., Ronzi, S. and Hanratty, B., 2016. Loneliness and social isolation as risk factors for coronary heart disease and stroke: systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal observational studies. Heart, 102(13), pp.1009-1016.

[14] Ibid.

[15] Dreyer K, Stevenson A, Fisher R, Deeny SR. The association between living alone and health care utilisation in older adults: a retrospective cohort study of electronic health records from a London general practice. BMC Geriatrics 2018;18:269 Available at: https://bmcgeriatr.biomed-central.com/articles/10.1186/s12877-018-0939-45.

[16]Ibid.

[17] Hanratty B, Stowl D, Collingridge Moore D, Valtora NK. Loneliness as a risk factor for care home admission in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Age and Ageing 2018;47(6):896–900

[18]Hanratty B, Stowl D, Collingridge Moore D, Valtora NK. Loneliness as a risk factor for care home admission in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Age and Ageing 2018;47(6):896–900

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The Latest from the Campaign

All-Party Parliamentary Group on loneliness and connected communities

Listen to our loneliness podcasts

Latest news and Blogs

Press Releases

Supported by

Health impact

Loneliness and the impact on our physical health

Loneliness and the impact on our mental health

How does loneliness affect our health

Loneliness and health and social care use

Tackling loneliness in practice: Social prescribing in Rotherham Read more

Tackling loneliness in practice: Social prescribing in Rotherham

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