Feeling lonely is more than an unpleasant emotion. A major new study suggests it may have a powerful effect on mental health, well-being, and even overall physical health.
Researchers from the University of Bristol, working with scientists from Nesta, Amsterdam UMC, the University of Oxford and the University of Manchester, found that people who feel lonely are much more likely to experience poorer mental health and lower quality of life. Their findings were published in Nature Communications.
Loneliness has become a growing public health concern in many countries. More people are living alone, working remotely, or spending less time in face-to-face social activities. Although digital communication allows people to stay connected, many still report feeling lonely.
Researchers have increasingly linked loneliness with depression, anxiety, heart disease and early death, but an important question has remained unanswered. Does loneliness itself damage health, or are unhealthy people simply more likely to become lonely?
To investigate this question, the research team combined several different scientific methods. They analysed information from the UK Biobank, one of the world’s largest health databases, and also examined results from large genetic studies.
By combining observational research, comparisons between siblings, and a genetic approach known as Mendelian randomisation, the researchers were able to test whether the links remained after accounting for many other possible explanations.
The researchers distinguished between loneliness and social isolation. Loneliness describes how people feel about the quality of their relationships. Someone may have many friends but still feel lonely. Social isolation, on the other hand, refers to having relatively few social contacts. Although the two often occur together, they are not exactly the same.
The study found that loneliness had the strongest association with poor mental health and lower well-being. People who felt lonely were also more likely to report poorer general health and to live with several health conditions. Social isolation was also linked with lower well-being, although the effects were generally weaker than those seen with loneliness.
The researchers did not find convincing evidence that loneliness directly caused specific physical diseases. However, they caution that this possibility cannot yet be ruled out because more research is needed.
Dr. Zoe Reed said the findings show that supporting people who experience loneliness or social isolation could improve mental health, overall well-being and general health. The researchers believe loneliness should be treated as an important public health issue rather than simply a personal problem.
The study focused mainly on middle-aged and older adults. Future research will need to examine younger people and investigate whether long-lasting loneliness has even greater effects than temporary feelings of isolation.
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Source: University of Bristol.
