Lack of certain types of social connection linked with higher risk of dying early, study finds

If you’re visiting with loved ones this holiday season, a new study suggests you make that a habit on a regular basis, if you haven’t already. Those who don’t socialise with friends or family may see their risk of dying early increase by 39%.

Previous studies have linked loneliness or social isolation with a higher risk of premature death and other health outcomes. But few have looked into how these associations depend on the combined impact of different types of social interaction, according to a study published in the journal BMC Medicine.

“We examined two different types of loneliness and three different types of social isolation… and we found that each of these were associated with a higher risk of dying,” said Hamish Foster, first study author and clinical research fellow at the School of Health and Wellbeing of the University of Glasgow in Scotland.

A sense of loneliness was measured by two factors: how often participants felt they could confide in someone close to them and how frequently they felt lonely. Participants’ social isolation was gauged by how often they were visited by friends or family, how often they engaged in weekly group activities, and whether they lived alone. Experiencing a lack of any of the study’s five types of social connection — to any degree — was associated with higher risk of dying early from any cause, the authors found.

The large group of over 458,000 participants was part of the UK Biobank study, which has followed the health outcomes of more than 500,000 middleaged people in the UK — aged 40-69 — for 10 years. When the participants, who were around age 56 on average, were recruited between 2006 and 2010.

The study’s researchers then followed up with participants after a period of around 12 years. They found that, compared with people whose family and friends visited them daily, the risk of premature death for those who lived alone and never had visits increased by 39%. Engaging in activities with groups of people who weren’t loved ones didn’t help reduce this risk, suggesting that connections with friends or family may be more valuable than potentially surface-level interactions.

Time with loved ones at least monthly meant a lower risk. These close contacts may have provided “more practical support or be more likely to identify subtle deteriorations in the health and wellbeing of an individual,” the authors said.

Social disconnection has been linked to poor immune function, cardiovascular issues such as high blood pressure and neurodevelopmental impairment. It can also be a form of stress, which can negatively affect the body. Those who reported any degree of social disconnect were more likely to have a higher bodymass index; long-term health conditions; and unhealthy habits such as smoking, drinking alcohol in excess or not getting enough physical activity.

The authors didn’t have information on the quality of relationships with people participants lived with, a detail that could explain how sharing a home with someone may not be sufficient to reduce the negative impact of loneliness.

People who had visits from loved ones did further benefit from also joining other group activities, so both are important in helping people feel more connected, said Dr Olivia Remes, a mental health researcher at the University of Cambridge in England. Such activities could be a hobby-based class or a religious service, Gill added.

The authors didn’t look into the effect of animal companions, Foster said, but other research has shown having a pet may be beneficial if you’re living alone.