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Social isolation and feelings of loneliness can significantly increase a person’s risk of death. This is confirmed by an extensive analysis by a Chinese research team.

A lack of social contacts goes hand in hand with an approximately 32 percent higher risk of death, and the feeling of loneliness with an approximately 14 percent higher risk, the scientists report in the journal Nature Human Behaviour.

The researchers see an increased release of the stress hormone cortisol as a physical reason for the increased risk, which has a negative effect on bodily functions in the long term. According to the analysis, there were no statistically significant differences between the sexes. However, women felt lonelier – even though they tended to have larger social networks. Men are more likely to live alone and lack social contact, but their reported subjective feelings of loneliness often do not reflect this.

2.2 million study participants

The group led by Yashuang Zhao and Maoqing Wang of Harbin Medical University evaluated 90 studies from different countries with a total of more than 2.2 million participants. An objective lack of social contacts in people with a limited social network was seen as social isolation.

Past studies have shown that loneliness and isolation can lead to higher mortality – but there were also analytical results that did not confirm this. Zhao, Wang and colleagues selected 90 of more than 14,000 studies on social isolation and loneliness published between 1986 and 2022.

Loneliness and social isolation were measured differently in the studies reviewed, and 90 percent of the studies were conducted in high-middle-income countries. Nevertheless, the study authors assume that there is a general association between loneliness, social isolation and an increased risk of death. (saw/sda/dpa)