Can Loneliness Reduce Life Span? Know How Social Connection is Linked to Healthy, Long Life As Per WHO Report

We know all about what our neighbours are doing and eating, or even the holiday destination they are on right now. Thanks to social media. But how often do we actually pick up our phone and call them? Or just take those two flights of stairs and knock on our neighbour’s door to check up on them? Almost never. This is the sad reality of today’s day and age. Technology has made our lives easier, but lonelier.

In this age of social media, even when we all know the whereabouts of each others’ lives, social connection is missing. This is something to be concerned about. Multiple studies have shown that lack of social connection can affect our health negatively in more ways than one. Research revealed that loneliness can be detrimental to health. Don’t believe us? Then hear us out.

Social Connection Vs Loneliness

Before we take a deep dive into the study, we need to understand what ‘social connection’ and ‘loneliness’ actually means.

Social connection depicts how people relate to or interact with each other. It consists of three dimensions: structure (the number and types of relationships and roles, and how often and how long people interact); function (the type and amount of support exchanged); and quality (whether interactions are positive – loving, satisfying – or negative – strained, conflictual, or violent).

Loneliness is a form of social disconnection. It is a subjective, distressing feeling that stems from a gap between the social connections one has and those one wants or needs.

The World Health Organization (WHO) Commission on Social Connection released its global report, which disclosed that loneliness is linked to an estimated 100 deaths every hour, and more than 8,71,000 deaths annually. The report further mentioned that strong social connections can lead to better health and longer life.

Data On Loneliness And Its Impact

New data from WHO’s report depict that it is a widespread global issue. Let’s take a look at what the data reveals:

• Approximately 1 in 6 people globally (15.8%) report feeling lonely.
• Loneliness affects all regions and age groups, but some groups are more affected than others:
• Young people, especially adolescents, report the highest rates – 21% say they are lonely. Rates generally decrease with age.
• Loneliness is more common in lower-income countries: 24.3% of people in low-income countries report feeling lonely compared to 11% in high-income countries.
• Rates are similar for males and females.

How Social Disconnection Affects Health

Researchers reveal that social connection can help people live healthy and long lives. Social connection can reduce inflammation, lower the risk of serious health issues, improve mental health, and reduce risk of early death.

On the other hand, social disconnection is linked with higher risk of illnesses, including heart disease, stroke, anxiety, depression, and dementia. Loneliness and social isolation is said to increase the risk for premature death by 26% and 29% respectively. Loneliness can also lead to thoughts of self-harm or suicide.

The causes behind loneliness and social isolation are multiple, such as poor health, low income and education, living alone, inadequate community infrastructure and public policies, and digital technologies. The WHO report also focuses on the need for vigilance around the effects of uncontrolled screen time or negative online interactions on young people’s mental health and overall well-being.

Also Read: https://www.onlymyhealth.com/social-isolation-linked-to-increased-risk-of-heart-disease-and-cognitive-decline-tips-to-stay-safe-12977839248

Tips To Build Social Connection

It’s not easy to battle loneliness and isolation. But all we need to do to come out of it, is just reach out to someone. It could be anyone – a friend, a neighbor, a relative or the person right next to us. Here are some of the tips to improve social connectedness:

• Make time to connect with those who care about you.
• Reach out to different people to broaden your support network.
• Join a group centered around shared interests to develop a sense of belonging.
• Build a balance between giving and receiving.
• Ask for help when needed, even if it’s difficult.
• Offer support to those around you.
• Practice gratitude; expressing appreciation strengthens bonds.
• Focus on quality connections.
• Prioritize building strong, meaningful relationships.
• Be supportive, responsive, and show appreciation.
• Address conflicts or negative emotions when they arise to maintain harmony.
• Overcoming Barriers
• Prioritize your health to support active social engagement.
• Limit screen time to make room for in-person connections.
• Incorporate social time into daily activities, like exercising or cooking with others.
• Seek support if feeling isolated, lonely, or stressed; life changes can make socializing difficult, and a professional can help identify solutions.

The Final Word

Social connection can reduce inflammation, lower the risk of serious health issues, improve mental health, and reduce risk of early death. On the other hand, social disconnection is linked with higher risk of illnesses, including heart disease, stroke, anxiety, depression, and dementia. Thus, it is advisable to prioritize your health and support active social engagement.