The Deadly Link Between Loneliness and Early Death

A meta-analysis of 90 studies involving over 2 million adults has found that social isolation increases the risk of early death by 32%, while loneliness increases it by 14%. The study also found that social isolation and loneliness are independent risk factors for premature death. Social isolation occurs when someone has an objective lack of contact with other people, while loneliness refers to the subjective distress people feel if there’s a discrepancy between the quality of social relationships they actually have and what they want. Experts suggest that people experiencing social isolation and loneliness should actively seek social support, and public health strategies to address loneliness and social isolation are needed.