How loneliness can create serious physical complications — especially as we age
Once considered an emotional issue, now, doctors know it has serious physical complications. Loneliness takes us on a roller coaster ride, but the real downfall starts as we get up in age.
The U.S Surgeon general says a lack of connection can increase the risk for premature death to levels comparable to smoking.
Psychologist Eileen Graham is an associate professor of medical social sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and studies loneliness.
“It’s a state of emotional stress of having impoverished social relationships,” she said. “You are not getting either the amount of emotional support or instrumental support you need and if that is persistent over time that get under the skin as a chronic stressor that can then impact your health.”
It’s not considered a mental health issue, but the crisis of a different nature can impact our health and risk for disease.
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“People who are chronically lonely (are) more likely to die sooner, more likely to develop diseases, more likely to develop dementia,” Graham said.
It can also lead to poor health behaviors.
“It could also be impacting our health via health behaviors that people engage in in order to cope with lonely feelings, i.e. heavy drinking or smoking behaviors — in order to make themselves feel better,” Graham said. “In a given moment, somebody might not realize what is going on, but if they are experiencing that chronically over time, that’s where it could be particularly detrimental.”
Looking at pre-Covid studies from across the globe, Northwestern researchers found a common pattern. Think of it like a u-shape. In young adulthood, people may be moving to a new city or starting a new job. Any feelings of loneliness often subside during middle adulthood while raising a family and connecting with others through school-aged children and neighbors. But as we age, that sense of community can diminish.
“The way older adults are often living alone, we don’t see the sort of same three generation households that once were common,” Graham said.
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There are ways to intervene.
“If you have a neighbor that you perceive as being somewhat isolated, invite them to go out for coffee with you, even if they turn down that request, just knowing that there is somebody there for them that lives nearby if they needed anything might be enough to stave off those feelings of loneliness or at least mitigate that for them,” Graham said.
A meaningful point of contact ؙ— going for a walk, playing a game, a phone call instead of a text – can make an impact.
“We all get stuck in the grind of our everyday lives, and it is important to take a step back and remember we have needs,” Graham said.
The next step is to do a similar analysis using data collected during Covid. The researchers are curious whether the shared sense of Camaraderie during lock down may have boosted a sense of community and resilience.
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