Despite Evidence, Social Connection Still Overlooked in Health Care: Study Finds
Despite a growing body of evidence linking social isolation and loneliness to serious health outcomes, new research reveals that both the general public and healthcare providers continue to overlook social connection as a critical component of physical health. The study, led by Brigham Young University psychology and neuroscience professor Julianne Holt-Lunstad and doctoral student Andrew Proctor, published in Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, shows that awareness around the health risks of social disconnection remains surprisingly low.
With loneliness and isolation trending on the internet, the researchers set up a study. In a nationally representative sample of US adults, as well as samples from the UK and Australia, they surveyed 2,392 people about their perceptions of health risks associated with isolation and loneliness. The data showed that, despite the pandemic and other campaigns, people still underestimate the importance of social connection for physical health. And the underestimation exists equally among the lonely and the socially connected.
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