10/03/2024
Loneliness. Social Connection, and Isolation: Impact on Mental Health
Loneliness, Social Connection, Isolation
Have you ever felt lonely?
Not to be glib but if you have ever felt lonely, you are not alone.
Recent Data
A 2022 to 2023 poll conducted by Meta and Gallup delivered data related to how connected people felt and how lonely they felt. Approximately 1000 participants in each country were contacted in person or by telephone. Participants over the age of 15 years old, in 142 countries, contributed to the data set. Of note, a very large proportion of the world’s population was excluded. China, whose population is estimated to be about 1.4 billion people as of 2024, was not included in the survey.
Survey questions asked about participants about their sense of having Social Support; their feeling of being Socially Connected to people; their perception of being Lonely; the type of Social Connection and the frequency of Social Interactions; and their beliefs about social media and whether social media causes them to feel more or less feeling Socially Connected.
The countries with the largest percentage of people feeling socially connected (very and fairly) were Mongolia (95%); Kosovo (93%); Taiwan (92%); Slovenia (91%); and Sweden (90%). The percentage of people feeling socially connected (very and fairly) in the USA and Canada was 78% and 79%, respectively. The average for the 142 countries was 72%.
The countries with the highest percentage of people feeling lonely (very and fairly) were Lesotho (58%); Philippines (57%); Uganda (53%); Botswana (50%); and Afghanistan (50%). For both Canada and the USA, the percentage of the population attesting to feeling lonely (very and fairly) was 15%. The average for the 142 countries was 24%.
The percentage of the population feeling socially connected and the percentage of the population feeling lonely did not differ significant in each country when the data were determined for men versus for women.
The table of data related to frequency by type of social interaction, as reported by participants in each country, is interesting. The social interactions mentioned must have occurred at least once daily for each type of interaction. In some countries, the more frequent social interactions occur among family members and in other countries, the more frequent social interactions occur between people who are neighbours or people who live near each other.
To read more, see the report, The Global State of Social Connections, at
https://www.gallup.com/analytics/509675/state-of-social-connections.aspx -513272
and scroll down to download the full report.
Meaning of the Meta-Gallup Data
We may not be able to derive a lot of meaning from the poll data. After all, answers were all self-report answers. But, that does not mean the data are meaningless. The data reflect how participants felt about their sense of connectedness and their sense of loneliness. And, those feelings can affect how people function in the world.
Key findings as noted by the Meta-Gallup group include the average percentage of the population of the world feeling fairly or very lonely: 24 %. Whether that percentage would rise or fall with the inclusion of countries which were not involved in the poll, like China, is unknown. 72% of the world’s population, as surveyed in this poll, felt fairly or very socially connected. Young people, aged 19 years old to 29 years old, reported feeling lonelier than people 65 years old and older.
Our young people feel lonely. That cannot be good for us as a species because they are our future.
The Global State of Social Connections. Key Findings.
https://www.gallup.com/analytics/509675/state-of-social-connections.aspx
Why This Report Matters
1) Social relationships have a robust effect on mortality.
2) Social isolation and depression are correlated with the existence of coronary artery disease (heart disease, in the vernacular).
3) Social support and social connectedness impact a person’s perception of their psychological stress and their depressive symptoms.
4) Social connectedness is linked to longevity (how long we live).
5) Increased wellbeing is associated with spending less time alone and more time speaking with other people. Increased wellbeing is associated with less small talk (social interactions on a superficial level) and with more substantive conversations (deeper rather than superficial interactions).
6) Inflammation is associated with a history of stress prior in life and previous depression, both of which can impact stress reactivity by interacting with social rejection and genetic variables. In other words, the risk for inflammation results from many interrelated variables including a history of stress; a history of depression; and our genetics. Inflammation is implicated in a host of physical and mental health conditions.
7) Physical affection can be correlated with positive mood and a reduction in stress occurrences.
8) Laughter (often associated with social interactions but not always) can improve arterial function (the function of blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood).
9) Enjoyable activities increase positive affect (mood) in the context of stressful life events and decrease negative affect in the context of stressful life events.
For additional resources, consult the following links:
Connectedness & Health: The Science of Social Connection
https://ccare.stanford.edu/uncategorized/connectedness-health-the-science-of-social-connection-infographic/
The Power Science of Social Connection: Emma Seppälä TEDx
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZvUppaDfNs
Happiness, Social Ties, and Wellbeing
The last five points in the above list highlight the importance of social connection for our mental and physical wellbeing AND our happiness.
Isn’t happiness a universal desire?
Apparently, social connection can contribute to our sense of feeling happy. But, social connection is not easy for everyone, especially for those with social anxiety or generalized anxiety disorder. A good social interaction for you may not be a good social interaction for another person.
Some people actually enjoyed the social isolation and social distancing of the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown. Being anxious in a social context was nicely removed by the pandemic. Social contact still occurred but just not in the social contexts that causes anxiety for some of us.
Nevertheless, the research shows us we need social connection to feel happy and to experience wellbeing.
In the episode of Hidden Brain entitled Relationships 2.0: The Power of Tiny Interactions, Shankar Vendantam explores the passing encounters we have with people during our daily life. The podcast highlights the importance of “weak ties”, the contacts with people with whom we do not have deep social relationships.
Take a listen for yourself:
https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/relationships-2-0-the-power-of-tiny-interactions/
Health and Happiness Through Social Connection
A psychiatrist and a psychologist have developed a wellness programme based on feedback from their clients who wanted more than symptom relief. And, based on their review of the literature, they realized the importance of social interaction in achieving wellness and wellbeing.
In the next post, I will review their programme with you.
Wishing you social connection to your heart’s desire, for mental health, physical health, and overall wellbeing.
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