Family, friends and peers provide our own corner of the universe where we know we matter and feel like we belong. They’re the reason we can say, “I’m going to the movies with …” or, “I’m on the phone with …”
But did you know they keep our minds and bodies healthy too? People don’t make it alone, and the data surrounding social connection backs this up. Social connection is actually a major factor in a person’s overall social health - one of the 3 pillars of wellness, along with mental health and physical health. Read on to explore five ways social connection influences health.
Why social connection matters
Humans are social creatures. We’re naturally curious and need to feel loved, appreciated and valued. In fact, feelings of belonging help people thrive, whether they form community bonds that ensure safety and stability or propel them to academic and career success. Social connections help individuals:
Become well-adjusted
Think about what life would be like if you only spent time with your immediate family. Mom and dad’s worldviews, politics, values and passions are limited compared to the larger world. But by being exposed to different ways of life and of thinking, people can better relate to others and the world around them. Social connections help build interpersonal and communication skills—discovering the uniqueness of others, new cultures and differing values—and make it easier to form and maintain positive relationships with others.
Be able to cope
Life isn’t black and white. Shades of gray create challenges we need to overcome. But with social support, people can stay focused, motivated and resilient. Think of your own best friend—past or present. You probably turned to them as a sounding board or for emotional support. Resources like these help us manage stress and face life’s ups and downs.
How poor social health can impact health
“We are biologically, cognitively, physically and spiritually wired to love, to be loved and to belong.” — Brene Brown via Psychology Today
According to the U.S. Surgeon General, social connection contributes to longevity and physical, cognitive and mental health. Poor social health—a lack of social connection—can increase isolation and loneliness, increasing risk factors for a number of serious conditions.
Cardiovascular disease
The lonely heart can be an unhealthy one. A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) study found that poor social relationships increase the risk of heart disease by 29 percent. But it goes beyond heart attacks. The same study showed that loneliness among heart failure patients increases the risk of hospitalization by 68 percent and emergency department visits by 57 percent.
Cardiovascular risks begin as early as childhood—even though the impacts could take years to set in. In fact, childhood social isolation is associated with increased cardiovascular risk factors such as obesity, hypertension and high blood glucose levels in adulthood. The American Heart Association found that those who were less socially connected as children had more psychological distress, less educational attainments and worse health behaviors in adulthood.
Infectious disease
Poor social health, especially loneliness and a lack of social connections, also negatively impact immune health. That might seem counterintuitive—because a lack of connections leads to increased isolation and less exposure to viral germs—but people with fewer social connections have been shown to contract illnesses more easily.
When you’re more socially connected, your body has a higher immune response, even as it relates to COVID-19 vaccines. In instances of cold and flu, loneliness is linked to self-reported illness symptoms, whereas lower social cohesion is associated with lower antibody response to COVID-19 vaccines.
Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
Does the mind know when the heart and soul are lonely? Poor social health in the form of chronic loneliness and social isolation can increase the risk of dementia in older adults. Of course, there are physiological reasons for the relationship, and it actually happens because the brain is under inflammatory responses and stress.
A 2022 study found that lonely older adults are 49-60% more likely to develop cognitive problems compared to those who are not. And although that risk usually sits at about 50%, the picture changed drastically in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mortality
We all need to face our own mortality, ideally after a long and fulfilling life. But lacking social connection, feeling isolated and having poor-quality relationships significantly increases the risk of early death from all causes.
Good social health increases longevity. In a meta analysis using data across 148 studies, researchers looked at how social relationships influence the risk of mortality. Across diverse factors such as age, sex and initial health status, they found that those with strong social connections are 50% more likely to live longer than those with weaker social relationships.
Improper health care utilization
A lack of social connections not only leads to more specific risks, but also overarching ones. When people are lonely or don’t have the connections they need, they don’t engage with their health properly—opening the floodgates for countless other risks.
Loneliness drives a lack of on-time care. In cases like this, individuals can’t or don’t take care of themselves in a timely fashion, winding up in emergency departments (EDs) and becoming more likely to be readmitted. And medication non-adherence is just as big of a blocker, because disconnected individuals often believe they can’t afford or access vital medication and even struggle with health literacy to understand its importance.
All of this creates a substantial cost burden. According to the Alliance of Community Health Plans, low-value care costs the health care system $340 billion annually. Still, plans can intervene, encouraging preventive care to identify and treat social health-related problems early; like providing resources for better prescription access and even connecting members to plan and community resources that address both their physical and social health needs.
Empower your members to build social connections to improve social health
Social health amounts to much more than just having friends or maintaining family ties. It also has the potential to significantly impact health and well-being. That’s why it’s so important to address loneliness and social isolation early and effectively.
Pyx Health supports members through a unique blend of technology and human compassion to overcome chronic loneliness and improve their overall health. The Pyx Health app provides engaging activities and evidence-based screenings to help individuals understand what they’re going through and make it easier to engage in their health. Empathetic support staff are also available to provide timely, empathetic companionship and connect members to community resources that can open new doors to social connections.
Being lonely doesn’t have to mean being stuck. Get more insights into the impacts of loneliness by downloading our e-book, and see how your plan can rise to meet member needs.
